Writing A Blog When You Find The Writing Part Hard

It might be deemed almost a given that if you've started a blog it's because you really enjoy writing. But that isn't the case for all of us and it's certainly not the case for me and it's something that I've wanted to write about for a long time. I'm not someone who is all that gifted when it comes to putting pen to paper or screen in this case and studying a creative subject only took me away from that skill further. So today I'm chatting about writing when you don't find it that easy and a few ways to build on your skills. 

READ, READ AND THEN READ SOME MORE

If there is one thing that I can truly thank books for it's helping with my writing skills. And it's something that when you really think about seems quite obvious. But I think by taking in other people's ways with words then it helps you find your own feet with how you want to write. I've always found that it doesn't even particularly matter what you're reading, within reason though of course. Just surrounding yourself by words and sentences lets you absorb everything like you're a knowledge sponge. 

FINDING YOUR STYLE TAKES TIME

This is just like anything when it comes to the whole blogging world. When you're so full of enthusiasm and passion for something you, of course, want it to be awesome straight away but it takes time. And the more you do something the easier it will become which is something that I think we all know to be true but it doesn't make it any easier to practice it. 

YOUR TONE OF VOICE

Deciding what type of blog you want to write in the first place is difficult. Do you want something that's super personal or do you want something that rivals glossy editorials? There is no right or wrong way to do it but finding your tone of voice can be tough. For me, I've always written a blog like I'm talking to a friend. But that doesn't mean your style has to be super casual and lack structure at all. Your tone of voice after a while flows naturally and will constantly change and evolve the more you post.  

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

There's a big pressure on new bloggers to be making waves instantly and creating viral posts but if it's not something you know about then what's the point? It's all too tempting to put something together that you know will probably rake in the clicks but if it's not true to you then it seems pointless. Not only will you burn out incredibly quickly but it won't ever bring in the type of audience that you really want. Especially in the lifestyle blogging arena, it might feel like you need to cover all the areas of life but unless you've lived it then why write it? If you've not gone through a really crappy time in your 20's but those are the posts that seem popular then put your own spin on it. And you don't have to be an expert at something to write about it at all but at least having some sort of experience in what you're talking about. 

MISTAKES ARE IMPORTANT

I've made plenty of mistakes when it comes to writing that's for sure. I'm sure I've made some in this post but if you don't make those mistakes then you don't learn. Here are some of the things that I wished I'd done sooner than I did;

• Read my posts out-loud and paid more attention to how they flow.
• Download Grammarly, seriously it's such a life saver but pay close attention to what it's changing.
• Not been afraid to Google. Searching things about grammar might seem really silly but it works. 
• Used a thesaurus properly. If you don't know what a word means but it sounds fancy then don't use it. And Google the meaning of words you already use, I'd been using infamous incorrectly for years. 

WRITERS BLOCK IS A REAL THING

Ah, writers block, what a pain in the ass you are. It's something that we all go through, it doesn't matter if you're a professional writer or someone who simply does it for fun. When I get writer's block it's usually for one reason and that's when I've been sat in front of my laptop for too long and not been outside in the real world. And I have the words they're all in my brain but they don't want to leave and I waste hours trying to get them out of there. Everyone tackles their writer's block differently but for me, it's always just getting outside and living a little more that breaks it. 

Do you have any tips for writing?

R x