Blog Consciously
- Always write for your blog as though others will read it, because they will. In this case, it may just be your instructor and your classmates. However, getting in the habit of writing for an audience will hone your writing skills, and will also improve your chances of being able to market your abilities as a writer.
Blog Professionally
- This is really an extension of the first rule. When posting to your blog, imagine not just that you are writing for an audience, but that you are writing for an institution that is paying you (a newspaper, or a professional media website) for your well-reasoned arguments. Put aside personal opinion, do not use a casual writing style, and pay attention to spelling and grammar.
Blog Creatively
- Even a simple platform like Blogger gives provides you with a multitude of options for customization. You caninclude audiovisual supplements to support your work; you can link your blog to Twitter and Facebook; You can endlessly customize the design and format of your blog. Making stylistic choices and creating posts that are rich in content allows you to distinguish yourself from the many other blogs out there. On the other hand, while all these bells and whistles are great, you should also be creative in your writing. Do not be afraid to take a controversial stance, or to make an unusual argument, as long as you have the evidence to back it up. Good writing will make you stand out more than any design choice.
Blog Regularly
- This should not be difficult to do for this class because you will have a topic each week. However, if you have an interest in building up a body of work through a blog, you should be updating regularly. This will keep a potential audience coming back, but it will also demonstrate to those interested in working with you that you are able to set and meet deadlines for yourself and keep a regular independent work schedule.
