There was a time when I wrote most of my blog posts from my bed while watching The Office. Of course, it’s awesome if this works for you – because it’s a fun way to blog! However, over the past year, my writing process has evolved into a foolproof way for me to minimize distractions and write content that I’m truly proud of.
I’m sure many of you are like me – SO easily distracted. Honestly, it’s hard to get stuff done! Today I’m sharing with you a behind-the-scenes look my writing process in the hope that you too can find a way to blog or work on your business distraction-free! Doesn’t that sound amazing?
Step 1 – find inspiration
I find inspiration in so many places. Sometimes it will just hit me while scrolling through Pinterest or Twitter, but often my comprehensive list of post ideas is what gets me the most excited about writing. Every time I read through it, it makes me super pumped to write each post!
Step 2 – create a calming atmosphere
For me, calming = get-work-done mode. I try to either go to a coffee shop with minimal distractions or I’ll wait until things are mostly quiet in my apartment, which could be late at night or early in the morning. I also have my go-to Spotify study playlist on in the background. It’s a bunch of amazing movie soundtracks that keep me crazy motivated – it’s basically life-changing! When I was writing a 10 page lab report my freshman year, this station was the only thing that kept me from screaming at the agony of writing that lab report! I also like to make sure that I have hot tea or my water bottle and my favorite chapstick close by – basically everything I might need so that there’s no temptation to get up and stop writing.
Step 3 – outline, outline, outline!
This is probably my most important step. This is where I come up with a catchy title and then brainstorm/organize my thoughts for the blog post. It keeps my posts organized and it helps to keep me from rambling on about something that doesn’t directly relate to my topic. When I was working on my redesign, and writing thousands of words for my About and Services pages, it would have been completely overwhelming without an outline. Once I’ve got my outline, my post is as good as written!
Step 4 – write for as long as possible
I try to write out as much as I can at once. Sometimes I have to come back later and take another shot at the post, but often I can get the whole post out in one sitting. I also try to make sure that every sentence has a purpose that directly relates to my topic. I don’t want to be writing fluff!
Step 5 – proofread!
Proofreading your posts is essential! I like to proofread as soon as I’m finished writing, and then I’ll take a break. When I come back, I proofread my post in preview mode and make any last adjustments right before I schedule my post. I think that taking a break and then coming back refreshed will absolutely help you with proofreading, and also with writing. Another tip I’ve learned is to read your post backwards – any mistakes will jump out at you!
Step 6 – create post graphic
Once my post is written and has been proofread several times, I’ll create the post graphic. I like to stick with vertical, Pinterest-optimized images – usually 800 x 1200 pixels. As soon as I’ve added the graphic, then the post really seems to be coming together.
Step 7 – share on social media
I have Bloglovin’ and WordPress set up to automatically send out a tweet whenever a new post is published, but I also write out several other tweets to go out over the next week or so. Since I’m not using a social media scheduler like Buffer or Hootsuite right now, I just save my tweets to a Google Doc and then copy/paste them when I need them! I also tend to mention new posts on Instagram, but I try to stay away from using the same images on Twitter, Instagram, and my blog. I use Bitly links so that I can track clicks from social media to my post, and also see which social media platform gives me the most clicks. I also pin my post graphic to as many related boards as possible.
There you have it: my writing process from initial inspiration to sharing on social media! What does your writing process consist of?
