How I write blogs

I have a short attention span. As a reader, I always expect whatever I am reading grab my attention immediately; otherwise, I end up reading the same paragraph multiple times to focus. When you have set such a benchmark as a reader, you also must match that standard as a writer. And it can get difficult to meet that expectation to be interesting enough for your readers to find a reason to keep reading. And that's how I procrastinate because I won't start writing unless I am mentally prepared to deliver a perfect writing piece. However, as a PR aspirant, I had to overcome this habit of procrastinating. And that's how I crafted my blog writing process for SCoRe to deliver my best. 

Research

The first thing I prioritise is having an in-depth understanding of the blog topic and making a list of all the points I can think of. Later, I skim through similar articles or blog posts online to learn something new about the topic and add valuable inputs I missed. Sometimes I discuss the topics with my friends to gain another perspective. Once I am satisfied with this part, I leave it for a day or two before I start writing; as Priyanca said, "Let it Pickle." 

Writing

I spend most of my time on the introduction paragraph. If I don't have a smooth opening, I have already lost more than half of my readers. Imagine yourself riding a scooter with your friend. When you want to accelerate it, you gently twist the throttle. As a rider, you want to give them a smooth ride experience. But if you twist the throttle harshly, there's a high chance your friend will fly off the scooter, and you will start the journey on your own. In this case, the reader is your friend and you are the driver. As a writer, you have to deliver a smooth reading experience and that relies on your opening. After the introduction, I write in a flow. I avoid proofreading during this stage.

Proofread 

The final stage of my blog writing process is carefully reading the content. During this part, I edit out insignificant sentences or add more points. Furthermore, I revise the language to improve the flow of the texts. After editing, I copy-paste everything on Grammarly and run a quick check. I proofread everything because sometimes Grammarly makes changes that need to be clarified. Lastly, I add images and links to the content to enhance the reading experience. 

Writing has always been my strongest forte. But there's still a lot to learn. When I got graded for the first blog of SCoRe, it was a harsh reality check. But it also gave me the motivation to do better. I realised that now is the time I can afford to make mistakes because I am here to learn. Through The Writing Lab, I expect to get better at professional writing. And hopefully, one day, I become a writer whose content people look forward to reading.