Do you plan before writing blog posts?
Or do you just plan the title and write the article sometime later?
Or do you write and plan at the same time?
What's the difference?
Simple, but complex. Different times, different thinking. When I usually get article ideas, I write them down in my blogging ideas diary (I just ran out of pages yesterday, so from now, I will be using just filler paper to write my ideas down) and then write the article when I actually want to publish it (I don't write early, nor do I think about the post body until I start to write the article). So every single word that you are reading now, is what I came up with just now (now as in the time of writing this article :D).
Do you do that? Do you know why I do that? Well, I wrote this post just to explain that. I will give you all the reasons (good and bad) that I can find for planning articles earlier and for writing at the moment.
Planning Before Writing blog posts?
A lot of bloggers I know, do this kind of stuff. They plan their post body. They plan what the post is going to be about, the post format, how long the post is going to be and so forth. And they jot all this down. And write the post based on their notes (well, I guessed those last two points).
I have tried writing blog posts by planning the content even before I start to write. But, it doesn't work for me. Because the problem is that, If I think of some ideas for the post body, then I will be restricted to thinking within those ideas (It is hard for me to think out of those ideas). So, I usually don't try to plan my post body before I start writing blog posts.
Obviously, I understand that there are problems with this method. All of our college/high school professors/teachers tell us to plan our essay even before writing them (The only time I actually do some planning for writing is when I write essays for college). Planning and writing blog posts helps us to get our ideas out and then analyze, elaborate and explain them to convey our message, pursue the audience or just for the sake of writing.
Planning and writing blog posts blocks creativity?
I understand that for some people, it is just better to plan everything out and then start writing blog posts. But let me tell you something: It will be harder for you to come up with new ideas for the post if you already plan out everything 😀 Planning in a way, blocks your creative side of writing. Yes, you will still get ideas while writing the post, but it will be much harder to get those ideas and blend them into what you have planned.
But, that might not be the case for everyone. I do know people who write great articles by planning them ahead. I might saying that there will be a compromise for quality if you plan earlier. I am just saying that once you plan out everything, it will be much harder to get out of those points, think out of them, and get new ideas (Well, I will just use my psychology knowledge to support it; The idea of Fixation by Freud. You will have more like a fixated perspective on the subject that you are writing on. See, its all about perspective 😀 (Note: By the way, I will be writing another blog post on perspectives, somewhere on the blog world, just keep a look on my Twitter account).
Brainstorming and Writing blog posts at the Same time?
I just love writing blog posts. Just keep on writing them. In fact, I rarely change any word from the articles that I write (unless of course there is a spelling error). This is because I just love the posts as they are. If I even try to change one sentence, then my mind would prompt me to change the entire paragraph or add something new to it (which I don't really like, provided that I have finished writing the article).
For me, brainstorming and writing blog posts at the same time has proved to be effective. The best articles that I have written so far, are all posts written without any planning on the post content (and all of them were guest articles – I don't think that is a wonder at all). Anyways, back to our topic. I will give you an example to illustrate my thoughts:
Think about this: An artist who draws non-representational art doesn't really plan or think about his art before he draws it. Because he really can't. If his idea for art is really non representational, then he can't compare the idea to anything that is existing in this world (if he could, then the art would be representational). As far as I understand, he would just draw out his idea, play with it and use his creativity and artistic skill to improve the piece.
For me, I get more and better ideas when I write and brainstorm at the same time. What about you? Have you ever tried doing it at the same time? If not, you should try it. Try it once or twice. And let me know what you think.
Ta Da!
At the end, I just want to ask you a question (Just curious :D): Do you publish articles that you are not satisfied with? When I write articles, I only publish those I am entirely satisfied with (or else I won't have the motivation to promote it to my friends and ask them their opinion). Anyways, don't forget to tell you what you think about the idea(s) presented in this article. Try them out.
I appreciate your time and effort spent on reading this article. I would also appreciate if you really help me out by sharing and commenting on this article (For those people who didn't like this article: just tell me why you didn't. Thanks a million!
Just write.
Planning for a blog posts is kind of daily routine for me and I use offline tools to write my blog posts, and Titles are the harden part for me ,sometimes it takes hours to come up with the title for the post but if I have satisfied with my title then I can write post without taking any break…
I never submit articles which don’t satisfy me …
Great post and yes sometime planned articles are hard to write but do you think writing without any planning is a great Idea ?
Hey Vimal,
I do think that writing without planning is a great idea 😀
As I said in my article,
Writing without planning doesn’t block your creativity (unlike writing with planning).
And writing without planning has really worked for me. Take for example: This article itself. I didn’t do any planning for this article. I got the idea, wrote it down in my journal and then wrote the entire article in about 1-2 hrs 😀
Planning doesn’t really work for me. If I plan for an article, I won’t be able to write and enjoy as much as I could for writing without planning.
Of course, plan your article if that’s that works for you. The only time I do planning is for my idea itself. After I get the “idea” I don’t really worry about anything. I write until I am satisfied with my writing 😀
And do try writing without planning 😀 It may work out for you.
Thanks for the awesome comment!
Thanks for your Reply , it’s good to know that without planning you have written such a great post..
I’ll surely try to write one for my blog….
No problem 😀
And thanks once again for replying back and for the compliment 😀
You should. Try experimenting 😀
I just read a post about creating titles. This is hard for me too and I’m going to start putting a little more work into it.
Best of luck to you!!
I’m like you, i only publish what i love b/c otherwise i can’t take pride in my work and sharing something i’m not happy with is just not fun. Great post 🙂
Hey Ella,
That’s great 😀 Yes, your motivation to promote that article will be greater – which is a good thing – if you loved writing it.
So, do you write without planning? Do you keep a journal or something to facilitate your writing?
I do plan some blog posts if I am teaching something new in them; but if something happens during the day that just “pops” up the post is not planned and I go with it! Sometimes those are the best posts. I try not to submit posts I do not like – if I don’t why would anyone else? Then there are times I go back and read old ones and wonder “what was I thinking?”
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for the feedback!
I am glad that you had experience writing in both styles 😀
If you disagree with you old posts, you could write a follow up 😀
Of course, I plan before writing any article. I make a list of all the important point which I have to elaborate in my article. To be very honest, I get my article title, or better I’d say, idea for next post by reading other blogs, even comments sometimes (not for every article, sometimes). It works for me.
I’d be so grateful if you’d read the post linked below and, if you enjoyed it, leave a comment to let me know!
That’s great 😀
It is good to get ideas by reading and commenting on other blogs 😀 That’s the problem for me. If I think about what I should write in the article, I would loose entire interest/motivation to write it.
Have you ever tried writing without any planning at all ?
Never. How could I? or someone? If one don’t know what to write about, then is it possible to write? NO, it’s not, without planning. The whole point is to get an idea for an interesting and spicy topic for which readers may be looking for and find it interesting. Plan for complete topic – write in single post – or series of posts, what to include, what to not.
It is certainly possible 😀
As I mentioned in my post, I don’t plan much. I get the idea, write it in my journal and write the post – brainstorm the content while I am writing.
For me, planning before writing certainly blocks my creativity (which I don’t really like). That’s why I write my posts without planning.
Well, I have written posts with planning, but that doesn’t really work for me. I won’t get any new ideas to add to the post – once I write writing. And that really decreases my motivation and enjoyment in writing the post.
Thanks for the reply!
First:
“I get the idea, write it in my journal and write the post” – Isn’t it a plan?
Planning makes our work to be done with perfection, I think.
I am sorry, but I really don’t get you about – Planning – decreases motivation and enjoyment in writing.
Well, if you can consider that as planning, then yes 😀
I use the blogging journal due to 2 different reasons:
I usually forget all the ideas – so need a journal to write it down.
Second – the journal itself motivates me to think of more ideas to write about.
Let me make it a little more clear:
I enjoy writing posts as I think about what to write – makes me want to write more and add more value to it.
If I plan, that blocks my creativity and decrease the enjoyment – and in turn the motivation. For me, the enjoyment and satisfaction of writing a post are my strong motivators.
Abhi, would it surprise you to know that I plan very little, if any, of the fiction I write? I tell people I’m taking dictation from the little people in my head (we writers get to call those “characters” and mostly get admiration instead of funny looks and straitjackets, so long as the voices in our heads tell us to entertain people and not hurt them). But seriously, this is a great topic – I’m enjoying the discussion. I know very few writers who can successfully switch styles – most are either naturally inclined towards planning, outlining, researching, revising; or they are what we call “pantsers,” because they largely fly by the seat of their pants when writing. Nothing wrong with either style and both still have to edit and revise and work just as hard at writing well. There’s a little something about one that’s often envied by the other.
Thanks for joining the discussion, Holly!
I don’t like planning at all. Because it blocks my creativity – and decrease my motivation to write.
And because most my English professors/teachers have told me to plan before writing essays (and I don’t really like writing English papers, especially on topics that I have no interest on).
To be honest, I am not surprised, at all. You, YOU are one of the awesome writers, Holly.
You are experienced, you have written tons of articles. And of course, for every type of article/topic we don’t need to plan, even, it will not be a good idea in some cases.
Hey, Jeevan! Fancy meeting you here! Wanna know a secret? I MAJORED in English (to be technical, my B.A. is in “Rhetoric & Writing”) – but like you, I’m a pantser. Whenever my teachers required three drafts, I wrote them BACKWARDS. I wrote the final paper – in INK – and then went back and wrote in errors. Then I went back and wrote different errors, in PENCIL, and turned that in first. I think, over the years, one or two of them caught on. But you have to imagine this – YOU hate outlining and planning?? I hated revising. And I did not have a PC – this was all longhand or typed. So revising, then, really was a pain.
Abhi, I should also confess to you as well – technical writing (which is how I’ve paid my bills for many years) does require more planning and up-front structure than a short story. I say “up-front” because even fiction needs structure, and that “seat of the pants” story may need to be rearranged at some point. But there is an expected structure to documentation that is easier for me to outline – it just naturally falls into place, after years of experience, but it does involve a different mindset. So writers may function in both styles, regardless of natural inclinations – but they will usually be drawn to one or the other. I think maybe it’s a right-brain, left-brain kind of thing. Doesn’t make one BETTER than the other – just differently organized.
Ohh, you said, YES?
As I said on your blog, about journal, I do the same, what you do in your journal. And I can call it a PLAN.
PLANNING for me, doesn’t mean to FIX some symbols, words, paragraphs etc for my article. Those are just the ideas, same as, for you in journal.
Moreover, planning doesn’t mean that I cannot add anything in my article which I didn’t plan before starting it or something which suddenly strikes in my mind.
Nice to see you here, Holly 😀 And congrats on surviving the blog contest 😀 You really did a good job 😀
I sadly do write them in order – because whatever I do, I don’t get the spirits to write on topics that I am not really interested in – and most English papers are just like that.
Yeah, I understand you. Back when I was in High school in India, they didn’t allow us to use computers for essays – well, some of them do, it all depends upon the teacher you get. And I did have to write a lot on paper (and on computers for some other classes).
Actually, I do hate revising. I don’t revise at all (that’s my weakness for writing). And that has cost me a lot of grades. Well, I just have to be more careful now in College.
Well, yes I do think about blogging and I get ideas. And yes, you can call that planning. But, my whole article is not about planning the idea. Its about planning the subject matter of the post; I meant planning for writing the “body” of the article.
And many writers do plan their body content. That doesn’t work out for me. And to tell the truth: It does “block” your creativity; because when you plan, you are within those ideas. The chances of thinking anything out of those ideas are low – and the act to think out of those ideas are hard (as far as I understand).
I do understand, Jeevan! We have to continually surprise OURSELVES, or we get bored thinking about the thing we’re writing and want to be done with it – it’s the mental equivalent of skimming a book we’ve already read twice.
When your professors allow you some leeway in choosing a topic, choose carefully. The first one that really sparks an idea (any idea – anything that doesn’t leave your brain groaning in pain) is probably the one you ought to go with. Or the one that allows you the most freedom to choose the SLANT with which you’ll write the paper.
Then, write it your way. First. You’ll need to revise (but that’s not nearly as painful when you know you’re not killing whole forests in the process – the guilt is a killer as you’re crumpling papers and tossing them in the circular file). Move whole chunks around in Word. Think of them like puzzle pieces. But on your first pass, just get the chunks out there and think of what else YOU can say and add to the discussion. Stay on topic, but within that, there are all kinds of angles and facets, like a gem. Walk around it mentally and try to catch the light. Because I sense that you have to get your own imagination in gear before writing comes easily or pleasantly – and even as a professional writer, I get that. Share it with someone. I don’t offer to edit – honestly, that’s your job – but if you feel stuck, you can email me. Bounce ideas off a friend. Join a study group. Talk. Don’t talk about your PAPER, though, talk ideas. Just talk about the topic. (I find that talking about my writing before it’s done tends to kill it, too – have you experienced that? Some writers LOVE to talk work in progress – I can’t.)
So nicely said, Holly – just differently organized.
” it just naturally falls into place, after years of experience”. That’s what I was saying, Holly.
Wow, Holly! Thanks for the tips. I am taking English 102 next semester. This will certainly be useful to me.
Yes, talking or even thinking about what I am writing – while I am doing something else – will affect me (decreases my motivation and enjoyment for the writing).
Oh, come on, man. Now, you are saying ‘body of the article’? We were debating for the title?
It actually differ from person to person. It may work for some, not for some (in case of you).
All the best to you for your style. 😀
Hey Abhi,
Sorry might be my mistake then. I should have clearly said that. I was talking about the post body. Yes, I do think about the title, then I write the posts – and think of what to write while I am at it.
Anyways, thanks for the good discussion 😀
Your welcome, and Thanks to you too, for the great discussion and great tips.
Nice to meet you.
OddBlogger . com
Hey.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t plan. You should, if that’s easier for you. For me, it is easier to plan just the title (like I said in the article) and brainstorm the rest as I write.
Have you ever tried that? You should. Because it give you extra experience with writing – you shouldn’t always follow one path – see the familiar through unfamiliar ways 🙂
Thanks for the awesome comment,
Jeevan Jacob John
Hi once again 😀
You should always try experimenting with little strategies (since it is business, you can never tell whether it is going to make wonders; I mean increase your profits :D).
I mean, that’s what businesses should really do (and many top businesses are doing it). Take for example: Google. They are experimenting with a whole new array of services.
And many of them – like G+ -, they are really successful of with.
Thanks for the reply!
I make a rough plan before writing about the topic, but the content is written along the way. Like Abhi, I also get my ideas from other blogs and sometimes from forums as well.
Hey Shree,
That’s good 😀
Thanks for your feedback !
Same pinch, Shree. 🙂 Did you visit my blog? oddblogger . com
Hey Abhi,
Same pinch to u too…:) Yes I visited your blog and I am planning to visit again soon. Till then keep posting!!
Thank you for visit. I’ll be waiting for more.
Brainstorming is very useful and I’ve used several times to find post ideas. I normally start with a title if I’m set to write about it, I’ll then spend the rest of the day panning and creating the content, deciding on post format etc. The post doesn’t normally get published until the next following day so I have all day to play around with it.
Hey Fabrizio,
That’s cool. I am glad that you are spending a lot of time preparing and tweaking your post to make it more valuable for your readers.
Thank you for letting me know of your writing style!
My process is a little different. I’ll think about what I want to write about but make no notes. Then, I’ll actually sit down and write the entire post. Next, I wait for a time that I deem (arbitrarily) “appropriate” and then post my entry. It may be months after I wrote it!
Hey Josh,
Thanks for sharing details about your writing style 😀
Have you ever tried writing in a different style ? (liking writing down your plans or not thinking about the post at all – just thinking the ideas as you write).
Thanks for replying, Josh!
Oh, that’s cool. What kind of games do you write about? PC, Wii, PS or Xbox? Or do you write about all kinds?
Yeah, you should try writing in various topics. You never know which one will suit you. Experiment 😀
Hey Josh,
I agree. Those games are fantastic for development of the brain.
But, too many kids nowadays are after Xbox, Playstation and Wii.
I am glad that you are enjoying it. Thanks for sharing!
I dig it! (I didn’t even plan on saying that) Great article, inspiration comes at the craziest times, mostly when you’re not ready for it.
If you are struggling to write anything, just hit blogs like this and get an idea of what others are writing about, chances are you will come up with something as you R E A D ~
Thanks J~ good stuff
Hey Bryan,
Thank you 😀 Yes, you can never tell when you are going to get an idea (That’s why I carry a blogging journal with me :D).
By the way, how do you write? Do you plan before writing your posts? Or do you just write (like me)?
Thanks for the awesome comment 😀
This is the excellent Article plan before writing This Is Useful to Us
I Like This thanks for sharing this dude………
Hey,
I am glad that you found it useful 😀 By the way, have you written any posts without planning?
I agree with you that planning a blog post stifles creativity. I write the post and then outline, edit, and rewrite extensively before publication. Thanks for the insight!
Hey Doug,
Thanks for sharing your writing schedule with us! I don’t do any rewriting. I just write and publish the article if I am satisfied with the article (If I start rewriting, I will have to remove and add paragraphs because my minds prompts me to do that for some reason).
I’m agree with you, I only publish my posts if I love them :). I like to write my posts in Word before to go to my WP blog.
Hey Melanie,
I am glad that you do. Yes, only publish if you are satisfied with them. If you are not, then how can your readers be?
Thanks for the comment!
It really depends on what the subject of the post is about. If it is about something I am knowledgeable about then I’ll writ it without researching or planning, but if it is about something I know little about then I’ll research for a good hour or so before writing the post.
Hey Dean,
Yeah, that’s also a great thing to think about. Yes, of course. If it is a niche that you don’t know much about, then you should research first 😀
Thanks for the comment!
I rarely plan my posts ahead of time. Sometimes I’ll write down the title and come back and write the post later, but that’s as much planning as I do. I’m done with school and done with writing how people tell me is the “right way” to write. A blog is not a formal piece of writing in my opinion. I write down things as they come to me. Of course, I proofread for spelling errors, and to make sure everything makes sense, but planning ahead filters out my creativity. I like to write in the moment, otherwise I lose my train of thought and am unable to write what I really want to say.
Hey Brittany,
Thanks for the comment!
That’s great 😀 I write the same way too. Planning ahead just kills my creativity and thought process. Well, I will still be able to write the post, but my motivation to write it and my enjoyment of writing it will both decrease (which I don’t find very interesting).
I usually don’t plan it. When I feel like writing an article I usually just sit down and get at it. I find it difficult sometimes to get inspired to write so when i’m in the mood I don’t let it pass me by.
Hey Josh,
That’s great. Follow the method that works for you. But, also be sure to experiment. For instance: You said you don’t plan at all. Try writing with planning 😀
Remember: Be creative. And realize that Creativity is the act of approaching familiar things in an unfamiliar way.
Thanks for the comment!
I love blogging very much. Blogging is the one thing in my life that I can genuinely say that I love to do and I wouldn’t be lying a bit. Planning blog posts takes the fun out of blogging, so I just write my blog posts spontaneously while having a topic in mind. I only plan posts when I’m bored, and the posts that I do plan never turn out to be as popular as my unplanned blog posts, so I never plan when I write (unless it’s writing for my American Literature class).
Same here, Kevin!
I don’t plan at all. Unless of course it is for my English classes. Planning, for me makes writing posts boring and less enjoyable.
So, I don’t try to plan at all. I am also glad that you are trying to write with planning. Yes, experiment. Be creative. Try thing in a different way 😀
Thanks for the comment!
I think to some extent, everyone plans before writing even if it’s for 10 seconds pondering on what to write about. I think i should plan more, because a lot of articles on my blog are about the same thing. :\
Hey,
Yeah, if you can consider that as planning, yes of course, then everyone plans.
You should try reading new blogs on your niche. Or switch to another niche, if you find it hard to write articles 😀
I did so for my first blog. I was with Technology but later switched to Blogging as I found out that tech articles are too hard and boring to write and blogging related articles are just fantastic and enjoyable at the same time to write.
I think planning is done much of the time but there is nothing wrong with jotting down ideas before writing. Sometimes an inspiration hits you and you feel compelled to write a post about it. There is no rule, it all depends on how you’re feeling at any given time.
Hey,
Yes, I agree. You can plan if you want. You don’t have to.
It all depends. If you like planning try it. If you don’t, then don’t. But, I would recommend you to try it even if you don’t like it (creative approach to things).
Thanks for the awesome comment!
Hi Jeevan,
I love this post because it is the way I write as well. I keep all my post ideas in my drafts column, but don’t write them this I’m ready to post. However, I know many people who have several post written in case they are sick or unable to post one day. I have wished I could be like this especially now since I’ve had to be out with a bum arm.
I am like you, I usually get several ideas, put them on my drafts and then when I want to write that body or words, I pull up the idea and things I’ve thought about and begin to write. I usually publish it after at least two edits. I never publish something if I don’t think it is any good.
This has been an interesting article, and I’m looking forward to reading what others have written. Way to go! Sally
Hey Sally,
I am glad that you liked that post. Yes, I do know many people who have written articles and scheduled them for the future. I have tried that but it doesn’t work for me due to lack of time – I do have college work to do. And I don’t get the motivation to write like that.
I “just write”. And I enjoy it. No planning for body content. No editing or revising (unless I need to make some SEO changes; but often times I don’t care much about SEO).
Thanks for the comment, Sally! Appreciate it 😀
I really appreciate this great information you have shared, cause before we write we must think about a unique content that will attract many readers, and for them to visit your blog site regularly. quantity and quality is the main factor here.
Hey Kate,
No problem 😀 I am glad that you enjoyed it.
Have you tried writing without planning?
You Have To Plan; Else You Will Spend All Your Time Editing Posts You Don’t Like 🙁
You don’t really have to. I mean, once you get the idea for the post. I could write. For me, I think about the idea (Really, the titles of my posts).
And then think about the body content as I write.
Have you tried that?
Hi Jeevan,
This posting is really good for successes and this posting helps us how we plan for making successive blogger post.
Hey Rizwan,
I didn’t really get what you are saying. Anyways, have you tried writing without planning?
Thanks for the comment though 😀
Of course, we need to plan first what we want to post and what the topic of your blog.
We can not put up a blog in just one click, planning and brainstorming is very essential.
Hey Becca,
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, it is truly essential, to an extent, I agree. But, have you ever tried writing articles without any planning (for the post body)?
Plan before writing? I’ll say, yes and no!
I plan my articles before committing to write. However, it is not like what you have described about some other bloggers who will plan everything out on paper. What I do is have a plan in my mind of what I want to achieve with the article. Some time while doing I may have some ideas about the points I want to include. When this happens I simply jot them down as not to forget them when writing.
Since I have a picture in mind of what I want to achieve with the article, my writing is always geared towards that goal. I may take any approach but thaat goal is always in my sights!
That is a great. It is good to have your goals in mind. I am sure that it will help you to write better articles that provide more value to your readers.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
I always plan most of my blog posts. When I’m at the gym or going jogging I get the best ideas for new blog posts. I write those ideas down, plan the posts from scratch and write them. But then I don’t publish them all at once, but rather use the “publish later” Plugin by WordPress.
Hey April,
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Have you tried writing without planning the article?
Honestly, I have never thought of how I post since writing comes naturally to me. So, I’d have to say that I write first and plan later.
Hey Marcie,
Oh, that’s great 😀 I am glad that writing comes to you naturally!
Thanks for the comment!
It’s interesting you ask this because in my beginning blogger days I use to religiously record my post idea at the moment it came to me into my cell phone’s voice recorder then later I would make an outline just as we were taught in grade school then I would add supporting statements to it. my final editing consisting of adding a few humorous notes and then PUBLISH.
BUT nowadays I get an idea and just start typing right into my WP editor!
Hey Caleb,
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Actually, I haven’t heard of recording your idea. But, I think that’s great (Saves you some time too).
Planning is good, but I think you should leave some room for serendipity. For instance, I see a lot of bloggers tying Etta Jame’s passing into their posts.
Planning is indeed good 😀
Have you ever tried writing without planning?
Thanks for the comment!
I feel that it’s critical to plan before you post, but you can skip this rule if you only have a personal blog, obviously.
For a professional blog, for a business blog, it’s a must to plan if you want to achieve the desired results. It’s just too much at stake to improvise.
Hey Stan,
It depends. You don’t always have to plan. I mean, I have seen several bloggers write awesome posts (without much planning – well, we could describe that as just ranting) :D.
Have you tried writing without planning though?
Thanks for the comment!
Writing a post is like expressing yourself to a larger audience and it acts as a ‘face’ of you in virtual world. So definitely, I can not even think of writing post without a proper planning. Thank you for bringing this topic, excellent post 🙂
Thank you for the comment, Ritu!
Have you tried writing without planning?
Well, during my early blogging days I used to write on almost everything without planning & without knowing where to go and did plenty of mistakes but then I realized how important it is to plan first and then spread your knowledge to likely minded people. Planning in advance really helps.
That’s okay 🙂
Mistakes are awesome. They form your experience – so that you can teach others.
Thanks for the comment:)
Hey Jeevan,
I always plan before writing. Not that I plan the whole article before actually writing it; but before I sit down to write any post I always have some ideas written down somewhere, key points which I plan to discuss about the topic and things I would like to mention.
But once I write it I make sure I end it completely before moving on to something else. Also, I never publish anything I am not satisfied with myself. This may be one of the reasons I don’t post very often; because I tend to work on it to make it better.
Though I personally feel no one pattern is better than the other. It depends on what works for one individual and what works for others.
Hey Hajra,
Thanks for sharing your writing schedule with us!
Have you tried writing without any planning? Try doing things differently. As I said at Smartboydesigns -Be Creative 😀
Yes, it does depend on a lot of factors. But, we can still experiment with it – find out what’s better for us.
Thanks for the comment!
I’m in the camp of those that let the ideas just flow without planning… otherwise it would take me a week to get anything posted! I do believe we should be proud of our post or don’t publish it. The quality our work reflects back on us.
That’s great.
I also recommend you to try writing with planning (we need exposure to both sides).
Thanks for the comment!
Hey Andy,
Yes, of course. Planning is important. But, you could still write without planning. Have you tried so? For me, I just brainstorm the idea, I don’t plan the post body(I do it while writing).
Thanks for the comment!
Great share …
Agree with you, even I don’t publish the articles that I am not satisfied with. What is the use if it just sits in the archives ?
Hey Salman,
Thanks!
Glad that you agree. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the reply, nope I’ve never tried writing a content without a plan. maybe if I tried it, I think that no one will ever try to read my article.
Hey Kate,
Be confident 😀 You should try it, Forget what others say.
Most people plan before they write and this is good because when it is time to publish the post they are always ready. However I think you are right when you say that this may limit your ideas. The best thing to do is to have an outline of what you want to write about then as you are writing you can add in other ideas that come to your mind.
Hey Jarrod,
That’s also a great way to write 😀 Mix both of these things together.
By the way, how you tried writing without planning?
Thanks for the comment, Jarrod!
Hi
Before writing a letter I concentrate main on the article title and the content. after than the i will check the keyword density but with your information now i am going to change my idea.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Prash patel
Hi,
No problem 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience, Prash!
Jeevan
to be honest, I do not plan my content before creating it on the fly. Very seldom do I plan content in advance, before publishing. Most times, our research some good information out of the clear blue sky, or get my hands on some good information at random. It is always a good method to plan content before writing, but some folk find additional success in publishing on the fly and not planning content publishing in advance 🙂
Hey Drewry,
I am glad that you like writing without planning. Yes, it does depend upon the person. But, I would recommend that all bloggers try writing with and without planning. See what works for you. Experiment!
Thanks for the comment, Drewry!
You know, I never really stopped to think about how I go about writing a post but I guess I am somewhere in the middle. I have the idea, I start writing in order to see where it goes. Once I have some of my thoughts down on the page I will start organizing them into categories and putting more thought into other categories that would help to “round out” the topic. By the time I am done I want my creation to be organized so that it appears to have been planned from the start even though it wasn’t… if that makes sense. BTW it sounds like it is time for you to get a new idea journal. 🙂
Hey Seth,
Yeah, another great way to write your blog post. Writing, then editing and planning. That’s good.
Oh, yes, I am using some of my filler paper from High school as my journal (I ran out of pages in my school agenda).
Thanks for the comment, Seth!
Planning is essential. But one word of caution: one should not lose focus on the action part. If time is spent only on planning, sometimes things may not move forward at all. So the best thing to do would be to have a rough plan and get started with writing the actual post. You can come back after the first draft is done to edit it suitably. This ensures that no time is wasted in planning alone. Action is absolutely important as far as internet marketing goes.
Yes, of course. You need to make smart decision regarding the time spent on planning and writing articles.
Thanks for the comment, Raj!
Have you tried writing without planning?
Oh yes, for me it works the other way. I start without planning. I just decide on the topic I want to write on and it flows. That’s my style. For me, its about the flow. So, for me writing what flows is the best way of planning. So I write out the thoughts that flow. And then, edit the draft as needed.
That’s great and Unique 🙂
Yeah, experiment and find out what works for you and follow that 🙂
Thanks for the comment!
I’ve also learned that blogging without planning content sometimes is a good thing, as it helps the mind to stay creative 🙂
Hey Drewry,
Glad that you agree with me 🙂
Thanks for the comment!
glad to always be here =)
Thanks for your advice Jeevan. I’m doing several blogs now and there are some of your points that I didn’t do. This helps me a lot.
No problem 🙂
I am glad that it helped. Hope you have success with it.
Thanks for the comment, Hanna!
The only planning I do it title and end of the post, end of the post help in making a gradual approach to the end as while writing I know where I am going.
Hey Sanjeev,
That’s great 🙂 I see that you are blending both planning and non-planning.
Thanks for the comment, anyways 🙂
Great article! I always let the creativity flow then go back and correct mistakes and shape up my articles. I’ve read that it is most efficient to plan to write, however i am a creative person so I choose a more creative approach. Works for me every time! Thank you for bringing us this thought provoking article.
Peace –
Terrific Tonya Heathco, Founder
National Seizure Disorders Foundation
Hey Tonya,
Thanks! Glad that you are following the same style as I am 🙂 No problem. And thanks for the comment!
Jeevan, My blogging style is very similar to yours. I tend to write and brainstorm at the same time. I do keep a document where I post random thoughts, ideas and sometimes, I’ll copy and paste a comment that I’ve left somewhere. This is just fodder for when I sit down to write. I wish I was one of those bloggers that wrote ahead and had scheduled posts. That’s just not my style. I tend to set deadlines and then I’ll think what happened recently that I can share. If nothing comes to mind, I’ll peruse my document for inspiration.
Thanks for sharing. This is a great idea for a post.
Hey Sherryl,
That’s great 🙂 Yeah, find what works for you. I tried writing articles earlier, if it is just not my thing. I want to publish the article as soon as I finish it (for guest posts, I have to control my urge to publish – because I can’t publish them :D).
Thanks for the comment, though!
I’m finding out today that writing blogs or forum threads without planning in advance is working wonders not only for search engine rankings, but also for people to read and relate to 🙂
Hey Drewry,
That’s great 🙂
Are you trying it out – I mean, writing without planning?
sometimes, writing content without planning is a good thing. It keeps the content of the mind spontaneously flowing 🙂
Yes, of course 🙂
I agree, Drewry!
By the way, why did you post 3 comments (in this post) alone? Did you get thoughts after you commented? I guess then planning before is better for you 😀
Good question Jeevan
I try to have a path to my blog posts, ie a general direction I am heading in but for each post as long as the main point comes across then that is fine and I can happily walk away from it.
It does not have to be 100% perfect it just has to get the point of the post across, this of course means that my posts can appear to be off topic at times but in the long run it will all come together and contribute to the big picture.
Never spend too long proof reading your posts as the longer you spend the less value you will see in in it, as it has now lost the spark that caused you to write in the first place.
igor Griffiths
Hey Igor,
Thanks for the awesome comment,
Yes, of course, it is about conveying your message and nothing else.
Thanks once again!
It helps me to write an old school outline before I start. But I’m guilty of publishing articles I’m not totally satisfied with which is why I have about 40 in draft now, lol!
Hey Emory,
That’s okay 🙂 Go with the one that works for you.
Thanks for the comment!
I find when writing my next blog post I just flow as you say with you article above you wrote what came into your head.I think for me anyway this is the best way to go once finished proof read.
Most of the time I come up with ideas for my posts at about 1 AM, while I am laying in bed. I used to think of the ideas for a while before I fell asleep, planning on writing the post the next day. But unfortunately the next day I found that I forgot many of the main points and even the enthusiasm. So now when I i think of an idea for a post I write in down in a small note pad, which I try to keep with me. When I am ready to write I take the basic ideas and points and start writing. I found that if I plan extensively before I write a post I leave a great deal of material out of the post. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me.
Thank you for your blog post. I think I’ll get some ideas to help me adapt and adjust my blog better. I’m new beginner of what I do. I have a dream to be a pro blogger in the future.
Hey, just one more awesome post. Let me first thank for it.. And reading more posts to learn more.. 😀