Let’s clear this up right now.

We are all busy.

Being time poor is the new black.

Shortcuts, checklists, timesavers and all-in-ones are the go for a busy Mum.

We may dream of living the ordered, organised and socially boastable life, but to be honest it ‘aint gonna happen anytime soon in this virtual neighbourhood.  Life is hectic.

And that’s a good day. Others get even worse.

They’re borderline nervous breakdown.

First there’s the “have to do,” “can’t forget” and “not possible to miss” lists. Then add on top the “ought to do,” “should really do” and “family must do” ones, as well as the “social appearances” and “career obligations.”

That leaves no time for anything that YOU’d really love to do. Those things could only occurin some random ‘other than this life’ world. [Can I have that life, pppplease?]

So if I keep suggesting you add “starting a blog” to that list, you’d be perfectly right in saying “Go take a flying……….”

Therefore, this post is for you.

Short, sharp and clear it covers the very basic ABC’s of writing a blog post.

Let’s get started:

A = Accuracy

1. Write what your know
2. Get your facts straight
3. Accuracy builds reader trust
4. Credit your sources
5. Attribute other writers where needed
6. Link to others to share
7. Edit your work
8. Cut ruthlessly
9. Check spelling
10. Proofread out loud

B = Brevity

1. Cut the fluff
2. Do a vomit draft
3. Share a piece of you
4. 4.      Tell the why not the how
5. Use bullet points to break it up
6. Only 20 words or less per sentence
7. Write for short attention spans
8. Use small words
9. Keep it sexy and short
10. Write for your reader

C = Chunks

1. Hook the reader early
2. Paragraph one and two are the big idea
3. Master each sentence
4. Maximum 2-3 sentences per paragraph
5. Skimmers jump from heading to heading
6. Mix up the flow, rhythm and word pace
7. Use subheads to summarise
8. Leave white space for eyes to rest
9. Use the rule of two
10. Images add personality and emotion

Blogging really has no rules. However these ABC’s provide some general guidelines that will make your blog more readable – so that not just your audience, but even your Mum will want to read it!

Your turn

What would you add to the list? What’s important for a blog to hold your attention and keep you reading until the end of the post?

Please leave your suggestions in the comments….

Other posts in the series:

Mummy Blogging 101: Try it, it’s addictive

Mummy Blogging 101: 5 fundamentals of setting up house

Mummy Blogging 101: Getting your writing mojo on

Mummy Blogging 101: Write a blog post that stinks …

Mummy Blogging 101: 5 free image sites to help tell your story, legally!

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/6659298473/”>Kalexanderson</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>