Admiring Good Posts

What constitutes a good blog post? Is it the topic? Is it the visuals? Is it the way in which the blogger articulates themselves? I find it's actually a combination of several variables.

Now, I'm not saying there's a formula to creating a good blog post, nor am I implying that I think I'm a good blogger. I'm just saying there's a basis--a foundation--to writing one.

I'm drawn towards authenticity. Writers who can be genuine and open best captivate me. I'm the type of person who's curious about everything I come across and everyone I meet. I'm a dreamer, a questioner, a girl who likes to learn.

In order to be effective, a post must hook and reel. Titles and visuals are the bait: interesting elements hook the reader; bland components merely sink. From articles and news reports to novels and essays, there's a plethora of publications readily available to read. As a reader, titles help me determine whether or not I want to continue on with the reading. If I see a blog post titled, "Blog Post #__," I'm more inclined to overlook it. The more creative the title, the more interested I am in hearing what the writer has to say, as the title gives me a general idea of what the post is about and where the blogger intends on going with the topic. Also, the placement of visuals and videos plays an important factor. Is it placed properly? Does it aide your content? Or is it misleading and completely random? Conversely, the tone and writing style are what reels the reader in. Eloquent writers aren't afraid to deviate from traditional writing. A blog is a free space for expression. It is not an academic essay or a formal report, rather, it is a blank canvas for a writer to create. The way I see it, a blog is basically an online journal. And in our journals, we typically aren't bounded by prescribed grammar rules. We write as we go, writing as we please in an unconventional manner. For the post on making a character, for example, I found the ones that avoided explicitly stating "Phase 1" and "Phase 2" or "External" and "Internal" more potent. Instead, these bloggers got creative and incorporated an actual story, despite their brevities.

So basically, in order for a post to be effective, it must grab AND keep my attention. You might have an enthralling title, but I'll stop reading the second I lose interest in the conventionalism of your content. Or, you might have a strong message, but I most likely won't get to it if you title your post poorly.

The best posts are, in my opinion, the personal posts. Posts that give me a snippet of another person's life intrigue me. It is the memories, the thoughts, and the feelings that are invisible to the eye. For one to expose what goes on in his or her mind, presenting a state of vulnerability, is, to me, golden.