Is blogging difficult? My advice for beginners

The problem

Did you know that blogging is one of the effective methods for training and learning? Blogging requires the writer to have a certain amount of knowledge and the ability to present it to the readers. Through blogging, you not only learn more, but also revise your knowledge and help others through your articles.

There are many advantages but is writing a blog really simple? Writing a blog was difficult for me in the beginning. I had programming experience, but I didn't know how to express my ideas clearly and understandably. Despite feeling frustrated because I didn't know how to write or what to write, I continued writing. I believed that with enough practice, habits and experience would develop. Now, everything seems easier to me and I know that beginners will face similar challenges.

After a period of practice, I have developed a process to produce an article. It's nothing fancy, but trust me, if you follow each step, you will find it extremely easy and effective.

Steps to write a blog

The first step is to prepare the content. In this step, you will come up with a title for your article. Pay attention to the title as it determines the content of your article. The title helps you determine the knowledge you need to research and convey. Moreover, the title should be attractive and make the readers want to read immediately.

The second step is to outline the main ideas that will be discussed in the article. Focus on clarifying the title and avoid going off-topic.

The third step is to organize the structure of the main ideas. Typically, the structure of an article consists of introducing the issue, explaining concepts, exploring the problem (implementation methods / procedures / solutions / pros and cons), and summarizing.

The fourth step is to develop the main ideas into paragraphs. At this point, you can freely write based on your thoughts and emotions, ensuring that the content fully covers the main ideas.

The fifth step is to add illustrations, code snippets, or anything that makes the article more lively and visual. Visual aids help readers better understand the value of the article.

Next, you need to read the article again and add transitional phrases to ensure that the text flows naturally. Remove any repetitive or unclear sentences until you feel satisfied. Read the article multiple times to check if it flows naturally without any confusion or omissions.

Finally, check for spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors to demonstrate your attention to detail and dedication to the article.

Among these steps, the most challenging are defining the main ideas and developing them into paragraphs. Why? Because they are the backbone of an article.

The main ideas in an article must stand out and be consistent. They should focus on the content, clarify the article's title, and avoid going off-topic. Writing a concise article can be difficult because there may be many related factors, and without clarity, it is difficult to fully convey your thoughts. If you encounter such situations, my advice is to introduce that topic and provide references to external materials. Later, if you have time, you can write about that topic and add a link.

For example, if the article has the title "What is Node.js?", what are the main ideas?

• Introduction to Node.js
• What is Node.js used for?
• How to install
• First hello world program
• Summary

Then, the main ideas need to be developed into paragraphs.

Writing style

Differentiate between spoken language and written language. When speaking, you can deliver a relatively large amount of information quickly. Directly interacting with listeners allows them to filter the content you want to convey quickly, and if they don't understand, they can ask questions. Written language, on the other hand, conveys information through written text. Therefore, sentences should be concise, straightforward, readable, and understandable. Avoid using spoken language in writing, unless you think it makes the article more interesting.

Writing style also depends on each person's writing style, which is very distinctive. When reading articles by Author A, it may be easy to understand, but when reading articles by Author B, it may be difficult to understand and confusing, which is due to the writer's way of conveying information.

Some people have a humorous writing style (writing like a comedian or action movies), while others have a serious writing style with standard phrases. There are even writing styles that are mysterious or use bullet points and enumerations. Choose a writing style that allows you to convey your ideas comfortably, but keep in mind that your writing style is your characteristic, and the reader is the one who perceives it. Pay attention to the feedback from readers to find your own suitable writing style.

Conclusion

Above are my sharing about the process of writing a blog. Although it is not extensive, I hope it will be helpful for those who want to start writing a blog but don't know where to begin. Some beginnings may be difficult, but persevere until everything falls into place, and it will operate smoothly.

What is your writing style? Or, as a reader, what do you think of your writing style? Share with everyone!