Writing for the web is different. The way that I write online isn’t the same as if I was writing an essay for one of my classes.
Sometimes when I go to a website or a blog, I see blocks of text. My immediate reaction is to skim what is being said. I bet the author didn’t intend for me to do that.
Photo by: dbdbrobot
A tip I learned was to break up the paragraphs. Blocks of text are not only hard to read, but they are very time consuming. Many people don’t have the time to sit and read blocks and blocks of text. So keep your paragraphs short! People will read more material if you do!
Add some multimedia to your posts. My posts have been boring lately. I’ll admit that. Adding pictures, sound, video helps add some flavor and color to your post!
You can also style the text to emphasize a point. Don’t go overboard though. Similar to highlighting, you don’t want to highlight everything – just the important stuff. Same rule applies here. You can also bullet and make lists to break up things up!
One skill I learned in broadcast writing is to write simple. Subject. Verb. Object. Varying your sentence length and keeping them simple will make reading your content much easier.
So what are some of your tips for writing on the web? Leave a comment and let me know!
September 3rd / 242nd day of the year
Quote of the Day.
Life’s problems wouldn’t be called “hurdles” if there wasn’t a way to get over them. ~Author Unknown
Word of the Day.
Cachinnate \KAK-uh-neyt\ verb. To laugh loudly or immoderately.1
News Stories.
- Police question scientist in Miami airport scare (Yahoo! News)
- Quetta rally suicide bomb kills dozens (BBC News)
- U.S. payrolls fall less than expected 54,000 in August (Reuters)
- 45% of unemployed say it isn’t that bad (Pew Research Center)
- BP says oil spill cost up to $8 billion (BBC News)
Send me news stories that you have found interesting today by leaving a comment. I will add the link and credit you for submission. If you have a blog or website I can link to your site. I am not affiliated with any of the above news sources or organizations.
- http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday [↩]
September 2nd / 241st day of the year
Quote of the Day.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford
Word of the Day.
Bilocation \Bahy-loc-KEY-shuhn\ noun. The state of being or the ability to be in two places at the same time.1
News Stories.
- Oil Rig Explodes in the Gulf (AOL News)
- Earl bearing down on East Coast (CNN)
- Child’s Ordeal Shows Danger of Antipsychotic Drugs (NY Times)
- The internet: the web’s new walls (The Economist)
- Burger King sold for $3.26 billion (Reuters)
- Chilean miners receive first hot meal in three weeks (BBC)
- Israelis and Palestinians agree to more peace meetings (Reuters)
Send me news stories that you have found interesting today by leaving a comment. I will add the link and credit you for submission. If you have a blog or website I can link to your site. I am not affiliated with any of the above news sources or organizations.
- http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2010/08/31.html [↩]
September 1st / 240th day of the year
Quote of the Day.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. ~Les Brown
Word of the Day.
Beek \BEEK\ verb. To bask or warm in the sunshine or before a fire.1
News Stories.
- Latinos Digital Divide (PEW Research Center)
- Beetles Devastate Coffee Plants (UTNE Reader)
- Texas Man Slashes His Throat in Court After Getting 40-year Prison Sentence (Fox News)
- Bomb Attack Strikes Shiite March in Pakistan (NY Times)
- Violence mars Haiti’s recovery (Miami Herald)
- Pakistan floods predicted to hammer economy (Cork Evening Echo – Ireland)
- Oil spill cleanup workers still waiting on pay (Mobile AL Register)
- Hurricane watch posted; N.C. evacuations planned (Charlotte Observer)
- Gunman takes hostages at U.S. Discovery Channel (Reuters)
- New line of Apple iPods released (Reuters)
Send me news stories that you have found interesting today by leaving a comment. I will add the link and credit you for submission. If you have a blog or website I can link to your site. I am not affiliated with any of the above news sources or organizations.
- http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2010/08/31.html [↩]
Happy September. Hard to believe that September 1st is here already. Wasn’t it just yesterday when we were celebrating New Years?
This month I have some goals for the website. I’m always looking to improve my website and give my readers and followers a forum to discuss things comfortably. I am also looking for ways to keep my readers here and engaged. I am always up for suggestions and comments. Don’t be shy.
More engaging posts. One personal critique I have of my blog is that it’s not engaging enough. There is too much text and not enough engagement. The best way I learn is interacting and engaging myself in the material. Since a variety of people learn differently (visually, listening, engaging), I am going to try to incorporate these different styles to my posts. If nothing else comes out of it then at least my posts will appear to be more engaging.
Different topics. I am a media buff. I am a journalist. That doesn’t mean you’re as interested in journalism news as I am. My goal as a journalist is to discuss issues that matter most to you. By focusing on a variety of topics, it will not only draw more readers to my blog – but also will make me a better journalist and allow me to be more aware of current events.
Update and add more clips. My portfolio is a little lonely. Over the next month, I hope to add much more clips and articles to my portfolio page.
Daily News. Each day I will post interesting news stories I find across the web. This will be archived on a “Daily News” page where you can access them at a later date. I’ll post the post in the morning and add stories as I find them throughout the day. I also encourage my readers to share any links to stories they find interesting so I can add them to the list. I’m testing this idea out so let me know what you think of the idea!
