Top five tips for blogging

Blogs are a great way to spread your message and share the experiences of a range of different people. You may wish to write a report on a topic of interest or make a personalised blog on part of your own experiences. Remember, you are the expert on your life, so no one can tell your story better than you. Here are some tips to help you on your way:

1. Start anywhere – the opening slide, scene or paragraph is always the hardest part to write, so don’t feel the need to start there. Write whatever pops into your head first and you can go back and write some opening bumph later if need be.​​
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2. Embrace your own style – everyone has their own way of expressing or writing and explaining things. The most powerful blogs are often the most natural, informal, and personable. You don’t need to conform to a particular style, just think about the topic you want to write about, and jot down your train of thought. You may find it easier to write as if it was a diary, a letter to someone, or a short story.
    

3. Blogs don’t have to be a chunk of writing – you can blog in whatever format suits you best. It could be animated, musical, a passage of writing, a short poem, a paragraph of text with some bullet points, or a collection of quotes. Or, you may want to use other forms of communication, like photos, drawings or videos.
    

4. Don’t worry if you feel it looks amateur – as long as you have the content you want, you don’t have to worry too much about the content flowing or the words being grammatically correct. We have staff at our end who can go through and edit the blog so that it reads better if you want. So just ask if needed and we can check that you’re happy with the edits before publishing the blog.​
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5. Look at our guidelines for safe blogging – if you are writing about difficult, sensitive issues e.g. self-harm or eating disorders, try to use content that is non-triggering to other readers. We will guide you or suggest editing if needed.