Structure matters. Here are a few points we highlighted in class today to help you organize the flow of your story.
One: Be blocked
When you write for a blog, your structure should follow a blocked model. Instead of decreasing in importance as you work down the article, your story in a blog format should be organized around chunks of content. These blocks (or chunks) probably will be about equal in quality and length.
You can have more than one paragraph per chunk. That’s what you see here. You can even add a direct quotation. For example, let’s introduce your professor, Glenn Scott, as he reminds you that a direct quote does not need to be lengthy, but it should be compelling.
“A few forceful words,” he said, “can hit with a ton of impact.”
Two: Use graphics tools
To help define your blocks, use devices such as bullets, numbers, bold type or sub-heads (as this example shows). This helps your readers by clarifying where a new point begins. It aids their searching eyes. It also gives the blog item a more varied look.
Links are important, too. Embed a few links to add context. Most great bloggers do this.
Three: Seek visuals
People enjoy photos, if they are worthy. OK to embed photos or other graphics. We’ll discuss copyright law later, but as a general rule you’re better off not ‘borrowing’ a photo from a commercial site or photographer and running it on the web. Some people will send you a bill. If you shoot the photo yourself, you are home free, well protected. The copyright is yours. (To post a photo, set your cursor where the photo should appear, then click on “add media” at top of tool bar. Then follow along. You can figure it out. Add names in captions.
Four: Consider the flow
Even in a blocked form, we want to ensure that our readers can follow along without feeling lost or confused. The first three or four paragraphs of your lede should help. You also can add a line, as I did above, that tells readers what comes next. Always think about what the readers need to make sense of your stories.
Five: Remember the basics
A blog is a different form, but the principles of media writing don’t change. Spend as much time — or more — revising, tightening and editing your blog piece as you do any other news story.
Six: Find examples
The web is the all-time-great laboratory for learning. You can find a thousand good examples of effective, clever, clear and accurate blog items that carry news. Find some and study them. OK if you want to try a structure you find another blog using. In fact, ask yourself:
Is there a better way to learn?
Elon on Deadline 