There are 2 parts to good writing. One is the art. The other is craft. If you don’t have the latter, no one will know about the former. Promise.
Art is an expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Craft is a form of work, a skill in making things. It results in a tangible output. Like a blog post.
Let’s first talk about the art part. For this short discussion, let’s focus on inspiration, which for a blog post, may come from your subject matter knowledge, your understanding and empathy for how customers express frustrations, and your ability to show them the light. It’s the central idea. The AHA moment. The big whoops.
Then comes the craft, to put the words together (wordswork) into sentences and paragraphs that bring your idea to life, that engage the reader. Finding the structure to be a good storyteller, like a good carpenter. (Structure, by the way, includes spelling and grammar – typos never make anyone look smart).
The best thing about craft is that it’s additive – with learning, introspection and practice over time, you absolutely get better.
It’s a commitment and a process that I love. Although, many people will side with poet, writer, critic and (overwhelmingly) satirist:
“I hate writing, I love having written.”