The fact is that pretty much everything you read online has been said elsewhere. Even the topic you write about now has been written in a different way by a different author. It is rare to find new information and chances are that the said new information comes directly from the source in the first place. Then goes the regurgitation from additional authors who want to get in on the niche.

I believe that readers like to read the same ole’ thing when it is written in a different point of view with personal opinion explaining why that topic matters to the one writing.

At first, the one-hundred word comment had no meaning-I’d seen a few comments very similar to the one Brandon Connell posted on my blog-before. Looking at it for three more seconds, I realized that there was an amazing blogging tip hidden in the text. “I believe that readers like to read the same ole’ thing when it is written in a different point of view with personal opinion explaining why the topic matters to the one writing.” Interpretation?:

Regurgitation is unavoidable, as almost everything to be said has already been written about by another blogger. Readers are aware of this, but regardless of that fact, they enjoy reading the same information more than once, if it’s written differently, and more personally, with somebody re-emphasizing it to them in away that, regardless if it’s regurgitated information, is still interesting and useful.

The genius-and the simplicity-of the concept that readers do not mind reading the same information more than once, if it’s written in the author’s own voice, is brilliant.

You might be wondering: “Okay, so I just go out, read an article and re-write it in my own words, right?” No. That’s counterproductive. Instead:

1. Find out what bloggers are writing about, and what people are searching for. Look  for sites that publish daily blogging trends and topics, such as Regator.
2. Research information on this topic. it doesn’t matter how much time (or energy) you put into the research, though generally more research pays off, and is reflected in the final product.
3. Write. Write about the subject. Write until you feel you have a mediocre outline of the article you wish to publish. Don’t worry about the quality of the content, (though quality over quantity is one of my mottos) or if your writing in your usual voice,your just trying to chug out words.
4. Edit the outline (or rought draft) until your satisfied with the quality of work.
5. SEO. Now that your done, you may begin putting in links, focusing on keywords, et cetera.

Now you may be wondering: “Well gee, i already follow all of those steps to writing a good blog post. I just don’t follow number one, but that doesn’t seem like too big of a thing to do. What are you trying to tell me?”

Well, I don’t know about you, but generally when I try blogging, I sit staring blankly at the computer until inspiration (in it’s many disguises) hits me. Step 1 is clearly a major component in blogging competently. I’ve said before, on many occasion (ex: Don’t Hit that Publish Button), that regurgitating information is bad. But taking it, and molding it into something new, something brilliant, something exiting, your not regurgitating the information at all. Your providing it to your readers, in a useful, proper way that can reward you greatly.

As a side lesson here, learning from comments you receive on your blog is an invaluable learning technique that can benefit you greatly. Don’t just approve/unnaprove comments, really read them and get a feel for what they’re saying. And respond to them too. It helps.

Write

Or

Die

Of course, I’ve used this tool many times, and never once been smited-though I’m sure that’s happened-but the idea is good enough. Negative reinforcment. the person stops writing, they get punished. So simple, yet it works so good.

Why wouldn’t you want to use this tool? Well, unless your already writing nonstop and your writings coming from a stream-of-consciousness, I suggest you use Write or Die. Needless to say, after Write or Die sessions, you need to revise, so if you want quality over quantity with your writing…WOD isn’t for you. But otherwise I strongly recommend using Write or Die, and I’m sure that any users of it will agree with me-it’s legitimately fun.

Prologue

“I felt it, days before it came. I doubted it would be able to reach me. Enveloped in a sense of self-security, I ignored it. It didn’t feel, or, at least, before I was OverWritten, it’s presence didn’t feel characteristically evil. It just felt…there.

Two day’s before it took me, I heard it. It didn’t threaten me, didn’t say anything that struck fear in my heart, I just heard it’s whispers. The whispers were inside my head, or so I figured, as I went to my parents complaining that I was being haunted.

Twenty-Six hours before I Left, I could feel a strange sensation in the core of my body. It was the push of something from the outside, and the pull of something in me, as if there were two magnets inside me, each one desperate to come out. As the day went on, the push-pull feelings got stronger. As I lay in bed on the night I was Forgotten, I heard it speak. The voice was there, but not only was it in my head-it was as if the thing was right beside me. I felt something touch my shoulder, and I turned to look at it, but found my body was far away. The magnetic feeling in my chest was unbearable-I couldn’t breath. The worst part was I seemed to have two heartbeats-or two hearts inside of me. One-the one I could feel the most, so I believe it is mine, was beating strong and proudly, as a result of my exercise. The other wasn’t strong, or weak. It was there, too. I believe it was the beings heart.

I lay, struggling to breath, struggling to comprehend what was happening. The magnetic feeling was reversed-the part that was outside was in, the part that was inside was out. And there was this tear-oh a terrible tear, as I felt myself being ripped from my Earthly body, to become one of the Forgotten.”

I watched in horror as the memory replayed itself over and over, a terrible paradox of what ruined my life. As I saw it for the fourth time, I wept.

Any questions, comments, or concerns would be appreciated.