Yes, this blog post is being written for purely selfish reasons. And yes, we sometimes need a get-quick solution for producing a blog post fast. For the record, this blog was created in ten minutes to prove that this can be done.
So, when all else fails and you need a blog fast, here are our tricks of the trade that never fail.
1. Event/Photo Post. If you’re somewhere cool, like at a book fair, festival, concert, food truck–anywhere that you don’t frequent regularly–post a picture as your post. Include a caption, ask a couple questions, or for a twist invite your readers to submit a caption if the photo is funny or quirky.
2. Video Post. If there’s a video that you come across that catches your attention, save it. On a day when you’re drawing a blank, post it and share your brief thoughts on it.
3. Your Favorite Things Post. Channel your inner Oprah and provide a list of your favorite things: books, songs you write to, independent bookstores, movies adapted from your favorite books, iPad/iPhone/Android apps, etc.
4. An Interview Post. This requires some advance planning, but enlisting a guest blogger to partake in an interview saves you loads of time. You send questions and they send answers. Proofread and upload and you’re looking at ten minutes tops.
5. An Excerpt. Pull an excerpt from your book or work in progress. You’ll need to have a brief introduction to set it up and provide context but beyond that the work is already done.
So in full disclosure, this post took approximately 12 minutes. Not bad eh? Okay 13 minutes…
Great suggestions, WiseInk! I also read the local newspaper and USA Today each morning. There’s usually a superb article I can link and then write my comments about it. Since it’s in a newspaper you have constant, new, info about subjects the world is talking about.
That’s a terrific suggestion Gail! I love collecting links to my favorite articles. We haven’t done it yet, but if you can collect a group of articles around the same topic, you can post a “Roundup” blog, which could be done quickly if your links are ready to go!
Thanks for the tips — I’ll give them a go when I’m next pressed for time!
I find I can write more quickly if I at least have the first sentence planned in my head, which I can do at any time during the week ready to go for Sunday (my posting day). It’s like having a running start.
That’s a great pointer Wendy! A running start is sometimes all you need to get going. Thanks for the comment
Great article! I like the interview and the photo idea the best. Thanks for the help!