Digital Storytelling Blogging 101

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

The key to getting better at creating content for the web is to practice as much as you can, and to create low-stakes writing on a consistent basis. While major projects are important, you build your practice, creativity, and skillset by working regularly on smaller assignments where you can test new ideas, experiment with form, and build your composition muscules.

To create a solid post, you should make sure to do the following:

1. Give your post a jazzy title that lets the reader know what the topic of your post is and what your angle is. For instance, a bland title might be “Photography and the Internet.” A jazzy title might be “How to Take your Internet Photography to the Next Level Using Instagram Reels.”
2. Include an interesting header image. You can create and upload an image yourself, find one on the web (be sure to give credit), or use the built in Pexels database through WordPress.
   
3. Think about the medium in which you are writing; what keeps an audience’s attention? Short paragraphs with a double-space between them, images and other media where it will enhance your information, and links for readers to use to find more information or to cite your sources. You can add a link by highlighting a word or sentence and using the shortcut “command K” or “control K” or by clicking on the link icon that appears in the tools bar.
   
4. White space allows for the reader to rest their eyes and makes reading easier, especially for folks with visual processing issues. For instance, this list automatically single spaces, but I highlighted the list, went to “block” on the right hand side, and changed the margins to give more space. The good thing about WordPress is you have more control over options; this is also the downside. It takes more work than blogging on Medium or a social media site.
   
5. For more helpful tips, read this useful Masterclass Guide!

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

Before writing your first post, you should also create a profile with a photo and a short bio that will show up next to your posts.

Finally, be sure to add the following via the right-hand sidebar before posting:

1. Select the category that corresponds to the week or assignment. I’ll tell you what to use as the category for each post. If for some reason it hasn’t been added as a category yet when you go to post, you can create it.
   
2. Add tags that go along with the topic of your post.
   
3. Add a featured image. This will appear when your post is shown on the main page of the site. It can be the same or different from your header image or other images in your post.
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Have fun! Experiment with what features you can use with wordpress and how to best design your page. These posts give you a chance to get used to using a new tool and to get more comfortable regularly in a less formal, but more public facing, style.