How Do I Write My First Blog Post?

Let’s be real: a lot of people get excited about the idea of writing. But when they sit down to write and find themselves staring at a blank screen, the questions start mounting. What do I write about? How much do I need to write? What if I get halfway through and get stuck?

If you’ve ever experienced this, you’re not alone. Putting your thoughts to pen and paper (well, typing them on a screen, anyway) is not as easy as just sitting down in front of a keyboard. You have to have some inkling of what’s going to end up on the page, or else those questions turn into major obstacles.

But thankfully, writing is a skill, and like every other skill, a little bit of practice can take you a long way. So consider this article a coaching session designed to tackle these common questions. By the end, you’ll be well on your way toward finally finishing that first blog post!

The simple answer is…anything you want to! But that’s not a very helpful answer, is it?

In reality, the advice is true—you can write about anything you want—but there are better ways of framing the issue. Rather than just asking yourself, “What should I write about?” consider asking yourself these questions instead:

Choosing a topic that you’re either knowledgeable in or passionate about—or both—will likely result in a much better outcome than choosing a topic at random. I truly believe that everyone is an expert at something (and being an expert just means knowing more than the typical person does—this is a low bar, I promise!), so it’s just a matter of realizing where your expertise lies. 

Maybe you know a ton about sewing. Or baseball. Or Toki Pona. Or being a mom. All of these topics would make for great blogs. Spend a few minutes brainstorming a list of topics for your first blog post. Reach out to a trusted friend if you need a little help (or encouragement). Then choose the topic you think you’d most enjoy writing about.

And this is the key: whatever topic you decide to blog about, you have to care about it. Don’t tackle a subject because you think other people want to know about it. If you’re not interested in the topic, it will show up in your writing, and your readers won’t be engaged.

There is really no definitive answer to how long your first blog post should be. You could opt for a short post that’s more informal in nature or only covers your topic at a very high level. You could shoot for a “standard” post that lays out a complete overview of the topic. Or you could double down and write a long, “ultimate guide”-type post to capture all the minutiae. There is no right or wrong answer.

But here are some guidelines to help you think through your possibilities:

In the end, your post should be as long as it needs to be to achieve the goal you have for it—no shorter or longer. You likely won’t have a feel for this in your first post, and that’s okay. With time and practice, you’ll begin to learn what your ideal post length is. For now, just pick a word-count goal and do your best.

And if you absolutely need someone to pick a length for you, here’s my recommendation: Try to end up somewhere in the 1,000–1,500-word range. This is long enough to explain your topic in some detail but not so long as to be overwhelming. (This post, as an example, is a little over 1,200 words.)

Writing is hard. It’s easy to get stuck, and it happens to everyone. Which means it’s normal, so don’t beat yourself up when it happens to you.

Instead, spend a few minutes drilling down and thinking about why you’re stuck. This will help you take the appropriate action.

If you try a few of these strategies and still feel stuck, walk away. Try again tomorrow. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint, and besides, sometimes life derails your plans (at least it does mine). It’s totally okay if you just don’t have it in you to write for a day, a week, or even a month. You can always come back to it another time. 

With the tools to combat these three common obstacles under your belt, you should now be well on your way to writing your first blog post—congrats!

But if you want a little more help, check out my course, Make Blogging Simple. This course is for you if you want to write a blog but feel overwhelmed, lost, and unsure of what to do. It breaks down the writing process into manageable chunks and shows you exactly what to do each step of the way. And it’s based on the process I have used for the past half-decade as a freelance writer.

When you take the course, you’ll learn the tools you need to: 

I know you will love this course. It will give you the confidence to conquer your fear of getting started and the tools to finally write your first blog post—and then many more!