I wouldn’t call myself an expert on digital writing.
However, I have spent 5 years or more reading and learning about it.
And, before that, I’d spent a lifetime working on my regular writing. Through books by Annie Dillard, Anne Lamott, and William Zinsser, to name a few star mentors. They taught me the power of words, metaphor, voice, and revision.
I thought I was an OK writer.
But I learned that digital writing has some extra challenges.
What was different about digital writing:
Mainly through courses with smartblogger.com, I learned that
- the headline rules (attention is short)
- conversational style wins (with contractions like “we’ll”)
- people love lists (they’re distracted/busy)
- the pace has to vary (short and long sentences)
- the web is flooded with information (connect as a helpful human)
- the digital world is full of smart, generous writers, all learning like me.
So my goal over the next few years is:
To keep learning, to read, and to engage with the best online writers I can find.
To keep practicing in public.
To enjoy the game.