Better writing ability, and an enhanced ability to express yourself in print, is a rarely thought about benefit of blogging.
While most people think of writers as infinitely talented, living in some rarified air denied to the rest of us, writing is a learned skill. While some people are indeed born more talented with the written word than others, most people can become better writers simply through practice.
Blogging is as good a practice field as any. Other practice venues, for developing writers, include simply writing your e-mails in complete sentences and paying attention to your grammar and spelling. Both grammar and spelling are more fun without your school teacher watching over your shoulder.
Writing short stories and articles allow you to express yourself in both fiction and non-fiction, while providing powerful practice in writing. By writing, you develop your theme and present them in an easily readable and understandable way. Another great way to work on your writing skills is by guest blogging on other blogs. Remember, there is no substitute for simply writing more.
Like playing sports or a musical instrument, improvement in skill level only results from constant practice. The more you work on the skills, the better at applying them you become.
Writing your daily blog post provides a fresh blank canvas for self expression. As the words form sentences on the page, a sense of accomplishment is the direct result.
It feels good to finish a blog post.
Don't be bashful. Feel proud of what you have written. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how well your blog posts are enjoyed by your growing number of readers.
Many bloggers have told me they had no idea that they could write even one coherent post; let alone one or more a day. Often, they were entirely convinced that writing well formed thoughts was impossible for them. By ecoming bloggers, many people have changed that mistaken idea entirely.
It's all a matter of practice, and with that continual application of fingers to keyboard, the skills improve constantly. Before you know it, another well written and easily understood blog post appears on the page.
It's almost like magic.
Of course, I keep thinking that through constant practice, my typing skills will eventually improve to the level of being semi-adequate. Occasionally, I can even type a word or two without looking at the keyboard. That event always shocks me.
I believe that is truly a case of real magic; or perhaps even a miracle of monumental proportions. Perhaps it's simply an accident, never to be repeated again in recorded history.
Well, enough of that about keyboarding, as typing is only the means by which the post is created. Let's get back to the more important resulting words.
With writing, the more a person does it, the better they get at doing it. There is simply no substitute for practice. Blogs are a great way to practice, and hone your ability to express yourself and your thoughts, via the written word.
Learning how to write well, and express thoughts in a logical and coherent manner, are hidden benefits of blogging.
It's a good thing those benefits won't stay hidden for long.
