It is easy when you are blogging to lose yourself a little creatively. It is natural to lose focus from time to time. Some bloggers are even writing outside their comfort zone in an attempt to make a little money.
Wow, that sounds exactly like a lot of musicians I have met over the years.
When I was either writing records, or producing records, there were always a few simple rules we would follow in order to get the most out of the songs. Fast forward a few years, and I notice myself following similar rules while blogging. I am going to break down the rules I follow while writing songs, and show you how they can apply to blogging.
There rules only apply if you are looking to make a commercial product out of your blog. If you are writing for artistic purposes only, while these rules may help you, there are no rules. I write songs for commercial purposes and artistic purposes. I only use these rules when attempting to write a commercially viable song.
- What is the aim of the song? The first and foremost thing any songwriter does is figure out the direction and purpose of the song. Is it supposed to be catchy and poppy? Is it going to be a deep cut? (meaning buried somewhere around track 8 of the record) Is it a song written with the sole intention to win the girl? When blogging, you must do the same thing when determining the aim of the blog post. Personally, I don’t like to outline posts because I feel it is more honest when it is coming unscripted from the mind, but you definitely need to find the aim early.
- What is the hook of the song? The most important part of song viability is the hook. Hooks are unmistakable. They are the part of the song that you keep coming back to and remembering. Often, the main premise of the hook is repeated over and over again through out a song. In a blog post, your title is the hook. Make sure your hook is to the point, catchy and memorable.
- Do the lyrics convey the story correctly? Lyrics are often abstract and are open to interpretation. But as a lyricist, you must refine the lyrics so they convey the story you want to tell. I used to revise my lyrics often in the early stages of writing, because I wanted to make it ‘perfect’. When I blog, I notice myself doing a similar revision. I will go back after writing the initial post to make sure I conveyed the idea the exact way I had intended.
- Does the song first the scope of the record? Often times, I would write a song that did not fit the sound of the record, and sometimes, the sound of the band. It is easy to do that while you blog. Make sure what you are writing about fits the overall theme of the blog. It might be the best post since sliced bread, but if it doesn’t fit your overall vision, it will fall on deaf ears.
- Can we trim the fat? Every songwriter instantly falls in love with a song. But sometimes, it needs to be edited and trimmed down. The bridge might be too long or the chorus might repeat too much. I make sure that there is no content that is irrelevant with every blog post. It might not be a perfect science since relevancy is in the eye of the beholder but it helps keep the reading pace fast.
Just like with any art medium, blogging is completely subjective. There is no right or wrong. However, just like with song writing, there are ways to make blogs commercially viable as opposed to just art. Some of the best songwriters I know have no goals at all to profit or make a career out of their art. Which, to me is honorable. But if you are looking to make money off of your blogging, you have to think of your blog as a commercial product. When you look back at your blog do you feel it is a hit or a deep cut?
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