#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Review: Better Blog Writing – How to Improve Your Writing to Keep Readers Coming Back for More

May 13, 2014 · Narrative

BetterBlogWritingCover-LargeBack when I started blogging in 2005, blogs were still something new. Fresh. Different. Anytime I told anyone I had a blog, it was always met with a side-cocked head a la Scooby Doo. There was a small collection of food bloggers, small enough where we knew each other well, and a seemingly small group of non-food bloggers. And then, of course, Dooce.

Back then, blogs weren’t taken really seriously and they were merely ways to pass the time. The more popular blogs became, the more people wanted in. Especially as bloggers started to make money. Book deals. TV shows. Endorsement deals. Sponsored posts. Conferences. Many perks. New blogs pop up on the daily, many with hopes of making it big and dreams of quitting their full-time job in pursuit of blogging from home in their pajamas.

And then reality sets in.

Those of us that have been around since the beginning know the work that blogging involves. Besides the day-to-day routine of writing, editing, and photographing your own content, there is still the behind-the-scenes work of learning code, marketing your work, researching plug-ins, and much more.

It’s not all take-a-pretty-picture-and-write, repeat.

Especially if you want to make money at it. And this is even more true as you begin to work with clients on sponsored posts, advertising, and the like. More rules, deadlines, FCC compliance issues, competition, and responsibility.

Which means that like anything else, only the people that are most serious stick with it.

But one of the most common themes of having a successful blog?

We have to have a solid foundation of good writing skills.

While writing a blog is a very different animal than writing something that won’t live online forever, any written content starts with the basics: good writing. And “good” refers to engaging content as much as it refers to the technical aspects of it. Because, honestly, who wants to read a blog rife with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, boring content, and crappy pictures.

Blogging is fun, but it’s work y’all.

Enter Sarah Caron’s book, Better Blog Writing: How to Improve Your Writing to Keep Readers Coming Back for More.

Whether you’re a seasoned blog writer or the new kid on the block, you’ll find something useful in Sarah’s first e-book. Starting at the very beginning, literally and figuratively, the book takes you step-by-step on the journey to building a solid blog, starting with your why. A reasonably quick read, the book focuses on the fact that you can’t be a good blogger if you’re not a good writer first.

With easy-to-follow guidelines throughout, the focus is on polishing your writing skills and honing your craft to insure that your online content receives optimal results once it is released. As the book concentrates on the basics of writing, it also shares blogging tips throughout each chapter. While many might seem like pure common sense suggestions, sometimes it’s those very suggestions that we need reminders of the most. There are writing exercises and good practical tips for new bloggers, as well as helpful grammatical and technical reminders on content for seasoned bloggers.

At the end of every chapter, you will find an actionable item that will help you quickly put into practice what you just read, as well as individual reader perspectives throughout, and these were the parts of the book that I found most useful.

Hungry for more book reviews?

1. Believe It, Be It
2. Touch and Go
3. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
4. Here I Go Again
5. Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture
6. Drinking & Tweeting and Other Brandi Blunders
7. Cleaving
8. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
9. What I Learned When I Almost Died
10. Dwarf: A Memoir
11. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
12. The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to Yourself

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Better Blog Writing, book review, Sarah Caron

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    May 14, 2014 at 6:47 am

    How did i have no idea Sarah was writing a book! Awesome!! Must get my hands on it.
    Joanne recently posted..Berrylicious Summer Fruit and Cheese Bites

    Reply
  2. Christie - Food Done Light says

    May 14, 2014 at 8:43 am

    I find I still get that look today when I tell someone I’m a blogger or I get the glazed over eyes. Oh well! It is a lot of work. Can’t wait to check this book out.
    Christie – Food Done Light recently posted..Chunky Guacamole

    Reply
  3. Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet says

    May 14, 2014 at 8:46 am

    I’m always getting that, “Oh you still doing that little blogging thing?” Yep, it’s only been 10 years now, lol. And I always have things to learn (or relearn as I tend to forget a lot, too). I’ll be checking Sarah’s book for sure!
    Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet recently posted..You’re invited on The Hundred-Foot Journey

    Reply
  4. Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says

    May 14, 2014 at 11:37 am

    I need to read this today – thanks for the great advice!!!
    Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes recently posted..Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups a la Mode

    Reply
  5. Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says

    May 14, 2014 at 1:27 pm

    Thank you so much for reviewing Better Blog Writing!! So glad you found it useful. And yes, I have to admit I still get weird looks when I talk about blogging.
    Sarah Caron (Sarah’s Cucina Bella) recently posted..Frozen Springtime Snacks: A Less-Guilt Way to Enjoy Family Traditions

    Reply
  6. Erika says

    May 15, 2014 at 9:50 am

    I really miss those early blogging days! So many wonderful blogs (and the people behind them) have come and gone. It was a small, wonderful community. Someday I’ll get back into the groove myself, (and blog more than once every few months ), but in the meantime, this book looks like a GREAT tool for new bloggers.

    And yes, when the blog comes up, blank stares usually follow- even after all these years!

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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