One of the biggest issues I see on Progressive U is a lack of originality. If you've been here for any length of time, you've undoubtedly seen numerous blogs on abortion, people's obsession over materialism, the corrupt politics at work...... you get the idea.
The problem is, this overuse of the same topics and viewpoints is filling this site with blogs not worth reading anymore. With blogs that bore us, it's making this competition all the more hard to achieve, isn't it? Why comment when you don't even want to read the post?
Now, I'm not just complaining about newbies who haven't noticed the pattern. We were all newbies at one point who made the same mistakes...well, most of us anyhow. I for one was one of the accused who wrote an entry about abortion.
I've come up with some tips that may help you write a more original blog. Try 'em out.
1.) Get ideas from textbooks and build off of them. You may need to do research. I’ve done this before and it helps in understanding a chapter of a textbook, as well as broaden your mental horizons and make the subject more interesting.
2.) If you’re afraid no one will like a particular blog you wrote because nobody does blogs like this….then you probably have an original blog. We all like a breath of fresh air, so it can’t be terrible!
3.) Personal experiences. As stupid as it can sound, your experiences are your own, and therefore original to a certain extent. You may receive comments like “I had the same thing happen last week” or “I understand where you’re coming from because this one time…”. This is okay, it doesn’t mean your experience isn’t original. Afterall, three people who watch a car wreck will all have a slightly different report and perspective on the incident. Find an event or moment in your life you think is ProgU worthy.
4.) The most important tip I can give in order for you to write an original blog: READ! You must read other people’s blogs in order to see what’s out there and what’s been done. Start mentally cataloguing the “no no’s” so you can be more original. There are plenty of people to write about saving the rainforest or abortion. Be different and write about an ailing tribe in New Guinea, or how a low score on a Math test lead you to some profound thinking about existentialism.
Appriciate the tips. Thanks for giving the newbies the benefit of the doubt. But as a newbie I like writing blogs about abortion and stuff even if it isnt original. I like the comments people leave. I learn more from peoples comments and blogs then writing my own. No offense but I've read like 15 blogs about people complaining about newbies writings. It's not that original either.
But still I appriciate the tips. That's how we learn.
Not that I'm completely disagreeing with you, but the topic of this blog was more the "tips" portion, not the rant about newbie mistakes. It's cool though. Like I said, nobody's perfect!
I'm glad you appreciate the tips. I thought someone might find them useful.