“I’m a developer; I’m not good at writing,”… and other lies.
How to write a good blog post and have fun while at it.
More often than not, I find myself talking to some of my brilliant colleagues and hearing the same phrase over and over, “I’m a developer, I’m not good at writing, and I just don’t like it.”
I have also found myself in similar mindsets where I’m not good at a specific new technology, and I don’t like it because who likes something they are not good at? Not me.
Martin Fowler said, referring to continuous integration, but applicable here and in most technology-related scenarios, that “if it is painful, do it more often.”
That is also the case for writing. The first time, it’ll be painful, but guess what? That’s right! It gets better with time and practice.
The Lies
- I’m not good at writing
- I don’t like to write
- I don’t have time to write
- I don’t have anything to say
- I can’t think of anything interesting enough
- Everybody already knows that
But what if I tell you that you can write about things you are already passionate about and know pretty well?
Sounds better, doesn’t it? It gets better.
What if I tell you that you can follow some simple and finite steps to get your article published on Medium?
It’s a simple five-step process. I will describe it here. It is not perfect; it is just what works for me. I am no expert, either. I’m just a software developer with a few articles under my belt.
I like to fantasize and compare my process and inspiration for shaping my articles to how Michelangelo used to wait for the piece of marble to reveal itself to him.
He believed that the sculpture was already inside the rock. He just needed to let it out. But the rock mandated the composition of the sculpture, not him. That’s how he conceived the David, the most popular and, to many, the most beautiful and perfect sculpture ever made.
Let your article reveal itself to you. It happens to me often after finishing some interesting project or while discussing attractive solutions with my team. They’ll come to you if you keep your mind open to the revelations.
Let’s look at what my five-step creation process looks like.
The Five Steps Process
Step One: The Idea
What makes an idea suitable for a post?
- Things that bring value to the community.
- Things that you’re proud of.
- Things like solutions, challenges, processes, and stories.
It’s in the developers’ DNA to show off. Use this Medium (pun intended) to show off your great work.
Step Two: The Writing
Outline your article. Start by listing everything you want to mention (brain dump). Then, organize it and work on each piece.
Your article should be composed of three main pieces. You can name them however you want or not even state them explicitly, but their purpose and order must stay.
- Introduction. Introduce your subject. What is this article about?
- Body Content. Talk about your subject/idea and develop it.
- Conclusion. Wrap it up with a summary, a takeaway, a call to action, or all.
Step Three: Editing and Proofreading
Editing separates the amateurs from the pros. Don’t skip this step!
What you want to accomplish or things to keep an eye on for this step:
- Ensure your article is free from typos and careless errors.
- Read your article out loud to check the flow and tweak awkward-sounding sentences
- Avoid repetition.
- Review your language and keep it simple. Your language should be simple versus complex.
- Grammar and spell check your article.
For grammar and spelling corrections, I use Grammarly. It’s a great tool that offers lots of unique features. I highly recommend it. (Not sponsored)
I craft my draft directly on Medium, and only when I’m done I do the Grammarly check. I have a compulsive desire to go and fix all the highlighted mistakes. I can’t think and produce ideas while having an eye on the suggestions.
But if you’re normal and can ignore it, some people find writing directly on Grammarly and producing correct text from the start helpful.
I took a couple of great courses by Starshine Roshell on LinkedIn Learning that I highly recommend. I learned a lot from her.
She quotes Blaise Pascal on making a point for shortness. I found it hilarious, so I’m sharing it with you:
“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
Step four: Feedback and Review
Getting feedback on our articles before clicking the Publish button is always good.
Whom to ask for feedback?
Ask family and friends to read your article. Even a non-technical person should be able to read through it and give you feedback, even when they don’t understand its meat.
At the Prodigy Engineering Publication, we encourage writers to ask their colleagues for a review and involve their team, tech lead, and manager. They will be the best judges of the subject and its relevance.
Ensure at least three people read your article (other than yourself), and at least one of them will address the technical subject you’re writing about.
When to ask for feedback?
Great question!
NEVER ask someone else to read your draft before you finish Step Three: Editing and Proofreading.
Only after you’re happy with your draft and think it’s ready for publication do you ask others to review it. Respect your reviewers’ precious time. I’ll make it easier to ask for their reviews in the future.
Dealing with criticism.
Feedback is tricky, and you’ll have to deal with it like the professional you are. Treat the writing feedback and review process like you treat Pull Requests reviews. Always respect and appreciate the feedback you get. Feedback is a gift. Be ready to receive it, no matter how it is delivered.
It takes courage to write a blog post. And iterations! So, don’t beat yourself up. And most importantly, avoid Karate Kid syndrome, please. It’ll take time and practice to get good at it. Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, compare yourself to your previous self and appreciate your growth and improvement.
Lastly, keep going; you’re almost there. Only one more step to go.
Step Five: Publish it!
You made it here; congrats.
Now, before you publish your article, the final touches.
Notes on images.
Use images, code snippets, and other resources to help you illustrate and enrich your article. When choosing images, beware of copyright! You can use some existing free stock photos and royalty-free image services. I use Pexels and Unsplash.
Even when they’re free to use, recognition to the artist/creator of the image is the right way to go. From Unsplash’s License page: “No permission needed (though attribution is appreciated!).”
Please credit the creator by adding the reference link under the image on your article.
Of course, using your photos is fine, but make sure to state it.
Notes on tags.
Medium has this concept of topic or tags. It’s how they catalog their articles and show them to the readers according to their interests.
After you click the Publish button, you’ll be asked to provide five tags for your article. Be mindful of these tags, and try to be accurate and effective with them so your article gets to the right readers.
And that is it, your article is ready. Congratulations!
The Value of Writing as Engineers
The articles you write:
- … are your story. You’re documenting your professional development, the good things you’ve accomplished as an engineer, the struggles, the wins.
- … are a great way to celebrate your wins and share your key learnings.
- … are a great way to contribute to the Tech Community.
- … create visibility for you, your work, and your company.
- … are great for recruitment and attracting talent.
- … grow your everyday writing skills.
- … build your skills to tell a technical story to a broad audience.
Speaking of stories, what are you waiting for? Start writing yours today!
A David is waiting for you to work on it. Let it out!
Additional Resources:
- How to Write a Good Blog Post: A Complete Step-by-Step Process
- Helpful to deal with criticism and feedback: Reviewing Pull Requests Delightfully.
