Writing a blog

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Text types 

context, audience, purpose 

* the context will usually be set out in the question e.g. the issue which is to inspire the blog entry

context, audience, purpose 

* the audience may be assumed to be people interested in the subject matter OR (youngish?) internet-interested people

context, audience, purpose 

* the generic purpose of blogs is to interest / entertain / amuse / be provocative & stimulating - in general, NOT solemn

register and tone 

* will use a semi-formal to informal register

* the usual tone will be personal - chatty, direct and unpretentious

conventions

* will include first person statement and/or narration

* will seek to engage the reader, eg through direct address, a lively and interesting style etc

* will use 'typical blog techniques' e.g. a provocative closing statement, leading to an invitation to comment / response

* will have an interesting, catchy title for the entry

Appropriate?

A blog will be appropriate if the task requires you to present a set of your personal ideas in a lively entertaining way to a general, undefined audience. You don't know who might find your blog on the internet, but you want them to be hooked by your interesting, even provocative, opinions and experiences.

Not to be confused with...

'article' or 'opinion column' or 'essay' ... an 'article' is intended to present detailed and interesting information about a defined subject to a general audience; and the information should be explained in a clear, fair and reasonably objective way (the journalist has a 'duty to inform'). An 'opinion column' will usually be focused on one particular issue, which should be explained convincingly and your final opinion argued reasonably, even if it is a very subjective point of view. An 'essay' is supposed to be a methodical and objective review of arguments, based on solid factual evidence, and reaching a logical conclusion (which is not the same as just a quick opinion).

In addition, both 'opinion column' and 'essay' are likely to have more defined audiences - 'opinion column' = the audience of the publication in which it appears; 'essay' = thoughtful, educated people, rather than just anybody.

Basic Format:

- Heading : a Blog will have a title (perhaps quirky, witty) - there will be a title for the blog as a whole, but also (more significantly) a title for the individual entry

- Conclusion : a Blog will usually end with a request for comment / responses from the readers ; Diary - nothing conventional (possibly something along the lines of "more tomorrow"?)

- Lucid paragraphing : While one can think of real examples of blogs which ignore basic paragraphing, students writing an exam script should be expected to show that they understand that sensible paragraphing aids clarity.

Approach:

 - address : blogs set out to have regular readers, so are likely to have touches of direct address ("As you regular readers know ...")

- register : informality enriched with sophistication - if both text types are personal, some informality can be expected in register and rhetoric, but higher marks will go to exam scripts which combine colloquialism with dashes of complex phrasing and effects.

Approach:

- organisation - What should govern the effective organisation of a blog?

-> if a blog is a 'public statement', ideas can be expected to be organised to show some evident + consistent purpose

• since blogs very often present an opinion or an argument, the ideas should be (reasonably) methodically organised
• where the opinion is based on an anecdote or experience, this should be narrated clearly

 

Approach:

- style - the three aspects described above all add up to the notion that a good blog should have a recognisable and expressive personal style. Put another way, this means a recognisable and engaging 'voice' 

Writing assignment 1

1. Blog entry: 400-500 words on your life as a Dutch teenager

(Have a further look at the ‘writing texts booklet’ and read up on blogs.) 

Now write your own blog in which you introduce yourself to an international audience of other teenagers. Who are you? What is your life in the Netherlands like? What hopes and/or dreams do you have for the future?