Picture FramingOne of my most popular blog posts was about my biggest Blogging Mistake, not setting up blog posts in advance. If people like it that much, it makes sense that I write another Blogging Mistake post, right?

On June 14th, I tried something radical. That is, radical for me as a blogger, and I have come to realize that was a change for the better. When I started using images, it was a vast improvement to my blog.

For the vast majority of my posts up to that point, I had not used any images. I was proud, and enamored with my own words. I had somehow (and don’t ask me how) believed that my words were enough to convey meaning and keep people’s attention.

I realize now that i was wrong, and that no matter how good my writing may (or may not) be, reading long articles on a computer is difficult. That is, in fact, why people invented different fonts and styles, to help break up space and keep people’s attention focused on the matter at and.

As I write and blog more, I realize that the more I take into account the reader, the better it is for the both of us. Stephen King writes in “On Writing” that you should write with an open door, and take into account the reader. Sure, the writer is doing the heavy lifting, but without a reader, writing is just a waste of time.

To re-iterate, without you guys, I am just wasting my time here.

In addition to using fonts and effects, images are good ways to focus people’s attention. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” or so the old saying goes. In addition to that though, it is a lot quicker to post a picture than to write a thousand words.

  1. At the beginning of each blog post, I try to come up with a word or two that sums up my post. It helps me focus myself as a writer. For today’s post, I used the word “picture.”
  2. I go to http://www.sxc.hu to download a free image, and run my word through their search engine. I select an image I like and download it. The above image is called “framing.”
  3. Having selected an appropriate image, I run it through my graphics program to make it blog friendly. I add a 12 pixel border around it, to make sure that my words don’t crowd my post unnecessarily. FYI, I use Macromedia Fireworks, but just about any program can do this. Fireworks is pretty rare, so I won’t go into detail.
  4. And having a focus image, I insert it at the top of my blog post and start writing. If I get lost or sidetracked, I just refer to that original image to get focused on my theme. It also helps put me in the mind of my gentle (most of you) readers.

So for your next blog post, go vist http://www.sxc.hu to download some royalty free photos. You will be amazed at how a couple pictures can improve your blog.

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