It’s 9:06AM on Friday, March 19th. When Lorraine asked me to write a blog post about how to write a blog post in ten minutes, I knew the best way to start was by admitting the time. After all, you’re not likely to believe that this is possible unless I truly commit to a personal demonstration of the process of blogging efficiently.

As the clock clicks over to 9:07AM, I’m reminded of the reasons that Lorraine asked for this post. First: she witnessed the process of writing a blog in only 600 seconds herself during our Blog Indiana 2009 presentation. Second: she wants to show her clients, contacts and prospects that it’s possible to write a blog post (9:09AM!) without spending hours doing so.

Although I’m obsessing over the clock right now, the most important lesson to understand about writing a blog post in ten minutes is to let go. I’m not worried about the topic of this message; which was selected for me. I’m not worried about the editing, the formatting, or the pictures. Someone else will take care of that work. After all, what’s easier: writing a blog, or, coming up with an idea AND writing the post AND editing it AND inserting appropriate media AND testing it AND promoting it? Letting go of all of the responsibilities is essential to efficient blogging.

There’s even more you can release (9:11!) besides the tasks which are ancillary to writing itself. Key among these are the *structure* of a blog post. I decided on the car ride over to this coffee shop that I would write a post consisting of six paragraphs. The first would introduce the concept of blogging in ten minutes, the second would provide justification for the topic, the third would illustrate my main thesis (let go) and the fourth would expand on that thesis by showing you can plan the structure in advance. It’s 9:14 now, so I need to show those last two paragraphs rather than describe them!

Just sketching out the blog post in my head was tremendously helpful for this process of sitting down to write. But you don’t have to have a six paragraph plan. Instead, you can have predefined styles for a blog post. For example, you could quote a news story and react with your own personal flair, or tell a personal anecdote that ends in a business lesson. With these template structures in hand, you just need to follow the format. Blogging isn’t about writing impeccable pieces of literature that will last the test of time—it’s about writing work (9:15!) that gets your point across quickly and easily.

Don’t be afraid to let go. Let someone else worry about inventing the topic, handling the editing and putting your post online. That way you can share your ideas with the world and get back to work. Which is what I need to do, as the clock just hit 9:16.

headshot robby slaughterAbout Robby Slaughter:

After an extensive career in IT systems development, Robby realized that the principal challenges affecting individual workers are not technological in nature, but psychological. He discovered that to become more effective and efficient at work, we need to empower individuals with authority and responsibility. His consulting practice, Slaughter Development.ow focuses exclusively on assessing workflow challenges, helping stakeholders to design and develop new business processes, and implement systematic, stakeholder-driven changes throughout the organization.   , 

Before turning his efforts to workflow and productivity, Robby’s career highlights include work for Microsoft, Trilogy Software and the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a former Associate Faculty member with the School of Engineering and Indiana University-Purdue University.

Robby currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife. He enjoys travel, and has journeyed extensively throughout Europe and the United States.