Still deciding whether to give “Writing 201: Beyond the Blog Post” a try? You’ve got a few more days to register.
We often think of blog posts as being just a few paragraphs long, or being a “less serious” kind of writing. Not so! In this challenge, we’ll focus on writing longform pieces that are equally at home on your blog or in a magazine. Whether you have trouble organizing your thoughts in longer pieces of writing or simply want to challenge yourself as a blogger, Writing 201: Beyond the Blog Post can help.
What is Writing 201: Beyond the Blog Post?
What does “longform” mean? That depends on what you think it is, but we generally use it to refer to writing that’s 1500 words or more.
Writing 201: Beyond the Blog Post is a four-week course to help those beginning to explore longer-form writing (or who are frustrated with their past attempts). Each week, we’ll focus on a different kind of piece, working our way from interviews — one of the easiest ways to get started with longer pieces — through instructional pieces and opinion pieces, ending with a personal essay. It’s the product of a range of writers and editors, including the founders and editors at Longreads — folks who know a thing or two about high word counts.
The course doesn’t have “assignments.” Publish a draft on Monday, a work-in-progress on Thursday, a new post on Saturday, or even commentary on the writing process. Don’t publish at all, or submit your piece to an online magazine. What you publish and how is up to you.
For those who’ve never worked with other writers before or are scared to open your work up for feedback, don’t worry! We’re a friendly bunch, and we’ll offer tips on workshopping before getting started.
The most important part isn’t our advice, but the feedback you offer one another. As with all Blogging U. courses, you’ll have a private community space, the Commons, where we encourage you to workshop your writing. Workshopping is all about collaborative brainstorming: share excerpts from pieces you’re working on or links to your published pieces, ask focused questions, and provide critique. You offer specific, constructive feedback to others, and they do the same for you.
The nuts and bolts
- Writing 201: Beyond the Blog Post begins on Monday, December 1.
- New workshops are published at 12:00 AM GMT on Mondays. Each one helps you create a new longform piece of writing — interview, instructional, opinion, and personal essay/memoir. (And since you’ll get your final workshop on December 22, you can wrap up in time for the year-end holidays.)
- There are no posting requirements; the emphasis is on exploring new forms and workshopping your material. Publish your work when and where you’d like.
- Participants will have a private community site, the Commons, for workshopping, chatting, and connecting with others. Daily Post and Longreads staff and happiness engineers will be on hand to answer questions and offer guidance.
- This course is completely free and open to bloggers and writers from any platform.
Note: this is not a course about blogging, it’s a focused writing workshop. If you’re interested in learning to blog or developing your existing blog, you’ll want to try our Blogging 101 and 201 courses — Blogging 101 will be back in January.
How to register
Want to join? Fill out the form below to register. You’ll receive an email before the course begins with instructions on how to access the Commons. Thanks for joining us!
Registration for this course is now closed. To learn about future Blogging U. courses, just follow The Daily Post!
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I’m excited. I haven’t written long form for a few years and can’t seem to write more than 400 words for blog posts. I want to publish something so I need to get comfortable writing longer pieces. Thanks for the opportunity!
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I’ll be happy to register. Where is the form?
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Right in the post you just commenting on. If you’re on a phone/tablet, you may need to register from a computer.
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I like the rules already. Being retired my 7 day week starts with Sunday, then the next 6 days are all Saturdays.
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Really looking forward to this, I started to do a lot of writing over the summer but now it’s fallen by the wayside, the day job has been getting in the way, so this is a good excuse to get going again!
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Wat up wit dat?? After I click the Take Our survey I Get:
“Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from improve.wordpress.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).”
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You can either delete the “s” in the “https” part of the link, or come directly to The Daily Post and use the form embedded in the post.
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Life happened and I forgot how to make the time and write. Maybe this will kick me in the butt.
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What a great idea. I believe at some point Bloggers, writers want to either beef up their skills or beginners want the best tips to get as many readers as possible for their blogs. So lets get registered for Writing 201 today!
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love this idea. will give it a go because i got writers block on my other 2 novels.
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I’m excited and well, nervous at the same time. It is my first time to join something like this. I just really need something to boost my confidence in writing. Thank you đŸ™‚
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I would love to get back to writing. Remember writing a bit, but that was a long, long time ago đŸ™‚
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Aloha, when i click in “Take Our Survery” it’s says that there’s an error in the privacy and that is unsafe to follow.
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You can either delete the “s” in the “https” part of the link, or come directly to The Daily Post and use the form embedded in the post.
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Thanks Michelle đŸ™‚
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I’ve been writing on my blog since the beginning of Nov, my memoirs, it’s taken me to a new place in writing..I’m hoping one day to publish like a lot of people…but I would love to do this course too…
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I’ve registered. I’ve only just started my blog, but I ternd towards long-form naturally I think (although I didn’t know there was a word for it). I want to use a variety of writing styles – so far I have a recipe and and instructional/ information piece, but I want to put opinion pieces up too. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to interview anyone for my blog though! My blog is at alieninbavaria.com
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Are there any Russian communities or only English required?
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The materials are all published in English, but you’re free to write in whatever language you’d like. You will likely get less feedback on non-English writing, though.
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Okay, thanks for answering!
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I guess this will be more exciting. Looking forward to start this and end it well with new and fresh ideas.
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I’m terrible at long-form. I’m so used to writing little bits of blog here and there, that I forgot that I can get into depth.
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what are the rules
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There are no “rules” — all Blogging U. courses are just sources of education and inspiration for you. They’re completely informal.
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I’m so glad I came across this. I can’t seem to get my thoughts in order for writing longer pieces and desperately needed this. Thank you!
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chrome won’t let me visit, says the link is not “safe.” Anyone else have that problem?
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You can either delete the “s” in the “https” part of the link, or come directly to The Daily Post and use the form embedded in the post.
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Fantastic! Thank you!
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Been terrible at keeping up my blogs since a death in the family. Five hundred words at a shot is quite natural for me and I’m really looking forward to stretching out.
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Hey I just got a welcome to writing 201 email from The Daily Post’s team but the Commons link isn’t opening up. Can you please re-send it if it’s possible?
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Can you try this? You’re definitely a member of the site:
https://writing201december2014.wordpress.com/
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YES! I tried and it opened. Must be some email glitch. I’ll just save this link now. Thanks Michelle! đŸ™‚
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am so excited! đŸ™‚
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I’ve done a few other Blogging U courses here but this one I am really nervous about! I love longform writing though and I am excited to start learning đŸ™‚
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this will be my first U-blog course & I am looking forward to it!
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If we have more than one blog, it doesn’t matter which one we put up for registration right? I have an official news type blog but I’m an aspiring fictional writer and I have another blog as well . I’m really looking forward to the class, I’m always struggled with finishing stories so this is a valuable experience for me ! Thank you for posting the opportunity !
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Nope, it doesn’t matter. The link you submit will be the one we put on the Community Blogroll on the Commons, but otherwise, you can write on any blog you’d like (or no blog at all, for that matter).
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Time to step it up. Please count me in.
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Thanks! Entering. We’ll see what we get out of this.
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Has anyone else had trouble viewing their stats today ? I have had comments and likes on my posts, but for some reason it does not show up on stats and shows one hit, when I have had more. Just curious.
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I’m a beginner and been out for almost a year, so this such a good thing for me.
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This will be great!
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