Nov 28, 2014 / Blogging U.

You still have a few days to register for Writing 201!

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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  1. 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!

    Liked by 4 people

  5. 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).”

    Liked by 2 people

  7. 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!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. 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…

    Liked by 1 person

  13. 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

    Liked by 1 person

  18. 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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  20. 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.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. 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 🙂

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  25. 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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    1. 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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  28. 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.

    Like