Should a blog be written in formal or informal language?

Question

How do you write for a blog? Formal? Informal? Something in between?

Answer 1

Whether a blog should be written in a formal or informal style will depend on the theme and audience of your blog. Always begin by familiarizing yourself with examples of what you want to create.

I'm sure you have read a fair number of other blogs that cover the same topics and and write for the same audience as you. What style do they employ and what effect does that style have on you as a reader? Is it something you want to emulate or deviate from? Why? By reflecting your experience as a reader you can make an informed decision regarding your own writing.

Answer 2

For the purpose of this site (StackExchange:Writing) I'd say write your blog in the same way you see scenes written in fiction, which is basically Informal Literate.

Blogs are a good way to practice writing stories and scenes from real life.

"Informal" because in a novel we write in a conversational tone which is how people think and speak, to make our writing accessible, and we often invoke emotions and feelings along the way. We may use slang, perfect grammar is optional. Maybe even sentence fragments.

But "literate" because we still pay close attention to language and structure and flow or readability. We do worry over specific word choices, finding just the right adjectives. We pay attention to the senses of the reader to provide detail for the movie they are building in their imagination.

And a scene in a novel, or a blog entry, is about something.

Blogs are often in first-person "I was thinking about xyz ...", most novels are not.

The difference between this and "formal" writing is that personal anecdotes are okay, you don't have to write a formal proof, you are often telling a story about some problem or issue you faced and how you dealt with it, and perhaps what larger philosophy that connects with.

I mean, you could also just be writing a factual diary, "I had pizza from Marcos for lunch today. They make the best pizza crust ever."

But that isn't the type of blog people are going to follow, unless you are a famous celebrity.

In terms of learning to write, a blog or just a diary is a good place to practice writing scenes for a novel. And if you are going someplace, even to lunch, it can be a good practice to plan to write a blog entry about it, and keep your eyes open for details:

• How would you describe parking at this restaurant?
• How would you describe the interior of the restaurant when you come in?
• How would you describe your table?
• How would you describe your wait-person?
• How would you describe this menu?
• How would you describe the meal when it arrives?
• How would you describe eating the meal?

And so on. When you get home, write about going to lunch.

If you want to be a writer, learn to think like a writer -- think about your own experiences and how you would write about them. You can do that while they are happening. A walk through the woods with your dog. A trip to the dentist. Buying groceries.

A blog is a good place to practice your writing, and getting used to thinking like a writer to describe things. Informal Literate, just like a novel, is the right style, in my opinion.