Work all the angles, especially timely ones

As you consider topics, ask this question: why is this post by you is noteworthy now? Journalists call these characteristics an “angle”. This broad term ranges from recounting an extraordinary experience to exploring a current controversy or revisiting a historical landmark.

Any time readers can connect new information to data in "deep storage," it boosts their rate of retention. So think about how to grab their attention with fresh angles, then seal your screeds in their minds with context.

A blockbuster – or bestseller – highlights a place or subject; people fall in love with the scenery, as well as the story (remember how tourists flocked to New Zealand, as the Fellowship of the Ring trilogy unfolded?). Seek out the new ... or exhibitions and festivals for a timely twist. Writers also mark the anniversaries of events: for example, numerous journalists and bloggers retraced the route of Lewis and Clark a century after their epic trek across North America.

Remember also that you can play off news items, linking to original sources. Do you suffer from the same acoustic trauma that might be pushing whales to beach? How can readers make peanut butter at home, following the latest health scare? Are proposed four-day work weeks a blessing or a curse?

Capitalize on current headlines. Vancouver, for example, is a hot topic before the Olympic Games of 2010. Indonesia remained on the radar long after the tsunami wreckage was cleared. As architects haggled over the World Trade Center site redesign, attention focused on New York City.

Riffing off news sources is a powerful, powerful tool. But make sure you give credit where it's due. Cite the original story – its source and ideally its author – with links where possible. This respects the hard work of other writers and allows intrigued readers to follow through, exploring a topic more deeply.

Quotes add great texture to a post. If you're "data-mining" them from an article or book, be extra careful to note this (both in collegial spirit, but also as protection against libel and copyright infringement). Media law's complex, but broadly speaking, never lift more than 25 consecutive words from another's text without permission. You can, however, paraphrase and link.