At APC we have a blog section called APC Talk where we feature posts on topics of interest to our community. It is a space where APC's staff, members and readers can open up conversations – sometimes to express opinions and challenge the readers on issues and topics that are close to them, sometimes to share their personal experience on an event or a current debate. Do you have anything interesting to share/write about? Read these guidelines and blog with us, anytime!
- Size matters. Our blog posts tend to be relatively short (around 500 - 1000 words). We leave long pieces for essays, publications and more research-related reports.
- The blog is yours, but we can help. Blog posts are usually lightly edited, but if English is not your first language or you are not an experienced writer don't let this stop you. Feel free to blog in French or Spanish, and if you choose to write in English and need some assistance, our editorial team will be pleased to help.
- Make it personal. Share your own insights, with your own voice. We want to hear about your experience!
- Five Ws in writing, sometimes referred to as ''the reporter's questions'', will help you convey a complete idea or tell a complete story.
- Strong headline and first paragraph. A strong headline and first paragraph are crucial (it will be what most people read!), so be catchy (here's David Souter's blog for inspiration) and put good energy into it. Start with the juiciest part to engage readers, then you can unpack your story in the remaining paragraphs, using the inverted pyramid writing style. If you are blogging about an event, you may share why you attended this event, or use a powerful image or memory to take us to the scene and set the tone. See examples from a real event here.
- Storytelling. You want to take us through this journey you’ve experienced, so feel free to share stories, examples, anecdotes… Make sure you showcase impact in your storytelling.
- Consistent structure. Make sure paragraphs are well connected, transitions between one topic to the next work, etc. Adding subheadlines is helpful (see this example from our Seeding change column).
- Multimedia. Images, videos, messages that complement/illustrate what you are sharing are usually enriching.
- Links: Add links to your sources, to relevant information, to additional resources…
- Conclusion. Finish with a powerful conclusion – it can be open, a cliffhanger, a nice recommendation or insight… Leave the reader eager for more.