Episode 16: Blogs, Writers and Magic

In Episode 16, I welcome Elara Dunn to the podcast and talk about writing blog posts.

Example Pinterest Post

Writing Blog Posts:
How do you write blog posts that people want to read? Well, the first thing you need to do is have a hook to draw them in. A call to action. Tell them up front why they want to read the words following the headline. 

Questions can be a great way to draw people in, but numbers work too. 
​“Three Things You Need to Know Before You Go Camping!” 
“Nine Reasons to Own a Cat!”

What’s great about numbers in blogs is they give you a built-in structure. A revisit to the 5-paragraph formula we learned in high school:
Introduction - Three points (or however many you want) - Conclusion. 

Each one of your points can have a visual included in the blog. These visuals can then be shared on Social Media as organic or paid posts to direct people to your blog. Pinterest is a great place to share your blogs. People go to Pinterest to find answers or be inspired, and it can be a great platform to drive traffic to your blog. 

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Elara Dunn
In this episode, I chat with Elara Dunn for the first time. The internet brings people together, and this is absolutely true within the writing community. 
Elara is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Magic Locker. She lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband and twin daughters. She is an accomplished fiber artist, specializing in weaving. Elara is one-half of the Banshee Energy Show Podcast.
While participating in GISHWHES, Dunn realized the magnitude of the long-term effects bullying had on herself and others, shaping her into a fierce ally for those who deal with emotional and physical abuse. The idea of writing a book series centered around bullied kids came to her in a fever dream.
Dunn has always been interested in how other people live and has studied different cultures and religions. Understanding and embracing both our differences and commonalities has been a driving force in her life. She is a passionate civil rights advocate and volunteers to assist others with disabilities.
Dunn enjoys board games, trivia, and cosplay in her spare time. She is an avid watcher of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. She hopes one day to own a red Plymouth Fury and order one of everything at the diner.

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