You’ve done the hard part. You’ve successfully navigated the technical setup and your WordPress blog is officially live. You log in to your dashboard, full of excitement, and then you see it: a blank white screen with a single, blinking cursor.
Suddenly, the excitement is replaced by a single, terrifying question: “What do I actually write?”
Writing your very first blog post is a huge milestone, but it’s easy to get stuck. You might worry if your idea is good enough, how to structure your thoughts, or what all the different buttons in the editor even do. This feeling of “writer’s block” is completely normal, and every single blogger has felt it.
This guide is here to break down that wall. We’re going to show you how to write a blog post from start to finish. This is a simple, step-by-step process that will take you from a rough idea to a beautifully formatted, published article that you can be proud of.
Let’s get that blinking cursor moving.
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Preparation (Before You Type a Single Word)
The secret to great writing is great preparation. Spending just a few minutes on these first two steps will save you hours of frustration later.
Step 1: Know Your Audience and Choose a Topic
You can’t write for everyone. The key to a successful blog post is to write for someone.
- Know Your Audience: Before you think about a topic, ask yourself: Who am I writing for? What are their biggest questions? What problems are they trying to solve? When you write with a specific person in mind, your content becomes much clearer and more helpful.
- Brainstorming Your First Topic: Your first post doesn’t need to be your life’s magnum opus. It just needs to be helpful and interesting to your target reader. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Write a “Beginner’s Guide” to a topic you know well.
- Answer a question you get asked all the time.
- Share a personal story or experience related to your blog’s niche.
- Create a list of your favorite resources (books, tools, podcasts).
Choose one topic that you are genuinely excited to write about. Your passion will shine through in your writing.
Step 2: Create a Simple Outline
An outline is the single best weapon against writer’s block. It turns a big, intimidating writing project into a series of small, manageable steps. You don’t need a complex, formal outline; a few simple bullet points are all you need.
Here is a classic blog post structure that works for almost any topic:
- Catchy Title: A working title to get you started.
- Introduction:
- Hook the reader with a relatable problem or question.
- Briefly explain what the post is about.
- Promise a solution or a key takeaway.
- Main Body (3-5 Points):
- Main Point #1 (This will be a heading)
- Main Point #2 (This will be another heading)
- Main Point #3 (And another)
- Conclusion:
- Briefly summarize the most important points.
- End with a concluding thought or a call to action (e.g., “What do you think? Leave a comment below!”).
That’s it. Just by writing down those few points, you’ve created a roadmap that will guide you through the entire writing process.
Part 2: The Writing (Using the WordPress Editor)
With your outline in hand, it’s time to open up the editor and bring your post to life.
Step 3: Navigate to the “Add New Post” Screen
In your WordPress dashboard, look at the main navigation menu on the left. Simply click on Posts > Add New.
Step 4: Write Your Draft in the Block Editor
You are now inside the WordPress Block Editor (also known as “Gutenberg”). Here’s a quick tour:
- The Title Field: The very first thing you’ll see is a large prompt that says “Add title.” Type your working title here.
- The Content Area: The main white space below the title is where you’ll write.
- Understanding Blocks: Everything in the editor is a “block.” A paragraph is a block. A heading is a block. An image is a block. This modular approach makes it easy to build rich, dynamic content. To add a new block, simply click the small “+” icon.
Now, following your outline, just start writing. Don’t worry about making it perfect. The goal of this step is to get all of your ideas out of your head and onto the page. This is your “rough draft.”
Here are the essential blocks you’ll use:
- Paragraph Block: This is the default block for all your main text.
- Heading Block: Use headings (H2, H3, H4) to create the sections from your outline. This is crucial for making your post scannable and easy to read.
- Image Block: No one likes a giant wall of text. Click the “+” icon and choose the Image block to upload a new image or select one from your Media Library.
- List Block: Perfect for creating bulleted or numbered lists to break up information.
Step 5: Format for Readability
Writing for the web is different from writing for a book. People scan content online, so you need to make your post as easy to read as possible.
- Use Short Paragraphs: Keep your paragraphs to a maximum of 2-4 sentences. This creates more white space and is much less intimidating to the reader.
- Use Bold and Italics: Use bold text to emphasize key takeaways and make your most important points stand out to scanners.
- Add Links: If you mention another website or another article on your own site, add a link! Simply highlight the text you want to link, and a small toolbar will appear. Click the link icon to add your URL.
Part 3: The Pre-Publish Checklist (The Professional Polish)
You’ve finished your draft! Now, before you hit that publish button, it’s time to run through a professional checklist to make sure your post is ready for the world.
Step 6: Configure the Post Settings
Look at the sidebar on the right-hand side of the editor. If you don’t see it, click the small gear icon in the top-right corner. Make sure the “Post” tab is selected.
- Categories & Tags: Assign your post to one main Category. Then, add a few relevant Tags that describe the specific topics within your post.
- Featured Image: This is the main “cover image” for your post. It will appear at the top of your article and will represent your post on your homepage and on social media. This is very important! Click “Set featured image” to upload one.
- Permalink: This is your post’s URL. WordPress will automatically generate one based on your title. Make sure it is short, clean, and describes your post (e.g.,
how-to-write-a-blog-post).
Step 7: Craft a Killer Final Title
Your working title got you started, but now it’s time to make it irresistible. A great title makes a promise to the reader. Try to make it benefit-oriented. For example, instead of “My First Blog Post,” try “5 Lessons I Learned from Starting My First Blog.”
Step 8: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread
Typos and grammar mistakes can damage your credibility. Read your entire post out loud to catch awkward phrasing. Use a free grammar tool like Grammarly to check for errors. It’s always a good idea to step away for an hour and come back to proofread with fresh eyes.
Step 9: Preview Your Post
Before you go live, you need to see exactly what your readers will see. In the top-right corner, click the Preview button. This will open a new tab showing you how your post will look on your live site. Check for any weird formatting issues and make sure your images look good.
Step 10: The Big Moment – Hitting “Publish”
You’ve done it all. Your idea has been researched, outlined, written, formatted, and polished. It’s time.
- In the top-right corner of the editor, you’ll see a big, blue “Publish” button. Click it.
- A final panel will slide out, asking you to double-check your settings. Click “Publish” one more time.
Congratulations! You have officially written and published your first blog post. Your voice, your ideas, and your hard work are now live on the internet for the world to see. Take a moment to celebrate this huge accomplishment.
The journey of a successful blogger is a marathon, not a sprint. The next step is to do it again. Consistency is key. You’ve conquered the blank page, and now you have a repeatable process to do it over and over again.