You know how the best stories have plot lines—a beginning, a middle, and an end, along with a moment of conflict that moves the story along?

Blogging kind of works like that—basically, the best posts are driven by opportunities to emote and play into that conflict. It’s also a great way to build a writing rhythm. That’s according to Belle Beth Cooper, who explains the process on the Ghost Blog.

“There are two main ways I’ve found that I can use conflict to inform my creative process,” she says. “One is to lean into conflict within my own life, which tends to bring out the best artistic work I can make. The second is to use disagreements as fodder for new material.”

Cooper points out ways that she’s used both strategies in her recent posts, including a great piece on why putting text on photos is bad for accessibility, as well as a personal piece discussing employment challenges.

If you want to learn more about Cooper’s creative process, she recently talked about it with the folks at Lifehacker.

Don’t Do This, Bloggers

Are you are #nonprofit writer? Here a 5 things to avoid via @Kivilm: http://t.co/WJhJvsaKZz

— GuideStar by Candid (@GuideStarUSA) September 10, 2015

Speaking of blogging, here’s something a lot of people misunderstand about writing: Being a productive writer doesn’t necessarily mean putting your nose to the grindstone at all times. You’ll burn yourself out and threaten your creative spark.

That tip is at the top of a list of writing don’ts from Mission India’s Laurel Dykema.

“Spending every hour of every working day producing written content might seem like the best use of your time. But it can also give you tunnel vision!” she writes on Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog.

Be sure to check out her full list, which also addresses the value of asking questions, leaving your desk, and managing criticism. (ht @GuideStarUSA)

Other Links of Note

Another writing tip worth considering comes from Association Executive Management’s David M. Patt: “Don’t start writing or creating until you’re ready. The end product will be better.”

Is Windows 10 an opportunity to improve your organization’s business processes? Tech consultant Frank Palermo says it is, on CMS Wire.

If you’re on the lookout for a new association management system, AMS Fest, taking place in Crystal City, Virginia, on September 17, might be of interest to you or your team.

(iStock/Thinkstock)