Week 3 Reaction Blog

I really benefitted from reading Neil Patel's article "How to Develop an Unforgettable Voice in Your Writing."  I found his post very intriguing because it focuses on how to improve article writing specifically. It is a writing medium that is become increasingly popular and widespread. Often articles or blog posts are generally shorter so I completely agree with Patel's idea that every article must have a "laser focus" and be to the point. While it's probably not a good trend, we as a society have such a short attention span. If something doesn't immediately catch our eye we move on without even giving it a thought. It's for this very reason, then, that Neil Patel's other sub-points are so vital. To be successful in this style of writing, you have to be willing to be risky and opinionated. Whether it's fair or not, writers are forced more than ever to give a reason for their audience to read their material.

Perhaps my biggest takeaway from his article is Patel's point that successful article writing tells a story. Stories transcend generations; every single person can relate to a story. In regards to writing for sports, specifically, I believe this concept is absolutely key. Sports tell stories. Whether it's a story of a team's journey to a championship or a player's remarkable comeback from an injury or hardship, sports are filled with different stories.

For me personally, I would love to be a sports information director. SID's often take the lead in writing articles for a team website as well as posting to social media. Patel's post hit on some very important points on how to best catch the attention of an SID's target audience. I will definitely work on implementing Patel's tips in my blogs for this class as I prepare for the future!