Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, would have been a kick-ass blogger. He died in 1991, 8 years before blogs, short for weblogs, even had a name.
Still one of the most loved children’s book authors in the world, Dr. Seuss wrote 4 of the 10 all-time bestselling books in kid lit.
Generations of kids discovered their own imaginations and learned to read by listening to the rhythm of language in his books.
At first glance, Dr, Seuss would seem to have his feet firmly planted in the garden of children’s literature. Yet, in our journey as bloggers, what better role model could we have?
Because, as we all know (you did know, didn’t you?), writing for children is the hardest kind of writing to do.
If you can write for children, you can write for anyone.
7 Things Dr. Seuss Taught Me About Fearless Blogging
1. Believe that you have something to say.
It’s tempting to call it quits if you feel that no one is listening to you, if no one but your mother wants to read your blog.
Dr. Seuss’s first book, the classic And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 29 different publishers before it found a home.
There may be days, weeks, months, when we feel unappreciated. But developing an active community of loyal readers takes time.
If we believe in our ideas, as Dr. Seuss did, our readers will show up.
2. Respect your readers.
Geisel said, “Once a writer starts talking down to kids, he’s lost. Kids can pick up on that kind of thing.”
Dr. Seuss taught kids about a lot of things in his books—responsibility, imagination, caring for the environment, standing up for those without a voice, experiencing the joy of language— but all without making them feel they were being preached to.
Just open up a copy of The Cat in the Hat, or Horton Hears a Who, or Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and you’ll see what I mean.
Dr. Seuss shows us that, though our goal may be to teach our readers something in a post, we don’t have to hit them over the head in an “I’m smart-and-you’re-not” sort of way.
3. Make every word count.
Dr. Seuss told amazing stories and kept his audience captive, sometimes using only 50 different words in an entire picture book.
He created The Cat in the Hat because a publisher said he couldn’t write a complete children’s book in fewer than 250 words.
He proved them wrong. The Cat in the Hat came in at exactly 223 words.
For me, the lesson is, even if I am in love with a word or phrase, if it doesn’t move my post forward, I pull out my scissors and the snipping begins.
4. Turn your ideas sideways and make that headline pop.
If you see—and blog about—the world, your business, your ideas in a different way, you will wake your readers up.
Dr. Seuss believed that “looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope” let his readers see all the possibilities in life.
What child wouldn’t be interested in a book with the title, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut. The book was about memorizing as a way to learn words.
But at the very end, Dr. Suess points out that eyes open is better because, “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.”
As a blogger, I’m learning to look at ideas from all angles and to challenge conventional thinking. Because that’s what my readers are looking for.
5. Break the ‘rules.’
The instructors in my UW Writing for Children Certificate Program, the literary agents and editors at every writers’ conference I went to, said the same thing: “I don’t want to see any picture books written in rhyme. But look at Dr. Seuss:
I am Sam.
Sam I am.
I do not like
Green eggs and ham.
So, yeah, our blog posts will be more memorable when we break the rules now and then.
I’m not talking misspellings and typos here. But if it works better to start a sentence with “And” or write a one-word paragraph to drive home a point, I’ll do it.
Learn the rules. Then break them if it makes sense.
6. Touch the heart and the head.
Dr. Seuss was a master at this. Through his stories, kids experience love, joy, fear, sadness and, yes, even anger. And they remember the stories long after the telling is over because the author connected with their emotions.
Who else could make us mad at the Grinch, only to feel sorry for him later?
The best bloggers are like that. They make you not only think, but feel.
So write about what your readers are afraid of—and propose a solution. Play devil’s advocate and watch the rich, passionate discussions start.
Make your readers laugh. Make them cry. Make them feel.
7. Write simply, but be specific.
In And to Think That I Saw It in Mulberry Street, Dr. Seuss writes:
A zebra pulling a wagon.
A Chinese boy with sticks,
A big magician doing tricks.
I can picture that, can’t you?
If you are writing the about page for your blog, you could say:
I love watching Christopher Guest movies.
Or, you could say:
I own every crazy Christopher Guest movie in existence, from Spinal Tap to Best in Show.
Because it’s the details—and the imagery—that will pull your readers in. In that way, a good blog post is like a good story.
What about you?
What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
Do you apply any of these rules in your blogging?
What did I leave out?
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About Judy Dunn
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