Writing Your First Blog Post

You’ve got your blog set up. Now comes the actual writing part.

Here’s the quick version: Log into your dashboard, hit Posts > Add New, write your title and content, then click Publish. That’s pretty much it.

Why write blog posts at all? Because an empty blog doesn’t do much. Publishing regularly brings readers, establishes your voice, and connects you with people who care about what you’re saying. Plus, there’s something satisfying about hitting that Publish button and knowing your ideas are actually out there for anyone to read.

What You’ll Need Before Starting

Make sure you’ve got:

• Your Badass Network account and blog (already set up)
• Access to your WordPress dashboard—usually at badassnetwork.com/yourblog/wp-admin
• An idea for your first post (doesn’t have to be fancy; “Why I Started This Blog” works fine)
• Basic typing skills—if you’ve used Google Docs, you’re good

Getting Into the Post Editor

First thing: you’ll need to access the editor where you actually write.

Your Title Matters (But Don’t Overthink It)

Click in the “Add title” field at the top.

Type something clear. For your first post, “Hello World: My Introduction” or “Why I Started Blogging” works fine. You can always change it later if you want—nothing’s permanent here.

Writing Your Actual Content

Click in the main content area below your title. You’ll see a plus (+) icon or text saying “Type / to choose a block.”

The Block Editor organizes everything as blocks. Paragraphs, headings, images, lists—each one’s a separate block. Yeah, this seems weird at first if you’re used to Word or Google Docs, but it’s actually pretty intuitive once you start using it.

Start typing. WordPress automatically creates a paragraph block for you. Write naturally. Press Enter when you’re ready for a new paragraph, and boom—another paragraph block appears.

Most people overthink their first post. Don’t. Just introduce yourself, explain why you started the blog, or share what readers can expect. Your opening doesn’t need to be perfect—it needs to be authentic. We’ve seen thousands of first posts, and the ones people respond to best are the honest ones, not the polished corporate-speak versions.

How to Format Text

Select any text by clicking and dragging over it. A formatting toolbar pops up above your selection with Bold, Italic, Link—all the usual stuff you’d expect.

Want something bold? Select the text, click the B button. Or press Cmd+B on Mac, Ctrl+B on Windows. Use bold sparingly—just for key phrases you want to emphasize. If everything’s bold, nothing stands out.

Add italics the same way. Select text, click I, or press Cmd+I / Ctrl+I. Italics work well for book titles, slight emphasis, or when you’re quoting someone.

This part’s exactly like using Word. Nothing fancy here.

Breaking Content Up With Headings

Headings break up your content and make it scannable. They also help with SEO, though honestly, their main job is making your post easier to read. People skim more than we’d like to admit.

Press Enter to start a new line. Type /heading and press Enter. Or click the plus (+) icon and pick Heading from the menu.

You’ll see options for H2, H3, H4. Use H2 for main sections and H3 for subsections. Never use H1—that’s reserved for your post title. Yeah, this confused me too when I started. The logic is that your post title is the H1, so everything inside the post should be H2 or lower. Just stick with H2 and H3 and you’ll be fine.

Type your heading text. Keep headings descriptive so people know what each section covers. “Tips for Beginners” is way better than “Section 3.”

Adding Lists (When They Actually Make Sense)

Lists are perfect for steps, tips, or any info that works better as bullet points than paragraphs.

Type /list and choose either bullets (Unordered List) or numbers (Ordered List). You can also click the plus (+) icon and select List.

Type your first item, press Enter. WordPress creates another list item automatically. Press Enter twice to exit the list and go back to regular paragraphs.

Pretty straightforward stuff.

Putting Images In Your Post

Images make your posts more engaging. Posts with visuals usually get more views, though it depends on your topic—some content works fine without images.

Click the plus (+) icon or type /image and press Enter. You’ll see options to Upload, grab from Media Library, or Insert from URL.

Upload lets you pick an image from your computer. Media Library shows images you’ve already uploaded to your blog. Pick whichever works for your situation.

Once your image is in, click it and add alt text in the field on the right side. Alt text describes what’s in the image—helps people using screen readers and improves your SEO. Write 10-15 words describing what the image shows. “Screenshot of WordPress dashboard” is fine. “Dashboard” is too vague.

Categories and Tags (Should You Care?)

Over on the right side, you’ll see the Post settings panel. If it’s not showing, click the gear icon in the top-right corner.

Scroll down to Categories. These are broad topics that organize your blog. Think of them like chapters in a book. You can select existing categories or create new ones. For your first post, “Uncategorized” is fine, or maybe something like “Personal” or “Updates.”

Below that, you’ll find Tags. These are specific keywords related to your post. Add 3-5 tags by typing them separated by commas. Tags help readers find related content later when you’ve got more posts published.

Most people don’t worry too much about categories and tags for their first post. It depends on how organized you want to be from the start. Some bloggers plan this stuff out meticulously; others just wing it and reorganize later. Both approaches work.

Excerpts: Optional But Sometimes Useful

Scroll to the Excerpt section in the settings panel. An excerpt is a short summary that appears in blog archives and social media shares.

If you skip it, WordPress grabs your first paragraph automatically. That usually works fine.

I’d recommend writing your own excerpt—just 1-2 sentences that make people want to read the full post. But honestly, it’s optional for your first post. You can always add it later if you decide you need it.

Preview Before You Publish (Always)

Click Preview in the top toolbar. This shows how your post’ll look on your live blog.

You can preview Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile views. Check that everything looks right—no weird formatting, images aren’t broken, text is readable on smaller screens.

Find a typo? Weird spacing between paragraphs? Go back to the editor and fix it. No rush—your draft saves automatically every few seconds, so you won’t lose anything if you close the tab by accident.

Actually Publishing Your Post

Alright, moment of truth.

Look at the top-right corner. By default, your post is set to Draft—only you can see it. When you’re ready, you’ve got two options:

Publish immediately: Click the Publish button. A confirmation panel slides in asking if you’re sure. Click Publish again. Done. Your post goes live right then.

Schedule for later: Click the date/time next to “Publish immediately” and pick a future date and time. This is useful if you’re writing multiple posts in advance and want them to go out automatically. We’ve found this helps people stay consistent without having to remember to publish every single day.

After you publish, WordPress shows a confirmation with a link to view your live post. Click View Post to see it on your actual blog.

Pretty satisfying, honestly.

Common Questions We Get

Tips That Actually Help

• Write first, format later. Get your ideas down without worrying about bold text, images, or perfect sentences. You can polish everything after the first draft’s done. This usually makes the writing process way less stressful, and you’ll end up with more natural content.
• Break up long content with headings. If you’re writing more than a few hundred words, add an H2 or H3 every 200-400 words. Makes posts easier to scan, and people skim way more than they actually read. Yeah, it’s kind of depressing, but it’s reality.
• Images increase engagement—usually. Posts with relevant visuals typically get more views. Aim for at least one image at the top, maybe more if you’re writing something longer. It depends on your topic, though. Don’t force images where they don’t make sense just because someone told you every post needs five images.
• Hook readers in the first paragraph. Your opening should explain what the post’s about and why someone should keep reading. Answer that within the first 2-3 sentences and you’re golden. If someone’s still confused after your intro, they’ll bounce.
• Edit before publishing. Read through your post at least once. Check for typos, unclear sentences, weird formatting. Reading out loud helps catch mistakes you’d miss otherwise. Your brain autocorrects when you’re reading silently, so hearing it out loud reveals awkward phrasing.
• Use the Document Outline. Click the i icon in the top toolbar to see all your headings laid out. Helps verify your structure makes sense. This is where I catch posts that need better organization—you can see if you’ve got three H2s in a row that should really be one section with H3 subsections.

When Things Go Wrong

What You’ve Just Accomplished

You’ve written and published your first blog post on Badass Network. You know how to use the Block Editor, format text, add images, organize with categories and tags, and hit that Publish button with confidence.

Your next move? Write your second post. Momentum matters more than perfection here. Keep publishing, keep improving, and you’ll find your rhythm. Most successful bloggers say the first 10 posts are the hardest—after that, you’ve figured out your process and it gets way easier.

Want to dive deeper? Check out our guides on SEO-friendly titles, adding featured images, or optimizing your content for search engines. But honestly, just writing consistently is the most important thing right now. You can optimize everything later once you’ve got a decent content base.

Related Resources

• Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Titles — Craft titles that attract readers and actually rank in search results
• Adding Images to Your Blog Posts — Upload, optimize, and position images in your content without slowing down your site
• Managing Blog Post Categories — Organize your blog with a category structure that makes sense
• Formatting Text: Bold, Italics, Headers, and Lists — Deep dive into Block Editor formatting options
• Publishing and Scheduling Posts — Master timing and schedule future posts to stay consistent

Need Help?

Something not working? We’re here.

• Contact Badass Network Support with details about what’s going wrong
• Include what you’ve already tried from this guide
• Screenshot any error messages if possible
• Share your blog URL so we can take a look at what’s happening

We typically respond within 24 hours.

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