A couple of months ago, I blogged on a topic that stepped on quite a few toes. If you haven’t read it, do check it out and let me know what you think. It took me quite a long time to write, and I deliberated even longer before even hitting that “Publish” button.

It drew mixed response from the readers, and particularly so for one.

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that comment, which was why I consulted LeGeeque and Paris B on what I did, how I should write my reply, etc. In the end, all comments were replied, but it got me thinking. Was writing a controversial piece like this worth it? Was it valuable to the blog?

Take a walk around the blogosphere and you’ll notice that controversial posts often drive a lot of comments. They can be positive ones if they support the blogger, but a lot of them can also be negative. Sometimes the negative comments can be downright nasty. I’ve often seen bloggers taking a swipe at each other on controversial topics; one blogger slams the writer of the article, and then the friends of the writer come in and defend the writer by cyber-bashing that blogger. More people come in and take sides. Lo and behold, it becomes a cat fight on the blog.

If you want to drive traffic to your blog, one of the ways to do so is to write controversial posts. You will either receive positive or negative reactions to your article. Something to always be aware of is this: you must be prepared for any form of reaction that comes right after you hit that “Publish” button.

What do I mean by controversial pieces? They would be subjects that people don’t normally talk about. It could be something that’s in their mind, but do not mention in polite company. It could be criticism on current affairs, taboo issues, etc.

There are two topics that I always steer clear of on the blog. Controversial post or not, these are the subjects that I never talk or discuss about, and they are politics and religion. I’m sure you know why. Why open a can of worms on a beauty blog when you don’t have to?

Personally, controversial pieces force me to think very carefully on what I write. The words have to be reread, every sentence has to be analysed to ensure I’m getting my point across so that they cannot be misconstrued in any way. They then have to be read some more.

Often, when we blog, especially in the heat of the moment on something that we’re upset about, we fire away at the keyboard and click that “Publish” button without thinking. I know, because I’ve done this many times, only to realise 5 minutes later “Ooops I think I probably shouldn’t have said that”. Believe it or not, by stepping back and slowing down, it can make us better writers.

Me, I like reading a good controversial topic every now and then. It gives me an insight to the writer, and allows me to think hard on the subject. The best part of a controversial blog post is the comments it draws. They can sometimes be very good ones, sometimes negative, some so ludicrous that as you read, you shake your head and wonder if the reader even understood the article in the first place.

If you’re thinking of writing an article that has a controversial subject, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Slow down and think hard

There are times when you just want to blast a topic that has been bothering you. So you fire away at your keyboard. STOP! Slow down. Write what’s in your mind on Notepad or similar, but not on the blog. That’s raw emotions right there. Let it out of your system, and then sleep on it. Next morning, look at what you wrote again. Do it again the next day. If, after a week, it still hasn’t remove that raw edge from you and that piece you wrote, then take another week.

What I’m trying to say is, don’t blog when you have smoke coming out of your ears. Let your emotions settle down first. After some time, you might find that what you’ve drafted originally may no longer make sense. If it still does, you may want to remove all the foul words you’ve added in (I know I did). You might want to add more facts to the story. Read it over many times, and once you’re finally satisfied with it, then only hit “Publish”. That way, you’ll have no regrets.

Develop a very thick skin

There’s no doubt about it. If you are going to open a can of worms, you have to be mentally prepared for the onslaught of comments and reaction on the blog. Be ready for unsavoury comments, especially if they get personal and hit a raw nerve. Try not to take every single comment personally if possible.

Moderate the comments

I usually read comments to my regular blog posts at the end of the day, but for controversial pieces, I watch the comments that come in like a hawk. You have to be the one holding the reins to the words that are exchanged between your readers on your blog, especially when they start to get nasty with each other. If they begin to fight (it can happen), step in immediately and say “woaaahhhh!”. If your article is attracting too many nasty reactions, you might want to moderate your comments or even close them altogether. The latter is a drastic move, but I’ve seen blogs whose server crashed because they couldn’t handle the amount of bandwidth coming in at once.

Be neutral and polite when replying the comments

Unsubstantional troll comments with heaps of swearing are the ones I normally just delete, especially if they don’t add to the value of the comment and blog. However, a lot of comments you might get may be legitimate ones, that come from the reaction to the piece that did not sit right with the reader. I do not delete these comments, but try to reply them as politely as possible. Be neutral in your reply. Don’t attack them with your replies; it bears no value to you or your blog. If the comment doesn’t really make much sense to you, feel free to request the reader to elaborate his/her point in their comments.

Be ready to apologise if you have made a mistake

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you may have written something that has been unresearched and you did not get your facts right. If the comments have struck a chord in you, making you realise that you’ve gone the wrong way in viewing and writing the subject, be ready to eat humble pie and apologise. It’s not a cop-out or compromising your principles when you’ve actually realised you’re written something wrongly.

These are just a few points to take into consideration when writing controversial posts. It’s a lot to think about, but personally, it’s not going to stop me from writing more if I can. We are all adults, and have our own minds. I’d love to know your thoughts on some issues, and sometimes those issues might strike a chord. Surely we can agree to disagree at some of those issues 🙂

Have you written controversial posts before? How did you react to the negative comments? Has overwhelming negative reaction stopped you from writing them altogther?