The Art of Authentic Blogging

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

– Ernest Hemingway

In this practical course created specifically for professionals, you won’t learn to write “like an expert.” Instead, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to express your true “voice of experience" professionally so it reaches (and helps!) your intended readers.

 What will you learn? 

What does it take to write a professional blog?

From topic strategy and story structure to style, tone, and editing, you’ll learn all the basics you need to begin writing a professional blog — plus tips for creating more valuable content. The course combines in-class presentations, writing exercises, and co-crafting workshops with weekly homework assignments. It also covers tools and techniques, including generative AI, to assist and improve your writing.

You’ll receive professional, editorial feedback on every written assignment, plus 30 minutes of virtual one-on-one coaching with the instructor. By the end of the course, you’ll be empowered to write compelling blog posts that express your authentic authority and connect with your intended audience.

 Key takeaways 

• Understand the basic elements of a good blog post and how to craft one.
• Identify, define, and effectively reach your target audience.
• Improve writing skills and confidence.
• Optimize and repurpose content across platforms to create more value.

 Who is it for? 

Anyone who would like to:

• Share who you are/what you know authentically to help others.
• Connect with your customers and professional community more personally.
• Improve your writing skills, craft, and form.
• Develop a creative practice that contributes positively to your career portfolio.

 Program 

In this practical course created exclusively for Xebia consultants, you won’t learn to write “like an expert.” Instead, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to express your true “voice of experience” so it reaches (and helps!) your intended readers.

 Week 1: Riding the Wild Horse: Purpose, Passion, Process & Practice 

• Why Write? (Introductions and discussion of course goals and overview).
• Choosing a Topic & Niche: Start with questions, including your own.
• Writing with Passion (for the Right Audience).
• Generating Ideas, Words, and Rough Drafts.
• Building Confidence: Tools & Techniques for Conquering the Inner Critic.

 Week 2: Reining in the Rough Draft: Revision & Blog Writing Basics

• Elements of a Good Blog: What works, what doesn’t, and why?
• Authenticity and Craft: Honing Your Voice.
• Revising & Editing.

– Readability & Flow. – Grammar & Style Guides. – Tone & Target Audience. – Structure: Hierarchy & Hooks

Week 3: Rules of the Ranch: Tools & Theory for Creating Content for the Web

by Albert Starreveld

• Tips and tools to structure content for the web
• What content to create and where to publish it
• Digital Marketing Communications 101

Week 4: Generative AI — Make It Your Friend, Not Your Pen

• Why AI? Do’s & Don’ts.
• Prompt Engineering Crash Course.
• Making It Your Own.

 Course Format: What to Expect 

This class meets weekly online. in a workshop-style format. 

• Weekly presentations.
• In-class writing workshops and hands-on (pen & paper!) exercises.
• At-home assignments.
• Coaching and editorial feedback.

ONLINE Session C 

• 4 Tuesdays (break on June 4)
• May 28  | June  4 | June 11 | June 18
• 09.00 – 12.00 CET  
• A maximum of seven participants

 Course Price €695 

Includes: → 12 hours of training. → One 30-minute personal online coaching session. → Editorial feedback and peer reviews. → Professional edit/polish of a completed blog post.

 What others have to say 

“In a world where homogeneous AI articles and posts are becoming the norm, it is becoming increasingly important to learn how to put more of ourselves into our writing.”  

 - David Welman

“Once I discovered my own voice and that it was okay to use it in a professional setting, the content I wanted to write about just started flowing.” -

- Brandon Haschick

“I thoroughly enjoyed this writing course despite my previous hesitations. I discovered my inner voice and learned how to express myself unapologetically—whether writing for an audience or purely for the passion of writing. The topics varied from work-related to personal, making the group very diverse and inclusive. I highly recommend this course!” 

-Laika Ouarous – van den Hof

“I loved the emphasis on authentic writing. This angle helped me find my spark, and I can imagine it will help many others too.” - 

- Roy Straub

Meet the Trainers 

Robbyn Layne is a writer/editor and creative consultant with over 20 years of experience providing customized content, project support, and tailored learning programs for organizations and people. For the last ten years, she has worked deep in the trenches with marketers and consultants to shape and share the true voice of her enterprise clients — directly from their people.  Working collaboratively, she’s co-created targeted content that expresses the companies' authentic brand identities and contributes valuable thought leadership to the industry.   With a background in art and psychology, Robbyn deeply understands the creative process and has a heartfelt passion for empowering others to find and express their authentic voice. With a background in art and psychology, Robbyn deeply understands the creative process and has a heartfelt passion for empowering others to find and express their authentic voice.

View Robbyn’s LinkedIn

Albert Starreveld

Xebia IT, consultant and blogger Albert Starreveld is a passionate software developer who loves to share knowledge and code. He has a loyal and dedicated following of 843 blog readers on Medium, which is why he will be an expert guest trainer.

View Albert’s LinkedIn