If you work in the aid world and would like to write for AlertNet we'd love to hear from you. Here are some writing tips to get you started. If you want to run your ideas past one of the AlertNet team please call 44 (0)20 7542 2432.

Please keep your piece short - 400-800 words.

The most important part of the story is the first paragraph (the lead). If you haven't caught the reader's attention within the first few words you may well lose them. If you haven't grabbed their interest by the end of the paragraph you'll definitely lose them. Remember the AlertNet blog list will only show up your headline and first couple of sentences so you need to make them as catchy and compelling as possible in order to get people to click through to your full blog.

Blogging from the field. The point of blogs from the field is to convey to readers a real feeling of what it's like to be there. That means we'd like lots of colour and a sense of what people caught up in the emergency are experiencing and saying.

Keep it colourful and chatty. Imagine you are gossiping with your friends over lunch. You wouldn't speak in chronological order - you'd start by telling them what was most interesting. Let your personality come through if you wish - readers like to feel a connection with the writer. If you're having problems getting started imagine you are writing an email to a friend.

Keep sentences short. Think twice if your sentence is longer than 30 words - it might well be better to chop it in two. Putting lots of clauses in your sentences will make them harder to read.

Keep paragraphs short. Reading on the web is tiring on the eyes. The reader is going to give up if they see long, stodgy paragraphs. A couple of sentences per paragraph is fine. As a rough guideline, try not to exceed 50 words.

Cut the jargon. No one understands aid speak apart from aid workers. Use the everyday language you use to talk to family and friends. Before you refer to CERF or "clusters" ask yourself if your granny would understand what you're talking about.

Avoid abbreviations. NGO, IDP, LRA, UNFPA etc. Most people won't understand them so don't use them without explaining what they mean at first reference. A lot of abbreviations in an article are alienating even when the reader does know what they stand for. Try to find alternative words or phrases - eg people uprooted by the war - instead of IDPs.

Avoid long job titles and organisation names in the lead. The U.N. refugee agency rather than The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Quotes. Quotes can make a good story great. A powerful quote which shocks or provokes some sort of emotion can help readers relate to a situation they're unfamiliar with. If you have a good quote, use it high up. Quotes that are thinly disguised PR to promote your organisation and quotes full of jargon should be avoided. Also, please keep mentions of your aid agency to a minimum - your blog shouldn't read like a press release.

Focus on people's stories. Looking at the experiences of a single person or family can be a powerful way of bringing a subject alive and enabling the reader to identify with the people you are helping.

Never assume your readers have prior knowledge. Weave in essential background but keep it simple. For example, if you're writing about climate change and mention the Kyoto Protocol you'll need to say what that is. Your piece should be able to stand by itself. Imagine you're talking to a friend who has been on holiday on a desert island for the last month.

Pictures. Photos liven things up and show people what you're writing about. One decent photo can really enhance a blog.

If in doubt cut it out. Once you've got started there's a big temptation to go off on all sorts of tangents. Keep it short - you can always write about other topics in a second piece. And keep it simple - don't get bogged down in complicated detail. Bear in mind that readers often don't scroll down the page and their attention span is much shorter when reading on the web than it would be for a newspaper article.

Check name spellings and figures. And then check them again. These are the easiest things to get wrong and an error will immediately discredit your piece.

Security. Bear in mind that your blog will be available on the internet for all to read, including the authorities in the country in which you operate. Check you haven't mentioned details that could endanger yourself or anyone else.

When you've finished ask yourself:

• Is the piece interesting? Test it on a friend
• Would my granny understand it?
• Can I make the lead and headline better?

When your blog is published feel free to respond to comments posted by readers, but please make clear who you are.