I came across an article in a place called BlogHer. It was on the subject of Starting a Blog.
Being I have been blogging for the better part of 7 years, I think I might have an opinion on the subject. :-)
The article (which I highly recommend you read before you finish this post) mentions many subjects that I have come across, in my time blogging.
When I began, I made an agreement to attempt to post something every day. I don't care how small the post is, I feel that if a person is following me, the least I can do is show up and post. So that is my first comment. Don't make the commitment, unless you have the time to spend dealing with it.
Many people write a post of 300 words or more. I am not a professional writer and I have no clue how many words a post of mine is. Don't force yourself to write, just to fill a commitment of words. The subject matter and what needs to be said, are much more important.
Pictures! I am definitely a picture person and I really feel that a blog post is made much better, with a photo. If you do query's for photos, remember to be mindful of copyright laws. I usually go for a photo I take, since it makes me feel safer.
Your blog voice. Figure that out, before you begin. My style is very off the cuff and conversational and I got in lots of trouble, when I joined academia last year, working on Graduate courses. It is simply not done in papers for classes. So if you blog, choose your tone and try to speak like you are having a conversation with a friend.
Definitely talk to your family. I did not do this and I found out years later that my Husband noticed that I go MIA when I blog, so I try to be mindful of the time I take blogging.
How to refer to the members of your family. I generally do not mention my Husband and son by name and I don't mention the names of my "Other" sons, either. I just feel better about it...though this can get confusing to my blog readers, but we deal. I post photos, but try not to show off addresses and license plate numbers, etc. A little mystery makes it harder for stalkers.
On that subject, I go by an alias and I always have. I had problems on Steely Dan Bulletin Boards and when I decided to branch out on my own, it made total sense to me, to go this route. I have no regrets. HERE is an explanation of why I post as angel.
Public or Private? Most blogs give you the choice. I decided to go private and I have never regretted that. For a short time I made my Steely Dan blog public and I realized this was not making me happy. I moved it to private and I sleep better at night...
No matter what you do, enjoy the experience. It is very freeing to have a voice and to express it in public.
Well, I started a blog to display my photographs. So every post features a couple of my photos. I am not the type to post everyday though. Last month I was really bad, I seem to be doing better in October.
ReplyDeleteMy goal was just to publish some of the photos that sat unused on my hard drives. Another goal was to hone my writing skills, as I've always thought they were lackluster. If people follow me and enjoy the posts, great.
I do love reading your Blogs everyday. However I can't see me ever doing this, since you I am not a picture person like you, & if I do have a picture on Facebook it is because I stole it from someone else. So I will never be a bloger
ReplyDeleteShawn: I can't tell you how much I totally love your blog. Yes, you mostly only post on Wednesday's, but what prime photos turn up on that Wednesday. Well worth the wait, IMHO. I think that the blogs that disappear for months (or years) at a time, are the ones I get upset about. The Pioneer Woman, who I follow and have for years, has gotten to the point that she barely posts and when she does, it is all apologies. A total time waster.
ReplyDeleteMartha: I totally understand, though if you wanted to guest blog over here, I could let you do that. I spell check my Husband's blog posts, so this is not ground I have never covered before. :-)