3 Things To Help You On Your Blogging Journey

    As I've run this blog, I've been collecting realizations and advice in my brain receptacle deally and, from things others have said and steps that I've undertaken, I've come to recognize a few things.  Here are three of them.


1.  Even if no one asks questions, it's worth it

     My mother recently started a genealogy blog, and for a long time she had trouble understanding that it can take a very long time to build up enough of a following to warrant questions and comments.  As a veteran of the internet myself, I knew going into this that the likelihood that people would comment on my blogs right away (or even within the first few years) was slim.  But even without feedback from the public, blogging is worth the time and effort.
     Chances are good that someone is looking, especially if you're hitting up other forms of social media to get the word out, and even if they weren't, as I've mentioned before, blogging is good for your own sense of accomplishment and the organization of your thoughts.  It's also the first step toward accumulating a following (which agents tend to prefer when choosing clients), and can be used as a credit on your resume if you ever apply for a writing job of some sort.
     Honestly, the more I do it and the more I read about it, blogging is a really awesome thing to do.  Not having any feedback on your work isn't something to worry too much about--if you keep working at it, it'll happen.  Just keep pushing yourself to improve, and keep learning all that you can learn.

2.  An organized blog is an organized mind

     Okay, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but as your blog posts start to stack up, it can get harder to find what you're looking for.  "Where's that post I did about Holidays?" you asked yourself, clicking furiously through the pages of your blog.  "I know it's in here, and I can't do this new post without linking to it."
     I'd suggest adding a directory to your blog, and organizing it accordingly--alphabetical, categorical, number of bullets, listicles vs. full articles, the Dewy Decimal system--whatever works for you.
     I'd also suggest adding a page for your published works, once you become so fortunate, or for any other accomplishments you may want the public to know about.  An About Me of some sort can also help people become invested in your story, and encourage them to keep reading.

3.  Respond to trends to increase traffic

     By "trends" I don't mean vampires, werewolves, and wizards (oh my!), but rather trends in the news and on social media.  When there's a spike in talks on diversity, for instance, it might be the time to release that article you've been cooking up about the importance of diversity in fiction.
     Following the news and trends in online discussion is important--you should keep informed on what's going on in the world, and it can help you develop blog ideas when you're low on inspiration.  That's not to say you should try to make a post about something just because it's trending, especially if you don't feel that you have anything to say on the matter, or that you should forestall posting about that topic over there just because it's not in the public eye, but to increase blog traffic, the best time to release a post or tweet (etc.) is when the topic is on top and widespread attention is being paid to it.

   
      Hopefully these have helped you out some.  If you have anything to add, feel free to discuss it below!

4 Things I've Learned While Blogging

     As of today, this blog has been in-session for exactly one year ((Happy birthday, Blog!)).  While I haven't exactly been as attentive as I should have been (though recently I've been better about making the commitment), I like to think I've learned some things by starting a blog.
     Here are some lessons I may or may not have learned over the course of the last year.  Hopefully they'll help you out on your quest for literary perfection and blogosphere renown.

1.  It's really hard.

     I'm not gr9 at working on command, especially when I feel like I have nothing to say and am working on artificial deadlines.   This last year has been a challenge for me, post-wise, since it's mostly been a long series of me saying, "Here's a thing about writing.  Do I know something about it?  Eh, I'll just bullshit the difference."
     But it's getting easier the more I do it--more ideas are flowing in, I'm getting better at posting once every other day (maybe eventually I'll learn to post on a consistent day of the week but that day is not today, friends), my bullshit becomes learned information, and I find that I might actually have some things worth talking about.
     I guess my point is, if you want to start a blog or have just started one, don't quit after your first dry spell, because the only way it's going to get easier is if you practice.  Don't be afraid; no one really knows what they're doing, anyway.

2.  Your best results come from frequent posting

     This seems like a no-brainer, but it's true!  You don't realize how much momentum goes into the success of your blog, or how hard it is to stay in the swing of things when you take time off, or how long it takes you to regain a following after you've stopped posting for a while.  If you want people to notice you, post frequently--consistently if you can manage it (like I said, I post every other day, but most people suggest choosing three or so days a week, which is probably much less stressful and an easier blog rate to maintain).  But don't sacrifice the quality of your blogs for quantity--that won't help, either.

3.  It helps you organize your thoughts

     You often don't know what you know until you have it tested--whether it's in school, in the field, or when trying to organize your thoughts into a blog post, until you make the effort you may think you know something you actually don't, or think you're clueless when you aren't.  Recently I posted about the importance of Fanfiction, something I'd been thinking about writing for a while.  For years I'd had these thoughts bouncing around in my head, but I'd never had the opportunity to put my feelings into words or organize them into a cohesive unit.  By sitting down and forcing my thoughts into words, I was able to organize my feelings into a cohesive whole.
     My point is: there are things inside you that you may think you don't know, or your mind may be too scattered to make sense of the thoughts you already posses, but if you sit down and work at it you'll uncover the mysteries of your own mind.  In all honestly, I'm fairly certain that blogging is really more of a learning experience than a teaching experience.

4.  The Weekends Are Your Friends

     There have been weekends, recently, where I've written two or three posts, which I have then kept back to use later in the week.  The weekends--or any time off of work/school--are the perfect time for catch-up days and get-ahead hours, just like with your regular writing schedule.
     You don't want to spend your whole weekend in front of the computer, of course, but if you can knock out even as few as one get-ahead posts, it can make the week a lot easier--you never know when you're going to have to spend a few extra hours at work, or if something is going to go horribly wrong.  You could break your toe, your computer could freeze up, you could just be exhausted from the trials of the day.
     Whatever is going on in that crazy life of yours, stocking up on ideas and posts on the weekends is definitely a strategy to keep in your arsenal.


     I hope these have helped you with your blogging journey, comrades.  I plan to continue reporting on the intricacies of the writeblog underworld as I discover more; in the mean time, go out and learn for yourselves--if you have any tips, feel free to share!