For the Love of Blog - AuthorCynthiaHerron.com

Photo Credit: sweetonveg/Creative Commons

I began blogging in 2011. Today’s blog post marks my 305th post.

(Congratulations, me!)

I remember when I cranked out my first post thinking how easy it would be. (I’m a writer, I believe in fairy-tales, and yes, I sometimes wear rose-colored glasses.)

Initially, I blogged daily. I began with a simple WordPress theme and learned about things like SEO, format, plugins, photo sizing, etc. through trial and error. (WordPress is a great place to start for newbie bloggers and fairly easy to matriculate. WordPress offers great tutorials in easy-to-understand language. As an additional tool, I also purchased Blogging for Dummies by Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley.)

As my goals evolved, I migrated to a fully functioning website created by the fabulous PulsePoint Design team. I’m now managed by the equally fabulous Jones House Creative folks and it’s been a fun ride. I’ve been blessed.

In the past two years (almost), I’ve learned that blogging is necessary in building a writer’s platform, but it’s not the be-all-end-all. I definitely think we should have a sense of direction (where we see our blog going) and we should decide what we hope to accomplish.

For folks primarily interested in “journal-keeping” or those writing solely for family/friends to “stay in touch,” obviously your goals are a little different from mine. That’s okay.

My initial goals were:

To have fun
To learn
To encourage
To build a platform
To evolve as a writer

My direction hasn’t changed much

…but wow! I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Including…

If you’re writing (with publication in mind), don’t let your blog become a distraction from the main event. (The writing!) Blogs should be in addition to, NOT take the place of your book(s).

Determine a workable schedule and stick to it. I started blogging daily. It was work and it took discipline. Eventually, I cut back to a MWF schedule, and that worked best. For me, for my writing, and for my sanity.

Think of your blog as a way to communicate. Improve your skills, but don’t change your “voice.” I try to be as real on my blog as I would if we were to sit down and talk in person. I have faults, I fumble, and I let my hair down. And once, I walked out of the ladies powder room at church with toilet paper sticking out of my skirt. All the way into the sanctuary even. But I digress…

Develop a servant’s heart. Decide what your gift is and then share it! I blog about spirituality, slice-of-life events, writing, nostalgia, etc. I’m not an expert anything, but I am an encourager.

Not everyone will like us or what we have to say. (I know. Don’t you hate that?) I once had someone tell me that I was too optimistic. Another wanted to argue why eroticism wasn’t appropriate in Christian fiction. (Go figure.) And then there was the time– Well, you get the picture. I’ve found the high road is always the best road.

Don’t be afraid to kick things up a notch or to deviate from your original intent. If something isn’t working, ask your other blogging friends for feedback. The writing community, especially, is very gracious and only too willing to help.

Pay it forward. If you come across great content, share! Tweet, “like,” “pin,” etc. those noteworthy blog posts that leave an impression, and of course, credit the author, please. I always appreciate when someone links to me and I love to return the favor.

Now, for some housekeeping things:

*I recently posted a few new photos on my photo page if you’re interested, and I’ll be adding more in the future. Besides me, you may even recognize a few other familiar faces!

*My January blog drawing will be at the end of the month and it’ll include a Target gift card, as well as some other nifty things. Leave a comment/subscribe to my blog to be eligible. I love giving away prizes!

*If you liked this post, you might also like How to Write Blog Posts That Jump off the Page.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

******

What types of blog posts interest you the most?

What are some things you’ve learned from blogging?