Honest to blog: How to start a blog

Every time I write or say this, I feel redundant. But here we go again: I originally thought this blog’s audience would consist entirely of people who share my DNA.

I was just out of college and moving far from home. I thought I’d have interesting things to say that my parents would care about. Maybe later I’d want to revisit those confused, adverb-heavy years of learning NYC. Perhaps someday I’d have a child way more sophisticated than I who’d look at my feelings and observations and with a gentle shake of the head, tear me a new one.

That’s still the purpose of this very long Internet writing assignment, though I’ve been read by many more along the way. The experience has been more rewarding than I ever intended, something else I stumbled into, like my favorite songs and foods and people.

Here’s a question from James, one of my fiction classmates:

Your blog helped me procrastinate for several hours this week. I especially enjoyed reading about your experiences teaching in Harlem. You have some good material there for a black comedy. The bookshelf is a great idea, and I was surprised to find that I have read precisely none of the works on your list. It’s a testament to how much is out there that two people who read as much as we do would have no overlap… Also, any advice you have for me regarding blogging is greatly appreciated.

People ask me this fairly often. Here’s another question I got recently from Dain:

I am very new to blogging in its various forms, but feel as though I have something to say.  I am interested if you could perhaps tell me the one place I could post a blog that is ideal to get most readers, or perhaps the best thing to do to gain eyes.  I am not trying to sound spammy, I am just looking for genuine ideas from bloggers.

The first response I have is that each blogger is unique, and I don’t think there should be a cookie-cutter approach to blogging. (I’m not saying one doesn’t see that - I know I do very often, and I don’t like it).

There are some proven best practices, which I’ll share. I don’t practice all of them.

The question from Dain leaves me feeling a bit gross, and here’s why: I think there can be a huge gulf between writing and blogging. It’s a matter of the craft behind the words and also the intentions. I’d hope that if asked to label me as a writer or a blogger, people who read my writing would call me a writer.

This is not to say there aren’t amazing bloggers out there. There are.

But a lot of blogs - just like many works in any type of media - are crap. They’re not thoughtful. They’re cliched.

And perhaps you’re thinking, “Hello? Pot, meet kettle.”

However, I try to have fun and write about my life in my own way. I try to avoid filler posts that don’t really say anything, though that’s not all bad.

I write to purge and connect to (and disconnect from) experiences I’m trying to make sense of. It also gives me immense pleasure to feel that my writing has some effect on other people.

This is why I blog, and this is where I start romanticizing the writing process, blah blah blah. I just think that if you start blogging hungry for eyeballs and comments and advertising opportunities, you’re coming from a very forced place, and you may burn out when you realize it’s harder than it looks.

Okay. Somebody stop me. I’ve typed too much. If you ever meet me in person, pour me some alcohol and say, “Blogging for dollars.” And watch what happens.

Surefire Blogging Tips Anyone Can Use:

1) Buy a domain of your own.

Don’t use a .wordpress/.blogspot/.tumblr address. It’s harder to remember, and it looks less professional.

Also, when you buy your domain, buy every version - .com, .org, .net, etc.

If you can buy your first and last name for your domain, you’re a lucky duckie.

2) Pick a platform that’s right for you.

I’m really glad I switched over to Wordpress. It’s professional, customizable, and user-friendly. I like it, because I write longer posts.

I also have some fun projects, like House Hunt, on Tumblr. It’s a microblogging platform that’s great for image-heavy, text-light posts. (You can also post longer entries on Tumblr).

The coolest thing about Tumblr is that it has a built-in system to follow, “like,” and reblog the posts of others. It’s great for tracking an audience and getting your name out there, but it often doesn’t look as professional.

3) Now write.

You should blog as much as possible. It’s a way of telling readers to come back for more.

Try to do this without boring your audience, and you’re golden.

4) Tell other people about your blog.

This is the part I often put on the back burner. Put your URL where people can find it, like in your email signature, on other social media like Twitter and Facebook, and prominent body parts.

Hello, face tattoos.

5) Everyone says that the best blogs have one focus, and I think that’s probably true.

I recently saw Julie Powell of Julie and Julia fame speak, and she said, “Blogging is a great medium for obsession.”

But I could never do that. Not for a single obsession right now, anyway.

It works out, because I’m not really trying to sell my blog. It’s about my life at various points in time. You might chuckle or sympathize. The end.

Julie Powell also said, “Instead of tearing someone’s throat out, I started to blog.”

Exactly!

Don’t feel pigeonholed and worried about your spin or what niches are still open.

Blogging is about experimenting with words - how much you want to share and how best to share - in a very open, free format.

It’s yours.

Starting’s not the risky part. Continuing is.

Related Posts

1. Go blog or go home: Figuring out what to blog about
2. On losing my voice and trying to find it again
3. Life Lessons or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blog
4. Much ado about something, but let’s start with nothing
5. Blog, blogged, and blogging
6. Renewing my blogging vows
7. Like me, like my blog