Some of us aspiring authors hear the word ‘blog’ and automatically think about platform-building.
Jane Friedman offers some excellent advice on platform-building in her post, Audience Development: Critical to Every Writer’s Future:
Mediocre writers with sales & marketing savvy are more likely to succeed in commercial publishing than talented writers without sales & marketing skill.
[…] Even while producing your first manuscript, you need to find ways to meaningfully interact with others online, consider how your stories can reach readers in new or dynamic ways, and develop some skill at soft marketing and promotion (or branding yourself), before those skills are called upon to ensure the success of your published work.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jane’s thoughts. My blog Write It Sideways has helped me network, develop my marketing savvy, and establish social outlets through Twitter and Facebook. When a publishing deal comes my way, I’ll have an established platform on which to build my readership.
While that’s a great reason to start a blog before you’re published, there’s something else I’ve noticed happening. In some ways, I feel this other occurrence is an even more important development in my writing journey.
The Self-Taught MFA in Creative Writing
I’ve always thought about going back to school to get an MFA in Creative Writing, but it’s something I can’t see actually happening until my children are grown and I have more time on my hands.
Still, creating a blog about the craft of writing has forced me to teach myself a number of things about writing and publishing. I like to think of it as a self-taught MFA.
In under two years, I’ve written more than 300 articles for my own blog and others, and there’s a lot more involved in the process than just sitting down to write. Each article requires some degree of research, fact checking, editing and proofreading. I rarely spend less than an hour on each—usually closer to two hours or more.
Also, the process of creating and maintaining my blog involves reading hundreds of other blogs, magazines, and books to keep abreast of both perennial and hot topics in the writing and publishing community, sharing helpful resources, interviewing published authors, reviewing books, and writing a monthly newsletter for my subscribers.
My subscribers know to expect two articles per week, so it’s difficult to make up excuses for failure to post.
Of course, blogging about writing forces you to practice what you preach! Though I spend a lot of time blogging each week, I spend even more time working on my fiction projects, and every lesson I learn from blogging eventually gets applied to my fiction.
Some of the things I’ve learned through the comprehensive process of creating and maintaining a blog include:
- A variety of important lessons on the craft of writing
- Common pitfalls amateur authors should avoid
- The importance of reading widely and critically
- How to write clearly and concisely
- How to maintain good writing habits and stick to a schedule
- Where to find the best writing resources and continuing education
- Where to get constructive criticism on my writing
- How to spot weaknesses in my own work
- The process of how books get published
- How to find a literary agent, and what they do for authors
- Elements of a successful query letter
So, although getting an MFA is something I’d love to do one day, blogging has been an excellent (and inexpensive) vehicle for learning new writing skills, honing my craft, and keeping me accountable, in addition to helping me build a platform for the future.
Just remember, gone are the days when blogging was all about me, me, me. Most writers aren’t interested in how many words you wrote today, or what book you’re reading, unless you can spin those personal tidbits into something they can take away and apply to their own writing.
Author Larry Brooks says:
A blog is about your niche, your field of expertise, your message. Your blog is, in essence, a gift to your readers.
Focus on how you can use your quest for knowledge to help other writers improve their craft. Doing so ensures that your blog becomes not only a gift to your readers, but a gift to yourself.
Do you have a blog of your own? What are some of the most useful writing skills or lessons you’ve learned through creating and maintaining a blog?
Photo courtesy of Flickr’s hiromy
About Suzannah Windsor Freeman
Suzannah Windsor Freeman is a Canadian freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in The Writer, Sou'wester, Grist, Saw Palm, Anderbo, The Best of the Sand Hill Review, and others. She is the managing editor of Compose: A Journal of Simply Good Writing and Writeitsideways.com. She lives in Ontario with her husband and four children.
Suzannah, I don’t know how you manage. I find it difficult to find the time to blog regularly and write at the same time. What is it that keeps you going?
I agree with Jessie, I find it hard to blog on a regular basis, it seems that there is never enough time in the day and I also worry about my subjects.
I agree whole heartedly that blogging is like an MFA program. My college experience was different, distance learning in a microcosmic climate and totally intense. We were submerged in our respective fields, but the one thing we all had to do was learn how to write and write well. Not only fiction, but essays, articles, how-to programs. I would give anything to go back.
Blogging is, to me, the same sort of experience. Take this article you wrote today for example. Here I sit commenting on what you’ve written. If we were back in college, we’d probably be sitting somewhere with a coffee and discussing this. Sure this doesn’t have the same immediacy as a conversation, but the discourse on the subject matter is what we hope to achieve.
On my own blog, sure it’s sometimes about me, because well, if I don’t toot my own horn, or let off a little steam about my mother’s kitchen reno project breaking into my days of writing, I might explode. But I think in the blogging community, you have to let your people know, you are still human and not just a writing machine. I could just do articles, but I think that lends to a certain superiority of mind of which I just don’t have yet. Don’t get me wrong, what you do is fantastic and I love reading what you’ve written, I just don’t feel I’m confident enough to produce that kind of work for my blog. We are all individuals and blog in our own way.
Thanks for such a great article. I really do appreciate it.
I agree with you about learning from blogging! At the moment, I’m posting one article a week on topics related to writing for middle grade readers. The process of finding links and compiling information for that weekly article post is teaching me a lot–because it helps me remember and think about what I read in other people’s articles–and I hope it’s helping other writers find some of the information they need too.
Suzannah, I have done a Masters degree with the focus on creative writing. I learnt more about the *real* craft of writing from researching posts for my blog, reading books on writing and writing blogs like yours and attending webinars and craft courses.
I’m not sorry I did my Master’s, but I am sorry I spent 3 1/2 years in an environment that did nothing but try to turn me into the type of writer I could never be.
My blog has taken time to settle; the best lesson I learned was to find a middle path between personal and professional. And suddenly I’m experiencing a growth spurt in followers. Long may it continue! :)
Judy Croome, South Africa
It’s interesting, because I tend to learn more about my own writing and make connections about the process while writing posts on my blog. If I come up with a little thread of an idea, I can type it out on my blog and explore it, analyze it, and suddenly make realizations about craft and writing that I already had in my head, but which hadn’t been put together in an understandable way. My most recent post about character flaws was like that.
Thanks for the continuing great posts! They’re always interesting and informative. :)
Lauren
Suzannah – agreed on all accounts. Nice post. There’s another advantage to blogging: being part of and contributing to the overall writing conversation, not just about craft, but also about the industry. I think the more we writers participate in the conversation, the more chances we have collectively of shaping the way the industry evolves. Blogging is an important force in creating critical thinking about the way things are today and might be in the future.
Great post! I’ve found my blog started with the me part, but lately it’s morphed into more craft. The feedback is amazing. When I posted my first scene for a blogfest, I finally realized I needed to ditch the first line I’d been fighting for since I first started the WIP. My commenters were correct! It’s so much better now.
One of the greatest benefits of writing a blog? Learning to edit!
Trying to fit an idea, voice and possibly humor into 700 words or less (and some people think even that’s too long) means having the cool detachment and smarts to part with some beloved words. This makes it easier to edit my novel and I’ll probably not feel as much pain in my chest when my editor one day does the same!
I’m more of an in-betweener. Sometimes I worry that my posts are “all about me,” but I do try to find something for the readers to take away. When I started my blog, it was all about craft, but as I got further into my writing all of that advice and craft started to bog me down.
Now, if I find a good article, I link to it and open the discussion. How many ways can we all say the same thing? After a while it becomes redundant so when I find something refreshing and new I will mention it.
The blogs that I follow tend to be more about that particular author’s unique personality and not necessarily what they have to say on the craft of writing. And if I like an author’s personality, art, online presence I will look into their books.
Laini Taylor is the best example I can think of. She posts gorgeous pictures of her house renovation. It’s not to do with writing, but I could tell that she was my kind of person. Her books are beautifully written and I probably would not have bought them if I saw them on a shelf because I don’t tend to buy fantasy.
Sorry this is long. Just offering another side. I really admire your work ethic and the professionalism you put into your blog and this post. You are truly successful in what you do.
I completely agree. Keeping a blog has been a great exercise for me, and I’m so glad I’m doing it!
This was an interesting read for me since I just had my website completed by the designer and there is a place to blog but I haven’t done anything yet. But when I read Sarah’s line “Now, if I find a good article, I link to it and open the discussion,” I was surprised. I’d never thought of that before. In fact, I didn’t know I was “allowed” to do that. I thought that in some way that was stealing someone else’s writing! I think that’s a great idea – to get something that I really find interesting, put it in my blog, then comment about it and ask for others’ comments? Thank you for the idea!
Fantastic post, Suzannah! It’s true, balancing the demands of a blog can be tremendously helpful in longer format writing. I enjoy the challenge of blogging, but I enjoy the community building so much more.
Thanks, to a fellow international expat!
-Jennifer (in Prague)
Coincidently, I’m doing a Creative Writing MA at the moment, and I blog about it – so if anyone’s interested in getting behind the scenes…
(Oops, not sure this posted the first time I pressed Submit)
This is the post I’ve been looking for! Great advice here.
I’m really trying to get that balance between developing myself as a brand, to try and create a platform for myself, yet not being all ‘me me me’ and trying to give something to my readers… It’s tough.
On this subject, what do people think about a writer calling their site:
authorname.com?
Does that come across as ‘me me me’ or is it a good way to self-brand?
Like Anne and Sarah, I agree with this post up to the point where you say a blog isn’t about you you you. Because I think it IS. It’s about the unique perspectives and ideas YOU bring to whatever it is you’re doing — being a mom, DIY crafts, writing, whatever. Otherwise the web would just fill up with 10 million sites saying the same thing. Oops, too late. Well, that’s why it’s even more important than ever to be yourself.
But yes, to your point: be yourself while also offering something worthwhile (whether advice, entertainment, or whatever) to others.
Great post and great discussion!
When I started my blog a year and a half ago, it was awkward to put ‘Sarah Woodbury’ at the top, but I felt that the advice I’d heard here and elsewhere was good about establishing your ‘brand’ as your name, not whatever book I was writing at the moment.
At the same time, I was pretty sure I wasn’t funny, interesting, or creative enough to write about writing or the craft. So, I agree with this:
“A blog is about your niche, your field of expertise, your message. Your blog is, in essence, a gift to your readers.”
So my blog started out as whatever I wanted to know about medieval Wales, and now it’s a repository for everything I’ve learned in the last 5 years. And it’s only now, a year and a half later, that I actually occasionally blog about my books!
Sarah, I suppose if your books are about medieval Wales, then that’s just as good!
The idea of blogging was scary for me. How would I have enough material to keep readers interested? Keep me interested? Then, my 18 year old son said. “You’re a writer. You’ll figure it out.”
He was right.
My creativity has exploded. New ideas pop into my head all the time because I’ve allowed myself to open the door.
But the most important thing I’ve discovered, which I learned from coaching actors for over thirty years, is that you teach what you yourself need to know. Consequently, my blog posts have made an enormous impact on my WIP. To blog was one of the best choices I’ve made on my writing journey.
I totally agree with Tart and Soul! It’s so difficult, but so rewarding, learning how to consolidate my ideas into a reasonable word count. Blogging does the same for me.
Also, I do learn much more about the craft when I write about it, or when I report what others have written about it. Blogging gives me the opportunity to digest information that I didn’t take the time to read before.
And, I love this: Focus on how you can use your quest for knowledge to help other writers improve their craft. Doing so ensures that your blog becomes not only a gift to your readers, but a gift to yourself.
Thanks for a great post!
This is really fabulous advice. It’s fashionable to complain about how being a writer “isn’t about the writing” anymore, or how we’re “forced” to Tweet or blog, or that the thing that’s keeping our brilliant work from being published is our lack of platform. But social networking and blogging aren’t about buzzwords. First of all, it’s all writing, and you learn from it. (Which you described so eloquently, Suzannah — thank you for sharing your experience with us!) Second of all, learning from other writers online can be a warm and wonderful experience — it’s such a vibrant community. It’s not some cold calculus of “networking,” at least not for most of us, as far as I can tell. My fellow writers and authors online are great people, and I’m so glad I met them! Which I never would have done sitting around just grumbling about how blogging and marketing and social media would cut into my writing time. And I’m a better writer for it.
Great post! And I love Write it Sideways!
One really big thing I’ve learned in the last few months blogging as The Happy Writer (http://thehappywriter.com) is that what affects ME, affects someone else, too. The posts I worried might be the least interesting to others often end up getting the most “me too!” comments. It’s made me less worried about what I post…because it’s likely that, if I’ve experienced an issue as a writer, so has another writer or two.
I never really thought about using a blog to brand myself. As an aspiring children’s book writer, I struggle with how much of “myself” to put out there for the blogosphere to read and understand.
I know that kids today are way more internet savvy than I was at their age, but should I be developing a blog now that is told from my book’s character’s POV? Should I be developing a kid-friendly blog and trying to get kids to visit it?
Or, should I just keep my blog the way it is: a humorous detailing of the thoughts and issues I encounter on a regular basis. As of now, the blog isn’t really doing anything to help me get branded as a children’s author. But it sure is helping me get through those dreaded moments of writers block.
Any children’s authors out there with some opinions about blogging?
Great post Suzannah. You might not remember, but my first blog post EVER (well before I had my own blog) was a guest post on YOUR blog. So thank you for helping me get my start. I have found blogging to be everything you and many of the commenters here said (consistent writing practice, valuable community, etc.)
As for the name of your blog . . . I started with something kind of cutesy, but it never felt right. I like calling it “Nina Badzin’s Blog” because it gives me room to talk about non-publishing related subjects. I think the beauty of the blog is that it is YOURS and you get to decide the content.
I love to blog (only since September so still a relative newbie) and started mine on the advice of my agent.
My biggest fear, however, is that the time I spend blogging and blog hopping around reading the great posts other people put out there (like yours) is time I could’ve spent on my work in progress.
Do you ever feel like your novel would be done sooner if you weren’t blogging? I rationalize that I need a mental break after a few hours of writing fiction; that stepping away is good for me and at least I’m still in the writing world – rather than watching Real Housewives or something – ha!
But still. Feel like it’s a toss-up between helpful and time-sucking. Wondering if you ever have the same concerns…
Thanks for sharing this Susannah!
We all must be on the same wavelength (perhaps “author platform” is wearing out it’s welcome), because I banged on my keyboard last night writing up a post touching on this subject as well.
I agree with you that blogging is a learning process and that is why I also started mine. Blogging has been a life saver for me. As we drudge through our WIP’s or other projects, blogging is like a quick fix. A verbal high five, constructive feedback, or a “keep it up” helps me keep going when I stare at my fiction, wondering what to do next.
Blogging brings writers together. So what if we share our ups and downs? We aren’t living in a bubble. Life happens.
Great post, Susannah and I am a huge fan of your blog and newsletter!
I like the idea of a “Self-taught MFA in Creative Writing” because that’s exactly what maintaining a blog feels like sometimes. And, also, yanno, reading and commenting on everyone else’s blog. Kind of feels like one huge classroom where all things writing are up for discussion, no opinions barred.
Soft marketing and promotion are constantly on my mind these days, ever since I finished my first novel. I’ve got so many ideas in store and I’m just waiting for the chance to bring those ideas to life. Some days, I ask myself, “What the heck are you waiting for?” But the answer’s actually simple — a little more cash flow, that’s what!
Anyway, I’ve learned consistency when blogging is KEY. Forcing myself to interact with other writers via Twitter AND my blog is key. Reading and commenting on multiple blogs is key. Leaving your mark (your NAME) wherever you can is key.
If you do all those things, sooner or later, people are going to realize you exist. And if you have something meaningful to say, sooner or later, they’re going to listen.
Love this post!
Thanks to everyone for your comments!
@JessieMac: What keeps me going is that my blog really has helped me learn so many things. It’s difficult, no doubt, but I know as soon as I give up, my progress will stall and I will have lost that accountability to my readers.
@Charlee: I used to do three posts per week, but dropped back to two after my second child was born. I also do a critique feature every second week which helps lighten the load!
@Anne Gallagher: I love how you’re able to share your own college experience and its similarity to what we do on the web! I do often use personal experiences in my articles, but usually I offer some tips on how I’ve overcome personal writing problems, etc. so readers have something to take away, too.
@Andrea: Sounds great! I get so many emails from other writers thanking me for providing resources. It’s another source of encouragement to continue blogging.
@JudyCroome: Nice to hear from someone who’s gone through a Master’s already! All the best with your blog!
@Lauren “Scribe” Harris: Yes! Sounds like you have pretty much the same learning experiences as me from blogging :)
@Sharon Bially: Excellent point about learning about and shaping the industry! I’ve learned so much about the finer points of publishing through blogging.
@ZanMarie: The readers in your blogging community surely can become an excellent source of feedback!
@TartandSoul: My editing skills have come so far through blogging! I found at the beginning I was making tons of typos and rambling. Now my proofreading has gotten better (still not perfect) and I’ve learned to be more concise.
@Sarah: I think there’s definitely an importance to keeping your blog personal enough that readers see YOU in your posts and in your style. It’s true, some bloggers are able to keep their personalities at the forefront and still manage to keep their content interesting and insightful. The thing is, that IS a takeaway for readers in itself.
@Teralyn Rose Pilgrim: All the best with your future blogging!
@Patricia Yager Delagrange: Linking is a great way to help your readers! It’s perfectly acceptable to link to someone else’s post and say, “Hey, check this out!” or even to provide a very short excerpt (a few sentences) with a link to the article as a sort of teaser. Other bloggers appreciate the traffic redirected to them!
@Jennifer King: The community of readers at my blog are so amazing. They’re constantly sending me notes telling me what they’re writing, or how a particular resource has helped them, or even sharing suggestions for what they’d like to see on the blog in the future. I really like that they feel welcome to suggest stuff because it makes my blogging easier and more rewarding!
@Sophie Playle: Wonderful that you’re blogging about your MA! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using your own name as a blog title at all.
@Kristan: I think we’re just saying the same thing in two different ways. There’s a difference between a blog that’s all about me, me, me with no takeaway for your readers, and a blog that has personal style, personal feel, AND every post is helpful, too. I think Larry Brooks is a good example (Storyfix.com). Each post is distinctly his voice, but each one also teaches other writers something. I aspire to have that kind of voice one day!
@SarahWoodbury: Yes, blogs do evolve through time, definitely. Mine started out with a slightly different angle than it has today, and I’m glad I didn’t try to sustain something that wasn’t working.
@Jocosa: Having to write two blog posts a week definitely calls on me to use my creativity, too!
@Cristi Craig: I know, editing is a huge part of blogging! It seems to get easier as time goes on.
@Jael McHenry: Wow, thanks! Sometimes I do think I’d have more time to work on fiction if I didn’t have to blog, but then I realize that without a platform, my one-day-to-be-published novel won’t sell very well! It’s a balance we have to find for ourselves, but I’m fairly happy with my current ratio of blogging-to-fiction!
@Shannon McKeldon: I’ve found the same thing! Posts that I feared wouldn’t be well accepted have sometimes become favourites with my readers. It’s always a nice surprise when that happens :)
@TravWise: I’m not too sure, since I don’t write for children. Perhaps there are some blogs out there written by published authors or literary agents that can give some advice?
@Nina Badzin: Of course I remember your guest post! I really enjoyed reading it. Blog titles are a bit tricky, because once you choose a title it’s difficult (but not impossible) to change it and retain all the good stuff you’ve built.
@Julie Gardner: Yes, I’ve often wondered if my novel would be done sooner if I didn’t have to blog. The truth is, yes, it would be done sooner. But, the bigger question is this: won’t my novel be far better, and far more saleable because of all the blogging, reading and researching? I like to think so!
@Hallie Sawyer: Hey, I’m so glad you like the blog and newsletter! Always encouraging to hear. I think aspiring authors should definitely be aware of platform and its role in their future publishing success, but I think it’s also important to recognize the wonderful learning opportunity we have through blogging, too!
@Ashley Graham: “Kind of feels like one huge classroom where all things writing are up for discussion, no opinions barred.” What a great insight! It does feel like that a lot of the time, doesn’t it?
Thanks again, everyone! Hope I haven’t missed anyone’s comments!
I agree. I think the best thing blogging had taught me so far is meeting a goal. I don’t have set dates but I always aim for a certain number of posts a month. No doubt blogging is a challenge.
Great post, Suzannah! I’ve always focused on novel-length projects, and blogging has really helped me work on my short form. Beginning, middle, end–themes and messages– wrapped up in a few hundred words instead of 100k words.
It’s kind of nice to create polished work in one day! Since I started blogging I’ve come to appreciate quick bursts of creativity, and I’m even dabbling in short stories. Something else to add to the ever-growing list!
Although I don’t blog about writing, per se, my blog has taught me a lot about writing. I post daily, except in extreme circumstances. I like to think of my blog as a way to offer a slice of myself, not only as (future)author/writer, but as a person with varied interests that lead to interesting writing. I share the sorts of things I’d love to know about my favorite authors, in the hope that one day *I’ll* be someone else’s favorite author :)
Suzannah,
Really enjoyed this post about blogging. I could identify with much of it.
Your quote from Larry Brooks is a great one:
A blog is about your niche, your field of expertise, your message. Your blog is, in essence, a gift to your readers.
Great to hear from another Canadian! Hope all is well in Australia!
I just started a blog, so it was great reading your post, and hearing from more experienced bloggers. I think I’m taking this blog as an experiment in doing what Virginia Woolf suggested to a young poet: to write anything and everything. As a sort of training and freedom-inducing excercise. Like writer-yoga.
The blogs that interest me the most are the ones that encourage “discussion topics” for writing tips.
I enjoy hearing another writer’s journey, of course, but I like reading/learning about the actual writing process and how others have discovered quirks/strengths/holes in their own writing process, and how they fix them.
I use my blog mostly to connect with other writers and to keep abreast of new trends or controverseys. And, to make friends. Gotta get that social experience in.
Blogging has completely changed my writing habits and style. The knowldege base in the blogverse is immense So much to think about and experiment with.
For me, its all about learning from others, and hopefully relatingmy own small steps also.
……..dhole
The self-taught MFA in writing is a fabulous concept and so very true. When I started writing my first novel, long, long ago, I was a very young mother with two babies and the only writing skills I might claim were rolling around in my head. Embarking on this writerly road trip has been a most amazing experience and extended education.
Yes, my concern is that my blog sometimes takes over and I forget to write. It’s so easy to lose track of the time when writing and doing research for my blog! But I’m not giving it up. It can be very rewarding. I just have to manage my time better.
My blog is intended to show any readers I get what I’m like as an author, not to hit them over the head with yet another post on the craft of writing that’s just like all the other posts on the craft of writing out there. The most important parts of the craft of writing are the parts that can’t be summarized in a blog post, anyway. I never studied the craft of writing either, so I don’t want to say ‘this is what writers should do’. I only talk about the things that I personally do or have done.
Marc Vun Kannon
http://authorguy.wordpress.com
This is a great blog, with lots of good help — not surprising since I love your emailings! As an (only) 2-month new blogger, like others I’m just finding my way. I’ll echo what others have said: it has been the most reliable way to keep me writing everyday and also to connect up with an amazing support system of other writers. I still have so much to learn about writing, but like you, an MFA is not in the cards right now.
“Of course, blogging about writing forces you to practice what you preach! Though I spend a lot of time blogging each week, I spend even more time working on my fiction projects, and every lesson I learn from blogging eventually gets applied to my fiction.”
So, I hope what you are saying is that one doesn’t have to already by an expert to share what they have learned and what works for them. I’ve learned a lot and try to practice as much as I can. But sometimes, I just feel as if I’m not qualified. My niche is how writing and mental illness can intertwine, offering advice for the mentally ill (which unfortunately, I know too well) concerning how writing can benefit them, as well as practical advice for a novice writer.
Excellent post and comments, as well. Thx!
Great post. :) I like that you admitted to how much time it takes you to create each post. I’m the same way. If it doesn’t take at least an hour then I’m not giving it the quality it deserves, that my readers have come to expect. And I wholeheartedly agree that blogging about writing has helped me become a better writer. It’s also very rewarding when you get feedback from readers, saying how much a certain post, or the blog in general, has helped them.
Even so, there were many times when I questioned whether or not it was worth it, and considered giving it up completely–we are only human, and life is exhausting–but I’m so glad I’ve stuck with it. And I’m glad you did, too!
I agree. I post about writing but really it’s everything I’m learning and it’s forcing me to apply it to my writing!
@Mandy Calvin: It’s definitely a challenge!
@Stephanie Alexander: What a great way to look at things–that is, in terms of it being nice to create something all in one day.
@Madison Woods: You’re doing well to be able to post almost every day! Sounds like you find the process cathartic.
@P.A. McGoldrick: Thanks! Australia’s great, but I miss home, too!
@Allison C.: Blogging has really helped me make writing an integral part of my week. I feel not just like I’m working on a novel, but that I’m working on a variety of things and writing every day.
@Donna Hole: I like discussion topics, too. I try to add prompting questions at the end of every post to promote discussion, but some posts are strictly asking people to chime in with their opinions on a given topic. Always a success!
@Barbara Forte Abate: Sounds like we’re all constantly learning from being part of the blogosphere!
@Connie Briscoe: Yes, there’s definitely a balance between blogging and fiction that has to discovered by each writer. Hope you find yours soon!
@Marc Vun Kannon: Like you, I only write articles about things I’ve personally done or am attempting to do at the moment. Say I’m trying to fix a plotting problem with my novel-in-progress. I might discuss the problem I’m having, then share advice on how to fix the problem based on research I’ve done or what I’m actually doing that’s working for me.
@Julie Monroe Martin: Thanks! I’m so glad you’re enjoying being part of the blogosphere, and I echo your sentiments about how great the community!
@MDK: “I hope what you are saying is that one doesn’t have to already by an expert to share what they have learned and what works for them.” Exactly. I don’t call myself an expert on anything. What I am is someone with a passion for writing and learning more about the craft, and because of my teaching background I feel capable of sharing the stuff I learn with other writers.
@Lydia Sharp: As much as it’s tempting at times to give up, I know I’d be so disappointed if I couldn’t read your blog anymore!
@ Laura Pauling: I think that in itself is worth all the hard work!
I agree that blogging helps with writing, shoot it can’t hurt. A challenge I’ve given myself called the Write Everyday For 30 Days Challenge actually came about because of a post on Procrastinating Writers Blog which I wouldn’t have found if I wasn’t reading blogs and trying to blog myself.
One thing I’m noticing is that I need to do more research for my blog posts. Sitting down late at night to hammer something out just so I can say I posted isn’t going to work for long.
I love the community that is associated with blogs. Learning from others is what it’s about.
Hi Suzannah,
Thanks for the insightful post.
When I started writing my blog on the advice of friends that it was the quickest way to get a web presence…I didn’t know what I had let myself in for. I decided to post once a week because that was the bare minimum and I decided to learn about the web in public…Since then my blog has morphed into a weekly round up of articles and publishing trends and become a go to source (much to my surprise) in my country.
I have certainly learned on the job. I break all the blogging rules…but people still bear with me LOL
As a children’s writer…all of us who blog struggle with the fact that our audience is not our readers….I got around this by making a mini blog just for my book that is linked to from my main blog….
In the last week I attended a conference for Children’s writers and the news there was facebook fanpages…so again something new to get my head around in the social media mix…however the friends I have made through blogging and the wonderful connections to articles such as yours make me glad that I took the plunge and started a blog.
Hi. There is discussion in the Writers World group on LinkedIn on the topics of blogs. The question posted is “Should writers and publishers still bother with a blog? Is it worth the time and effort?”
My response to the posting:
I know my blog, Travels By Debra attracts those with a travel, adventure and photo interest. Of my followers, I suspect some will be pleased to explore my middle grade crazy travels book when it’s available. Either they will wish to share it with children or they may just wish to read it from loyalty, respect or sheer curiosity. And, perhaps my blog followers will refer my works to others who also might be interested.
Also, writing a post for my blog provides a writing outlet when letting my longer term projects rest.
I just came across your posting by pure coincidence and posted a link in that group to here. I noted that you list what you learned from creating and maintaining a blog. I agree with those thoughts.
Debra’s last blog post: http://debralynnfeldman.blogspot.com/2012/09/fiji-blue-lagoon-check.html