A Few Pointers

In the past few months two different friends have reached out to me for advice about blogging. I find this rather amazing. But, I'm happy to talk about blogging with just about anyone.

Most of the time I am. When things are going well.

Yes, when I get up at a decent hour and the ideas are flowing, I can find the appropriate links and the photos drop easily into the text like the last piece in a jigsaw, blogging is a marvelous daily discipline. I'm in the zone. It's one of the best things in my life.

When I oversleep, or ideas are in short supply, or self confidence is at a low ebb, blogging feels more like an exercise in self loathing. The vast whiteness of the blank page with a cursor blinking is the stuff of nightmares.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself if you are considering writing a blog.

• What drives you to write?
• Who do you want to communicate with?
• What is special about your voice that will bring readers back again and again?
• How much do you really want to do this?
• What do you hope to get out of blogging?
• How frequently are you willing to write?

A lesson that I have learned over time is that a shortage of ideas is far less daunting than having things to write about at a time when it would be wiser to remain silent. Not speaking, no matter how wise, is a heavy weight to carry. That's when you need a back up plan. Your commitment to write has to be bigger than the immovable object.

When all else fails, run the post from one year ago on this date. I try not to do that too often. But perspective can be educational.

Of course this assumes that you've already been writing for more than a year.

What are you waiting for? You need to start banking those blog posts now for when you'll need them in the future.

Trust me. You'll need them.