What I’ve Learned About Blogging
June 11, 2008
photo credit: Joanna Young
I’ve been blogging on Writing Forward for almost ten months now. Most days, I still feel like a rookie. But ten months is a long time in the blogosphere and in that time I have learned a lot, both about blogging and who I am as a writer.
Write what you know, blog what you love
Some say write what you know. Other say write what you want to know. When it comes to blogging, I say write what you love. A blog is a never ending project. It’s not an article you whip up and send off. It’s not a manuscript that you push through and (hopefully) finish one day. It’s a long term commitment. A marriage. Most bloggers don’t make it past the first three months. Many others don’t pass the one year mark. You’d better have more than a crush on your blog. You have to be madly, hopelessly in love with it. Otherwise you’ll wake up one day and find yourself totally divorced from it.
There is no right or wrong way to blog
Okay, that’s not true. There are many wrong ways to blog but the good news is that means there are also a lot of right ways. Plenty of blog “experts” will tell you that you should blog on a set schedule, that you should blog at least five times a week, or that you need to find a niche that is underpopulated so you can rake in the big bucks. I’ve learned this is all hogwash. Ultimately, you have to find what works for you and your readers. Five times a week might be too much (people have other blogs to read, you know), and the underpopulated niches might bore you (which is why they’re underpopulated). Unless you’re running a strictly business blog, relax and have fun with it. Experiment. Eventually you will find your pace.
You may not get it right the first time
Before Writing Forward, I had a couple of other blogs. In fact, I had a “weblog” back in the mid-nineties but it had no focal topic and I rarely updated it. That was before blog software, so it was manually coded and maintained. What you see here is my third attempt at a blog. If you are really interested in blogging and the first one doesn’t work out, then try again. Maybe you didn’t pick a niche that you could commit to, or maybe you were pushing yourself too hard (or not hard enough) to post regularly. Allow yourself a few failures and know that if you keep trying, you’ll eventually find your way.
Community is everything
This is the juicy cherry on top of the sundae that is blogging. Community. It’s the cheese on the pizza, the wasubi on the sushi. Forget networking. Focus on building a community. In the past ten months I have connected with many talented writers and knowledgeable bloggers. I’ve connected with people who have become clients, friends, and co-writers. This part of the journey is what makes my heart go pitter patter and makes my insides tingle with warm fuzzies. It’s why commenting is critical. Let’s say that again, commenting is critical. Seriously, the comments section of my blog and the blogs I visit is where friendships are born. Incredible.
The technical stuff belongs in another post. Or another blog.
I could, at this point, probably write a manual on both the design and technical aspect of blogging. Plugins, widgets, and ads, oh my! This stuff matters a whole lot because it makes your blog a nice, friendly place to visit. Open your home to the world and they will come in bearing many wondrous gifts. In short: make it pretty so it doesn’t hurt people’s eyes. Offer RSS and email subscriptions in a clear, visible spot near the top of your blog. Open comments and remove hoops like verification forms so commenting is quick and easy for your readers. Respond to comments and pay it forward by commenting on blogs other than your own. Use plugins. Plugins are your friend: Akisment, CommentLuv, ShareThis.
Now it’s your turn
What have you learned as a blog reader or as a blogger? What do you want to learn? Is there any part of this post you’d like me to explore at greater length in a future post? I tried to cover the basics, but I could delve deeper into specifics if you wish. I am at your command.
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Improve Your Writing: Get Feedback
June 4, 2008
In recent weeks, we’ve been looking at five basic ways to improve your writing. Today we’re going to find out why getting feedback from other writers and from readers is one of the most difficult but valuable ways to become a better writer. First, a quick overview of the first four posts in this series:
You can do everything on the list above but your writing will never reach its full potential if you do not embrace feedback.
Writing is often regarded as a solo pursuit. But most of us write for an audience. Once a piece of writing reaches its readers, it’s no longer a solo endeavor. It becomes interactive. It also becomes a prime target for scrutiny. That’s right, all the critics (and a whole bunch of people with big huge opinions) will pull out their scrutinizing rifles and play target practice with your work.
Sure, you can wear a bulletproof vest, develop a thick skin, and let it all roll off your shoulder. However, that’s not going to do anything for book sales, blog subscriptions, or article submissions.
Do you think the Mars company just woke up one day and decided to add a bunch of new colors to the M&Ms bag? Nope. They did tests. They checked with a small pool of consumers to see how the new colors would be received, and to make sure they tasted alright (I still think the blue ones taste funny).
If all you do is write in your journal, this might not apply to you. You can eat your own candy and refuse to share it with the world. But if you want readers, real flesh and blood readers, to embrace your work, then you should get on with the taste tests. Immediately.
Don’t hoard the candy
First, you have to start showing your writing to other human beings. These humans beings should not be your mother (yes, I know there are exceptions to the mother rule). Ideally, these people will be other writers and experienced readers. Don’t know any? Sign up for a creative writing class or join a book club. Find someone who offers critiquing services (like me).
In short, find someone who knows how to give a good critique. If you’re serious about your work, you’ll want to get opinions from people who understand the fine nuances of good writing before you wrap it up and send it off to publishers or agents.
A screenwriter once contacted me because he wanted his screenplay proofread. After going through the entire quoting process, he finally said something like, “Thanks, your prices are reasonable but I’m just not comfortable letting anyone read this screenplay. I think it could be a blockbuster and I don’t want anyone to steal it.” I issued a polite and professional response, but what I was really thinking was, “Well if nobody sees the screenplay, then your screenplay will never see the big screen.” Like I said, don’t hoard the candy and if you’re paranoid about infringement and theft, submit the piece for copyright and get on with your writing life.
These look just like those candies from the movie E.T.
M&Ms look a lot like Reese’s Pieces but they are not the same. At all. Likewise, a critique is different from a proofread. The purpose of a proofread is to fix mechanical errors with spelling, grammar, and punctuation. A critique should be designed to address strengths and weaknesses.
Are the characters believable? Is the style consistent? Does the language compel? Is it clear and easy to understand? Does it flow smoothly? Are there holes in the plot? These are the questions that a good critique asks and answers. Sure, you can ask someone who’s giving a critique to keep an eye out for grammar mistakes, but don’t serve up something half-baked.
I’ll tell you why:
Cookie dough is good but it’s not good for you
Raw cookie dough is pretty tasty. I know it puts a smile on my face. But it’s not wise to go around shoving raw material under everyone’s nose when you’re asking for a solid critique that will help you improve your writing. Work hard on your piece and get it as polished as possible before you start asking people to take a bite.
When you’re asking someone to provide you with a critique, they’ll only be distracted if the piece if full of errors and grammatical mistakes. Remember that you’re asking them to take time out of their busy lives to do you a favor, so don’t waste that time by giving them work that is in the early draft stages. This conveys that either you want them to do the work for you, or that you’re too lazy to clean up your piece before asking for feedback. Or, they’ll just assume you’re a crappy writer.
Also, the more errors there are in your piece, the more challenging it becomes to address bigger issues. If a reviewer is caught up on mistakes that you could have fixed yourself, he or she will be more likely to miss other, less noticeable mistakes and problems with your work.
So check and recheck your work, and put the cherry on top before you serve it to anyone (yes, even the taste testers).
Watch out for do-gooders
Keep in mind that some people will only tell you what you want to hear. “Mmm, this is delicious,” is flattering but it’s not the feedback you’re looking for. Especially when they’re spitting out mouthfuls of the stuff behind your back. Look for people who can offer honest and straightforward critiques, who are willing to tell you what works and what doesn’t.
This is why it’s generally not a good idea to ask your mother (or others like her) to be your critic. Mom probably thinks you’re the greatest (I know, I know, not all moms, but work with me here) so it’s unlikely she’ll tell you that your writing is broken. In fact, people like your mom may not even be able to see the flaws in your writing - they are blinded by love. So, find someone who can be objective (and yes, for a few writers out there, that will be Mom).
Give a lick
Always be gracious. I’ve been asked to proofread and offer critiques by countless individuals in my life: family, friends, co-workers, and mere acquaintances. If I give someone honest feedback and they try to argue with me or throw it back in my face because they can’t handle it, I will never, ever give them the courtesy of a critique again. I write, edit, and proofread all day, every day, and as long as I have smiling, paying customers, I do not appreciate people throwing their egos at me after I’ve done them a huge (free) favor.
I always make a point to highlight the strengths and weaknesses from a writing standpoint, and I provide a general response, from a reader’s perspective. This can be tiring and time consuming, and all I want in return is a “thank you.” Sure, I’m more than happy to engage in a discussion, but I’m the one doing the critique. Do not critique the critic people. Take their advice and move on. If you asked for a critique, then it’s your job to suck it up and deal with it.
Instead of lashing out at your critic…
Relax and digest
A lot of people have a knee jerk reaction when they receive a critique. Imagine, you’ve worked hard on a piece, editing and rewriting until you felt it was shiny, sparkling, and ready for the market. Then, someone comes along and says “This needs some work.” You’ve already done the work. You were hoping for a rave review but now this person is telling you that you’ve missed the mark. And this makes you feel like the mark (which you are of course).
After receiving a critique, let the feedback and the piece sit and marinate for a while. Sometimes you just need to let it sit overnight. Other times, it might take a few days before you’re cooled off and ready to revisit the project with a fresh perspective. In any case, take your time and don’t give up.
Don’t ever, ever give up
If writing is your passion, then never give up on it. Write, polish, and ask for feedback. Sit on it for a few days, then sift through the reviews. Decide what advice you want to take and what you want to toss (that is your right as a writer). Edit, revise, repeat. Keep at it. If writing is truly your passion, let it become a lifelong pursuit and enjoy the journey of evolving as a writer. And always strive to be the best writer you can possibly be.
Shine on my fellow writers!
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June Announcements
June 3, 2008
May has come and gone so fast I barely had time to say hello to it. We focused on freelance writing throughout the month of May, and it proved to be a popular topic.
I want to thank everyone who participated in comments with thought-provoking questions and also those who shared their own freelancing experiences. I always say that freelancing isn’t for everyone but for those who choose it, there’s a wonderful community of bloggers and freelancers that will help you find your way and offer support and encouragement.
I also want to thank everyone who linked here this past month. I’m always immensely flattered when anyone feels the posts here are valuable enough to share.
Now that June’s here, it’s time to shift gears a little. This month, blogging is all the rage at Writing Forward. That doesn’t mean freelancing is a thing of the past. As always, the spotlight will guide the topics this month but it will not dominate them. I’ll be wrapping up the series on five ways to improve your writing and sharing some more of my favorite poets and poems.
Blogging will be an interesting topic though, because there is a lot to cover. In fact, there are many (and by many, I mean hundreds of thousands) of blogs that focus entirely on blogging. So, is there anything about blogging that you guys want to discuss specifically? If so, leave a comment with a question or topic idea and I’ll try to address it in a post. Or, we can just chat it up in the comments.
I’m working on a few different ideas for posts this month. Last month, I revealed how I launched my freelance writing career, so this month, I’ll talk about my experience to date with blogging. I’ll also talk about what I’ve learned about blogging from a personal perspective. And of course, we’ll talk about blogging from a writer’s point of view (did you guys know that many bloggers do not consider themselves writers?). I don’t think the greater writing community has fully embraced blogging yet but we’re getting there and it’s an issue worth exploring.
That’s it. Summer’s around the corner and it’s the month of dads and grads, so be sure to honor them. And yourself. And me. June happens to be my birthday month and there will be more candles on the cake than ever before!
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