BlogWritingCourse

My 14 year old started a blog a couple of weeks ago.  He already has six posts up!  His blog is about describing and reviewing his online techie hobbies, in hopes of getting others hooked on some of his fun gaming discoveries.  I guess I could be sorry that he isn’t writing a blog about great poetry, or current events, or humanitarian efforts around the world…but I’m not.  I’m actually just thrilled that he is writing.  And at the risk of sounding biased, he is actually a darn good writer!

But his new foray into the blogosphere got me thinking about how unique it is to be a teenager in 2008.  Gone are the lock-and-key diaries, and in are live journals, where you spill your guts to the faceless masses.  Gone are teacher-assigned product reviews.  Who needs ‘em?  Teens are writing real reviews everyday on consumer sites such as Amazon, epinions, and my3cents.com.  And forget short stories!  Many teenagers have ongoing fan fiction sites, where they work alone or collaboratively to create entire novels.  Maybe even without realizing it, generation Y is writing more than ever before.

Almost every nook and cranny of a teenagers life has become hijacked by the medium of words.  Cell phone texting, instant messaging, commenting on social networking sites, Twittering – - its all about language, baby!  So it is natural, I suppose, that teens would be making a bigger and bigger dent in the blogosphere.  In fact, according to Intelliseek, almost eight million teenagers are blogging about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

That’s not such a surprising figure when you think about what it means to be a teenager.  You are asserting your independence. You are wanting to be taken seriously.  You have a lot of injustices and dramas occurring on a daily basis, and need somewhere to vent.  All of these are terrific reasons for starting a blog. 

If you are a teenager, or know of a teenager who has been wishing they could have their own blog, but didn’t know where to start, we’d like to help.  We offer two online courses in blogging.  One is a free course, called Get Ready to Blog, that will familiarize you with the language and safety issues involved in blogging (especially important in the case of teen bloggers).  Our other course, Blogging 101,  is a more in-depth look at blogging, and it will guide you every step of the way through setting up and designing your blog, learning to write interesting content, and building your readership.  This is an incredibly fun way to learn how to blog, because your fellow classmates are your first “blogging buddies,” who will be reading and commenting on your posts, giving you feedback, and expecting the same in return.

Whether you are a teenager, a thirty-something, or eighty years young, you have something to say.  You don’t have to be a member of Generation Y to realize the power of words….so get blogging!!

The most asked question by new bloggers is always…”How can I drive traffic to my blog?”  We’ve talked about many traffic-building ideas in this blog, but today we are going to explore one we haven’t yet covered.

One of the easiest, most painless, and free ways to increase traffic to your blog is by participating in a blog carnival.  For those of you unfamiliar with blog carnivals, the best way to explain them is to compare them to well…a carnival.  Just as a carnival travels from town to town, blog carnivals travel from blog to blog.  And just as a carnival draws a crowd…so does a blog carnival!

A blog carnival begins with a host – - a blogger who is willing to oversee the carnival, choose the topic and date of publication,take submissions, promote the upcoming carnival, and ultimately gather the submissions and publish them in a single post.  The host, though, is reliant on submitters – - bloggers who are willing to follow the guidelines of the carnival and submit a blog post from their blog that corresponds with the carnival theme.  Finally, you have the readers – - folks who are interested in the carnival subject and enjoy coming to a one-stop-shopping destination where they can read posts related to that subject.

You can see that the possibilities for blog promotion are tremendous with a blog carnival.  The host benefits by having submitters become familiar with his or her site, by networking with like-minded bloggers, and by receiving lots of hits on his blog following the carnival posting.  But even carnival participants can see spikes in traffic after their post has been featured in the carnival.  A carnival is a chance to showcase your work, and without much effort, readers will be flocking to your site to see more of what you have to offer.  A blog carnival directly links to one of your posts, so readers who have never heard of you before will click on your link to see what you have to say about the topic they are interested in.

Blog carnivals can be on almost any subject.  If you would like to find a blog carnival that matches your interests, go to Blogcarnival.com, which is a directory of all ongoing carnivals.  Not only is it a great way to increase traffic for your blog, but it is also a terrific outlet for meeting people with similar interests.

If you would like to learn more specific ways to grow your blog, sign up for our eight-week online blogging course, where you will cover all aspects of blogging from building a blog to writing quality content to promoting your blog.  This instructor-led course will guide you every step of the way toward creating a successful blog.  So….step right up!

Until next time,

If you have been thinking about starting your own blog, you might be wondering where to begin.  I recommend you first familiarize yourself with all the vocabulary and introductory issues surrounding the world of blogging.  One of the best ways to do this is by taking our free online Get Ready to Blog course.  This fun and easy introduction to blogging will help you overcome any intimidation you feel about starting your new adventure in blogging.

Your next step would be to come up with a theme for your blog.  Will this be a personal blog, where you share the ups and downs of your day to day life?  Will it be an informational blog, where you provide insight and commentary on a specific topic?  Or perhaps you want to start up a business blog, with the purpose of bringing attention or promotion to your product or store.  Then even within those major themes, you will probably get even more specific with your focus.

Once you have your theme in mind, you have to have a location to start writing.  This means choosing your blogging software.  There are many factors that should come into play when making this decision.  Each software, although essentially the same, has subtle differences that might need to factor in, depending on your needs.  If you are not technically savvy, for instance, you will want to go with a platform that does most of the “behind the scenes” work for you.  Your budget will also be something to keep in mind as you decide between free or subscription-based plans. This will also be the point that you will need to decide if you will use a host for your blog, or set up your own domain. 

Now comes the fun part.  It is time to sit down and set up your blog!  This will involve signing up with your chosen software, or host, and getting an account.  You will be picking out your graphics theme, setting up sidebars, and choosing from various display options.  There are many ways to customize your blog, and for some formats, you are limited only by your technical know-how and your creativity.

Finally, its time to start writing your blog. Hopefully, if you have been thinking about starting a blog, you already have some subject material in mind.  So it is likely that your first posts will be easy to crank out.  Continuing to write strong, readable content takes a little more effort and persistence, but will be crucial to your blog’s success.  Having a clear goal and theme in mind before you begin will be the key to writing quality posts.

You would think that the process of starting a blog would end there…but it doesn’t.  Blogs need readers.  And to get readers to stop by and check out your blog, you are going to have to promote your blog.  There are multiple ways to get the word out, including registering on blog directories, sending out emails to your friends and family, and adding your blog url to outgoing messages and in forum signatures.

This, of course, is only a very basic overview of what it takes to start a blog.   If you are considering taking the plunge, and beginning a blog of your own, why not let us help?  Our eight week, in-depth, instructor-led Blogging 101 course will guide you every step of the way from beginning to end.  Not only will our experienced blogger and teacher hold your hand throughout the blog setup process, but you and your classmates will form a circle of support for each other as you provide helpful feedback and comments along the way.  There is simply not a more thorough or fun way to learn to blog than with the Blogging 101 course.  So sign up today for either our free introductory course, or our full guided blogging course, and then…get blogging!!!

Until next time,

If you caught my last post, you will already be familiar with the blogging trials and tribulations of my buddy “Marge.” Understandably, Marge has forsaken her desire to become a blogger because of the many roadblocks she has hit along the way to setting up her first blog.  But I have good news for Marge, and for you….there is an easier way to learn to blog.  You don’t have to go it alone.  You don’t have to be a technical wizard.  In fact, you don’t even have to be familiar with blogging at all to get started.  You just have to have a desire to write, and a willingness to learn how to put that writing out into cyberspace, so that others can read and interact with it.

That’s where BlogWritingCourse.com comes in.  We have two blogging classes designed for beginning bloggers.  The first class, Get Ready to Blog, is a free automated guide through the basics of blogging.  You will learn the lingo of blogging, explore safety issues, compare blogging platforms, and examine different genres of blogging.  This course will prepare you for our complete eight-week blogging class, Blogging 101.  This course is led by an experienced, successful blogger and teacher, who will guide you every step of the way through creating a theme for your blog, designing and setting it up, writing quality posts, and building your audience. 

One of the biggest advantages of the course is that you will have a built-in following for your first blog posts, as your fellow students in the course will be reading and commenting on your initial efforts.  This peer group of beginning bloggers is one of the key components of the Blogging 101 course, and it is what makes it so effective…and fun!   As a Blog Writing Course alumni, I can vouch for the fact that by the time you have finished the class, you will not only have learned how to blog, but will also have built a community of fellow bloggers that you will continue to follow.  

So Marge, if you are reading this, I hope you see now that you don’t have to learn how to blog by trial and error.  By signing up for our blogging classes, you will have all the tools you need to create a blog you can be proud of.  Why stress out, when you can learn to blog the easy way! 

If you, too, want to learn how to blog the easy way, sign up for one of our blogging classes today.  It’s that easy!

Until next time,

A friend of mine – - we’ll call her “Marge” for the sake of this post – - has recently begun a blog.  Marge did a lot of research on blogging before she took the plunge.  She read articles on WordPress, and followed search engine links to multiple sites promising to dispense sage advice on blogging.  Unfortunately, most of this advice was aimed at someone pretty familiar with the blogosphere, and much of it went right over poor Marge’s barely-techie brain.

Marge got lots of instruction on making money with your blog, links and trackbacks, and even current trends in blogging.  What Marge didn’t get was good solid information on how to start a blog, and how to grow it.  So she decided to figure things out for herself.  After contrasting and comparing her blog platform options, she felt there wasn’t all that much difference between the big names.  She knew she didn’t want to have to pay for a host, so she decided to go with the Blogger platform.

After signing up for her new blog, Marge spent the better part of two days trying to navigate through the unfamiliar world of creating a heading, designing sidebars, and choosing a display theme.  Finally her blog template was ready, and Marge wrote her very first post.  She was incredibly proud of herself for her hard-earned efforts.  But as soon as the post was up, and Marge read over it, she got this funny feeling in her stomach that something wasn’t right.  The subject she had chosen for her blog just wasn’t cutting it.  She realized she hadn’t given her theme enough thought, and she hadn’t really worked out exactly how she wanted her posts to “sound”.  She decided to tweak everything…her blog title, her tagline, and of course her content.  And she did. For two more days, Marge thought, and tweaked, and thought, and tweaked.  And finally, she rested.

Then, when she had recuperated from her ordeal, Marge was ready to get back to blogging.  So imagine her surprise when she logged back into her Blogger account only to find everything gone. Her entire blog content seemed to have vanished into bits and bytes of ephemeral smoke.  She contacted Blogger, and thankfully their customer service department contacted her back – - TWO WEEKS LATER!  With an automated response email!!

Well, in that two weeks, Marge has understandably given up on her dream of becoming a blogger.  She figures that if it is that difficult, she will just take up bird watching.

Thankfully, I am Marge’s good friend.  I will not leave her jaded and defeated.  I will explain to her that there is an easier way….a sure-fire way to learn about blogging in a step-by-step fashion, and to be guided every step of the way through deciding on a theme, setting up a blog, and building her audience.  Stay tuned for our next post when I will share with you the advice I shared with Marge on learning to blog the easy way!

Until next time,

Change is difficult. Change is usually incremental. Change is sometimes necessary. But if you are a non-profit organization operating in the 21^st century, change is CRUCIAL. The way today’s non-profits communicate with their potential donors, their consistent supporters, and their volunteers is radically different than the way they communicated even ten years ago. Newsletters and mail-outs, while still in use, are not usually the preferred means of receiving information for most supporters under the age of forty…and that demographic must be reached in order to continue to grow a foundation of ongoing support and continued fundraising.

Today’s grass roots boosters aren’t satisfied to sit back and be spoon fed information about the causes and organizations they support – - they want to interact with their chosen movements. They want to feel like they are not only aware of the problems of the world, but are a part of the solution.

This is where blogging comes in. Almost 30% of internet subscribers read blogs on a daily basis. For many of these, blogs are their top source for news and information. This is partly because the blogging format, like no other medium, provides a dialogue beween the author and the reader. A blog is almost never one-sided. Non-profit agencies who incorporate a well-written blog into their communication strategy, are likely to achieve several worthy goals:

• Drawing interest from people formerly unfamiliar with the organization and its goals
• Keeping their supporters and potential supporters up-to-date on issues and news stories relevant to the mission of the organization
• Keeping constituents aware of upcoming events, immediate needs, or current fundraising drives
• Highlighting the selfless efforts of volunteers who give of themselves daily
• Providing a platform for supporters to interact with the organization and other supporters via blog comments and feedback
• Increasing a sense of overall connection and immediacy between the non-profit and its base of supporters through timely informational posts
• Putting a personal face on an impersonal fundraising entity, and makes supporters feel personally invested in the ups and downs of its daily operation

If you are interested in finding out how to quickly and easily integrate a blog into your communication efforts, click here to find out more about taking our Blogging 101 course.

Until next time,

So you have your first blog up and running.  You’ve written several posts, and you might have even gotten a comment or two.  So how do you know that things are going the way they are supposed to?  Is there a magic blogging fairy that lets you know that you are on track, and that your blog traffic is growing?  Well, yes and no.

Although there may or may not be magic wands and pink tutus involved, there are definitely some magical fairy-like tools out there that can help you keep up with the facts and figures of your blog on a daily basis.  Tools such as Statcounter and Google Analytics can seem almost supernatural in their ability to help you understand who your readers are and how they are interacting with your content.

I was quite a novice to web tracking software before I began my blog.  I’ll never forget the feeling of awe that came over me when I realized that I could actually see a virtual “map” of where my visitors were from.  In the first few weeks of monitoring my blog, I saw that I had readers all the way from Punxsutawney, PA to Dublin, Ireland, and many places in between.  That was incredibly cool, but not terribly useful.  I soon realized that it was much more helpful to find out not where they were physically when they dropped by my blog, but virtually.  What sites had sent them my way?  And why did they choose to click on over?

By understanding the “why” behind your traffic, you can begin to tweak your strategy, and appeal to your demographic.  This is very similar to any advertising strategy.  Take the candy company Mars, Inc. for instance.  For years they had marketed their popular M&M confection to children everywhere with their popular slogan, “Melts in Your Mouth, Not In Your Hands.”  Their TV commercials were filled with doe-eyed cuties holding out their hands after chowing down on some of the multicolored treats, to prove that they hadn’t gotten a handful of melty chocolate goo in the process.  But Mars got wise to something after several years of this advertising.  The fact was, that the majority of M&M connoisseurs weren’t actually kids, after all.  Adults were the true core of their market share for the candy.  So naturally, along with this new wisdom came a completely different marketing strategy – - the M&M guys.  These characters were aimed at entertaining the more grown-up set with their tongue-in-cheek humor.  And it has worked incredibly well for Mars, Inc.

It is that ability to take information, and make it work for you that sets you apart as an advertiser – - and as a blogger.  Knowing the stats of your blog is interesting, (and sometimes discouraging!), but it is what you do with those stats that will help you grow your blog audience.  And for most bloggers, that is what it’s all about!

If you are interested in blogging, but just haven’t been sure where to start, you should definitely sign up for our free blogging course that will give you an introduction and a foundation to the world of blogging.  Once you are familiar with the vocabulary and background of blogging, though, you will want to take our Blogging 101 course.  This subscription based course is taught by a successful seasoned blogger who will guide you through all of the steps of designing and setting up your blog, writing quality content, and growing your audience.

Until next time,

So we are smack dab in the middle of the information age.  Some might say that we are drowning in information.  No one company, organization, or individual has control over how information is dispersed…we are living in an information free-for-all.  So why not get in on it??

Blogs provide an easy outlet for content creation.  You have something to say?  Say it in a blog.  Do you have access to interesting data or information on a specific subject?  Why not blog about it?  Have a business that you would like to promote?  A blog is a cost-effective way to advertise, and also to share your vision with your current and future customers.  What about personal updates?  Families are finding blogs to be the perfect venue for keeping friends and family abreast of all that is going on in their lives.  It is also a great way to share pics and videos.

If you use the internet on a regular basis, chances are you are getting at least some portion of your information from a blog.  Interestingly, sometimes blogs are even the preferred medium for info.  Whereas the monopoly of daily newspapers gave way to up-to-the-minute news web sites years ago, even those have had to take a backseat to immediate news from the front lines – - bloggers who see the stories up close and tell about them first hand.  Company marketers and advertisers have lost their influence compared to multiple product review bloggers who can make or break a new mp3 player or a new restaurant in town.  These user-based reviews tend to have much more impact on the consumer than the biased descriptions written by distributors.  And blogging can have an incredible impact.  Grass root movements have been known to blossom overnight after one well-written blog post.

Now is the time to be part of the information age in a real way.  Bloggers have the opportunity to express themselves, to promote themselves or their causes, and to deliver information like never before.  We all want to be heard.  We want to matter.  And starting a blog is such a simple way to get in on the action.  If you are new to the world of blogging, you would probably want to take our free introductory blogging course, Get Ready To Blog.  Once you understand what blogging is all about, it is time to build your blog, and grow your readership.  Our subscription based course, Blogging 101 is designed to help you write a blog that others will want to read.

There is no better time to get in on the blogging revolution!  Sign up today!

Until next time,

Your cabinets are almost bare, your meal choices these day are PB&J vs Beanie-Weanies, and you are eyeing the cat rather suspiciously.  Well, I hope times haven’t gotten quite that desperate for you, but you are probably having to live a little on the “thrifty” side these days.  Everyone seems to be pinching pennies, praying for gas prices to go down, and looking for ways to earn an extra buck or two.  But what if that extra income were as close as your home computer?  Have you ever considered blogging as a business?

Bloggers have many opportunities to make a profit on their writing efforts.  Some blogs are even designed for the sole purpose of making an income.  If you are new to blogging, and have been wondering if there is any money in it, you might want to consider a few possibilities.

• Hosting ads on your blog Programs like Google’s Adsense and Bidvertiser offer pay-per-click ads designed to match your blog content. BlogHerAds are geared at blogs written by women, and use quality advertising females can relate to.  Even new blogs can benefit from these type ads.
• Using Affiliate Programs Giving product reviews and link-throughs to products or services you evaluate and recommend to your readers.  These usually work best with established blogs getting regular traffic.
• Selling A Product Or Service With A Blog If you have a personal product or service that you sell or are associated with, you can use your blog as a virtual billboard to promote and market it

If you decide to try to make some additional income from any of the above methods, however, you need to remember that none of these will turn a profit unless your blog content is meaningful.  Good writing is still the key to drawing traffic to your blog.  Just as companies don’t gain by advertising their products on a floundering television show, neither will they gain by advertising on a blog that people don’t read.

To find out how to write a blog that others will want to read, I highly recommend one of the blog writing courses offered by BlogWritingCourse.com.  Our free course will introduce you to the world of blogging, and our subscription course will guide you through the ins and outs of building your blog and growing your audience.  And perhaps, putting something besides peanut butter and beanie-weenies in your cabinet…

Until next time,

One of the best perks of being a blogger is getting to read other blogs.  Sometimes I get so lost in my fellow bloggers’ worlds that I forget there are pans with baked-on grease and shoes with doggie-doo on them waiting for me. (Ok, so maybe I’m blog surfing to AVOID the more distasteful parts of my housework, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of the illustration.) Certain bloggers are so incredibly clever with their posts that you know a book deal is just one good dancing-monkey-story away.  And isn’t it cool to get to live in an era when material from such talented authors is as close as your laptop, and as cheap as your DSL subscription??!!  I love the 21st century!!

For me, reading a well-written blog is much akin to a photographer surveying a purple-hued sunset – - it just inspires the heck out of me.  I immediately am reminded of how thankful I am that I took the blog writing course, and why this whole blogging thing took hold of me!  I can hardly wait to get back to my Live Writer and spew out my newly-revitalized content for my own blog.  One such blogger that does this for me is Christine Moers, author of “Welcome To My Brain.”  I’d love to introduce you to Christine in all her glory, but I’ll be doggoned if I can come up with any consistent label or description.  So, I’ll lean heavily on her own introduction from her blog site:

I’m crazy in love with the God that made me, and the hot, bald man He gave me. Our family was built through birth and adoption. My kids are a mix of Tourettes, OCD, sleep issues, tics, and food allergies! I’m a pastor’s wife with a nose stud. I am me. I am art.

1. Christine, let’s start with the obligatory starting-gate question…what got you started blogging and how long have you had your blog?

I started blogging on March 19, 2005.  What I didn’t stop to think about at the time was that this was the anniversary of our country invading Iraq.  So, needless to say, I have never celebrated my blog’s birthday.  Instead, I mourn the war, and pray that one day I can use that day to post about something as frivolous as a blog birthday!

I’ve now been plugging away for over three years have churned out more than 700 posts.  Not too shabby.

2. Burgeoning bloggers sometimes aren’t sure where to start.  Where did you get your inspiration for what type things you wanted to blog about?

Anyone can blog.  Granted, you may only get one hit a day (which is YOU, just checking in!).  There are plenty of blogs out there that describe how many times the baby spit up … or regurgitated daily devotionals.  However, if you want it to be something that continues and is actually enjoyable for the reader, then you have to really, really, really, REALLY love to write.  I think I read about four million really boring blogs initially, which is what pushed me to start my own.  I promised myself that I would never write something that I would not want to read (if I wasn’t me).  You won’t get any country blue lace and bunnies, surrounded by scripture.  You will, however, find out why a Southern Baptist pastor’s wife would vote for a Democrat in the same week as a detailed description of how to take a dump at church without anyone discovering that you are the source of the smell.  Apparently some people find this stuff valuable!

Fortunately, I really, really, really, REALLY love to write.  I try to post something daily (“try” being the operative word).  I talk about me, and the things and people around me.  I tend to be a freak magnet, so my life oozes with inspiration.

3. Did you start to get a loyal following of readers right away, or did it take awhile?

I can’t even remember how long it took me to discover Site Meter (www.sitemeter.com).  So, I had very little idea just how many people were actually reading my blog.  Once I hooked myself up on that site, I realized that people were lurking all the time, just not commenting.  Of course, I also discovered that my loyal readers were pretty much just my family and like two friends!  However, after adding my blog address to my email signature, and commenting on blogs that I loved to read, the numbers started to grow.

I found a few blog carnivals that were based on things that were interesting to me (homeschooling, easy cooking, etc.).  That draws people to my blog that might connect with me.  Rarely have I noticed a drastic jump in readership that stays.  You may have a really big day of readers because of something you posted, but that may only equate to about three new regular readers.  The blogosphere is fickle.  Again, if you really, really, really, REALLY love to write, you’ll just keep doing it because you enjoy it – even when the numbers fall.

4. What do you like most about blogging?  Dislike most?

Blogging is therapeutic.  I have saved thousands of dollars in therapy over the last three years.  I’m cheap, so I really like that aspect.

I enjoy opening a dialog that challenges people, however, I do not participate in arguments.  You can learn from a discussion, but not from an argument.  Occasionally, I will have someone come in on the comments and blast away at everyone (or sometimes just me!).  I could probably count on one hand the times that I have deleted comments.  Instead, I try to gently steer the conversation back to something productive.  It’s a balance.  I don’t think we should censor (except in cases of outright libel), but we can’t learn from one another if we do the blogging equivalent of yelling and then taking our toys and going home.

5. Christine, about how much time do you invest in your blog each week?  What about it makes it worth the investment of your time?

Again, it’s therapeutic.  I love to talk, and this is just me talking through my fingers.  While I may post something every day, I don’t necessarily write something every day.  I may have a weekend where my brain is overflowing.  So, I’ll put it all down, and break it up into posts.  Then I can publish them as I see fit.  If I don’t write it down quickly, it will leave my mind within minutes.  I may have some posts that I mull over for hours and hours.  Others come flying out without any effort.

I spend a lot of time on my blog.  Most days I absolutely love blogging.  Some people make crafts.  Some go to the gym.  Others hit Starbucks.  I blog.

6. Yours is a very personal blog, and you aren’t advertising any particular product or service, but do you use advertising or other methods to generate any income from your blog?

The only regular advertising that I allow on my blog is from BlogHer (www.blogher.com).  I had to apply and be accepted into their network.  They are a growing community of blogging women.  They pay fair.  They’re extremely professional, and are actively improving themselves.  I might pull in about twenty bucks a month from those ads.  Not much, but many times the ad boxes are actually promoting charities and other public service announcements.  I like that.  I like BlogHer.  So, they will continue to have a prominent spot.

I tried some ad boxes that I created myself.  I wanted to give my blog readers the opportunity to advertise their own blogs.  Unfortunately, very few of them took advantage and I was overrun with gaming web sites.  Boo.  So, I pulled those off.  You live and learn.

I have a lot of chachkis on my side bars, but overall I like to keep a clean blog.

7. Do you feel a sense of community with the readers of your blog?  What obligation, if any, do you feel toward them?

I know I’m repeating myself a lot, but remember that the blogosphere is fickle.  People come and go.  Yet, I have built some really fun friendships over the years with other bloggers.  I don’t reply to every comment and I don’t comment regularly on other blogs.  Some days I have a lot of time to do those things.  Other days I’m … well, just read my blog!  Some days I can barely find time to pee!  There’s just not enough time to explain all of the private emails, and personal connections that I’ve made over these three years.

I was listening to a podcast on blogging etiquette (which cracks me up – first that people are trying to create etiquette guidelines on blogging, and secondly that someone took the time to record and upload a podcast about it!).  The big question of the day was whether or not it is polite to lurk on someone’s blog, without commenting.  That’s like saying it’s rude to browse the library without reading every book.  We’re all real people.  I have a gal that I used to read very regularly.  She’s in a dry spell right now.  I’m not finding her interesting.  I just skim past her on my feed reader these days.  People do that to me, too.  It’s life.  Gotta’ prioritize things – even entertainment!

And no, I’m am NOT telling you who it is!

8. What type of blogs do you enjoy reading yourself?

Some of my favorite blogs talk a lot about social justice, environmentalism, adoption, foster care, following Christ, etc.  I also have a few friends and family that I keep up with by reading their blogs.

9. As a blog reader, I’ll admit I frequent blogs with an offbeat – - even cynical sense of humor. What keeps you coming back for more on a particular blog?

I like fresh content and smart humor.  I like to laugh, I like to writhe over injustice, I like to comfort and be comforted, I like to grow and be challenged.  Mostly, though, I like to laugh.

I try to do the same thing with my own blog.  Posting frequently, but keeping it worth reading.

Maybe one day I’ll run out of things to say.

Maybe.

I doubt it.

A huge thanks to Christine Moers for an incredibly in-depth and insightful interview about the world of a blogger.  If you want to find out more about the hijinks happening in Christine’s life, please head over to Welcome To My Brain, and subscribe to her feed.  And for more information on starting and writing a blog yourself, please sign up for one of our blogging courses.

Until next time,