Monday, September 25, 2017

Blogging: Q & A

Just last week I celebrated my eighth year as blogging at Roses to Rainbows without much fanfare. Just a short post to acknowledge the journey. I have touched on some of these points from time to time in other posts, but I thought I'd hit all the bases with a little Q & A which is solely reflective of my thoughts and experience over the years.



So what exactly is blogging? Blogs began back in the late 1990s as a weblog or an online journal, and over time the weblog evolved into the blog, or blogging, and one who writes a blog is a blogger. 

Why do people blog?  Some do it to keep up with friends and family, some promote their hobbies, some are writers and this is a place to perfect their craft and others blog just to entertain their audience. Many businesses with a web presence also have blogs.

Can you become rich and famous?  Some bloggers get recognized for their content and go on to write books. I've watched bloggers go from small sites to national recognition, magazines and TV shows.


Is this the norm?  Nope. It is the few of the few. So why do the rest of us do it? As self expression, a creative outlet, or as some people state, "I can't not write".


Who is reading? "Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self." I often wonder what Cyril Connolly was thinking when he said those words? Born in the early 1900s, he was a widely published British author, so apparently he was not lacking a public for whom to write. People from all walks of life read blogs for different reasons - entertainment, information, or a sense of community among the author and other readers.


Isn't blogging dead/dying?  No, there are a lot of active, successful blogs out there. Yes, social media such as Facebook, Instagram and others have changed things, but bloggers still offer content in a format that social media does not.

For whom are you writing?  For anyone who takes the time out of their busy lives to read my posts. For anyone who reads my words and smiles. For anyone who happens by on their way to somewhere else.  
I am writing for you!


What is your goal?  My goal is to make people think, make them smile, encourage them, motivate them, to serve up entrees of information and anecdotes tossed with a mixture of fact and fiction, with sides of pictures and poetic ponderings. I would also like to establish a community of individuals sharing their thoughts and experiences.


Should I leave a comment? Absolutely! This not only helps build the community I mentioned, but also encourages the author and is greatly appreciated. Please and thank you in advance!

To other writers and bloggers, what keeps you writing?





If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Linda - it's building that relationship with other bloggers ... and if writing a book then other authors ...but there's lots of different approaches to blogging. Some do it as a nature journal - i.e. a sort of diary perhaps on specific subjects eg biodiversity ... or touring one's home town ... I know mine has become a place where I can write articles that interest me - yet open ideas out to others on life in the UK, or South Africa ... occasionally elsewhere ...

    It's essential to connect - comment and keep commenting ... people will connect back - cheers Hilary

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  2. "bloggers still offer content in a format that social media does not." I totally agree. When it comes to formatting and content, it Facebook and others don't even come close. I do spend more time on FB these day because it's good for keeping up with friends and family but it's sorely lacking in most other areas. Good post, Linda. :)

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