Monday, June 11, 2007

My Blogging Story

And this is how it all began:

How did you start blogging?

Once upon a time...no, no, no...It was a dark and stormy night... no, no...I was playing around the computer and I discovered blogs. That's the truth. I honestly thought I was going to develop something like Dumb Little Man and make money somehow, maybe with ads. My first idea was to rate products. I was going to call it 'Rocks and Knocks'. (It rocks or I knock it...yeah, I know. I'm glad I didn't do that either.) After I left that idea behind, I thought I'd write about the news and give my opinion on things that were happening in the world. I did that a little, but then I found that I wasn't really able to keep up with the news enough to give informed opinions. So in a few short weeks, The Peapod Four became a mommy blog. And that's good because that's what I really know best in this season of life.

Did you intend to be a blog with a big following? If so, how did you go about it?

When I started I did. But I think I was a little off my rocker at the beginning anyway. I only told one person about my blog during the first two months I was writing...so I'm not sure how I thought anyone was going to find out about it! Now, though, it doesn't really matter. My blog has become a writing and creative outlet for me. I write for an audience, but not for a following.

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve these goals?

hmmm...I don't think I've ever thought about it in such a structured way. I just have a blog and I write as often as possible. I suppose if there was one thing I wanted to achieve it would be to improve my writing. Sometimes I go back and read old posts, just to see if I would use different words or change sentence structures. Hopefully, I'm getting better.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

see the first question.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?

That most people are like me...they will read but they won't leave a comment.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

I'm pretty sure by now that everyone knows. My brother and cousins read it when it imports into Facebook. They sometimes leave comments there. My mom, dad, and sister read only the posts I send them in an email with a link. My aunt Kathy reads it every day! She still hasn't commented, but I know she reads it. I think my Uncle Randy reads it occasionally too -He was my first commenter. On Michael's side, I know that my sister-in-law Ginger reads it (and her mom, too!) but other than that I'm not sure.

Lately I've been picking up a few friends who've been following along. It's fun to have my friends read, and I think it raises my level of writing somehow.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?

It's kind of funny that this is one of the questions, because I just wrote a long email encouraging my friend Tara to start blogging. It was full of advice! Here are two that I'll pass along:

1- This site HERE helped me to customize my blog. Everything became a lot more fun once the site began to reflect my personality. I can't afford a custom design, but I was able to put some personal touches on a standard blogger template by following these instructions.

2- Think carefully about who your intended audience is. I have another blog that I use to communicate during the week with the ladies in my women's Bible Study. Sometimes I think I write much clearer on that blog because I know exactly who I intend it for. Determining your audience is a quick way to make your posts better.

2.5 - Also, consider adding site meter or something similar. If you don't get hung up on the numbers, expecting a huge following right away, it can be very encouraging. It's nice to know at least 2 people found your blog this week. : )

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading your story. We've always had one lima bean in our peapod. Love that lima bean...

Melissa said...

Thanks for stopping by. My goodness, comment heaven! I posted part 2 of the Obedience series tonight. We'll go to the end of the week.

Blessings,

Aunt Suz said...

Julie, I too enjoy reading your blog on a regular basis. On days when I am missing you and your family, I stay within the blog reading it like it is a best seller. I love you... Aunt Suz

Anonymous said...

Great story start--gives a good feel of your personality. Thanks for sharing your blogging story and the link.