You've decided to start a blog. Cool! (part 4)

Everything in life, every activity we embark upon starts with an idea.


You’re still reading, so you’ve decided to pull the proverbial trigger and move forward with your plan to blog. Good.


Let me start with a couple of disclaimers:


First and foremost, I am a newbie. I will likely consider myself to be one for a very long time. There is always more to learn. I am making an effort to pass along what I have learned so far. I’m not a guru, an expert, an A-lister, or any other term that may fall into that category.


The second is harder to explain, because there is a difference in my mind. I am not a writer, I am a blogger. There are many people who are great writers, who happen to also blog, I am not one of those.


So, let’s go…

1. You have your basic idea:

• What do I want to talk (write) about?
• What approach am I going to use?
• How is my approach different? Why will someone read my stuff?

2. Sit down and write.

• You’ve got your first article (or post).

• There is much debate about length, but I would suggest writing the initial pieces out to their full extent. You can alter it later.

• Strive to produce your best completed work…not perfection.

• Save your work on your computer. Jesus saves! (sorry, couldn't resist)

3. WHERE  / HOW am I going to publish?

• There is a vast array of free services available. My recommendation is to Google (yes, it’s a verb) it. Google “free blog,” and an almost inexhaustible list will appear. Choose one or two, they are free. You may find that one is easier for you to use than another. And, you can always switch later. Remember, we are just trying to get started. 

• The most popular ones will be at the top of the list. They are usually WordPress and Blogger. These are both fairly easy to use. You don’t really have to know any “code” or computer-speak to get started.

4. Read the instructions…twice! (And maybe print them out)

• Most will require your email address as part of the registration. This is needed for “confirmation” that it’s you. This will also help you get back into the site if your forget passwords, etc.

• You must name the blog. This is usually covered in the registration.

BAM! You have a blog. You are now a blogger, congratulations.

Now what?


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