This will be my 223rd blog post. At around 600 words per post, that’s 133,800 words. The average novel is 80,000 words long. If I had taken all those words, all that inspiration, all that time, I would have written one and a half books by now. For someone with “write a book” firmly at the top of their bucket list, this is a sobering thought.
Is it too late in the year to still be posting about things I learned in 2015? I hope not. I have only recently had a chance to catch my breath and realise that it actually is honest-to-goodness new year. Not “woot woot baby new year – let’s do this thing” but “school has started, the business year has started, it’s gotten real and I actually do have to do this thing” new year.
When this blog was in its infancy, the tag line was “empowering mothers, inspiring minxes”. We were shiny-eyed with enthusiasm and the idea that we could touch other women’s lives in a positive way. The promise of doing something purposeful and visible. Something to fill an empty space while our careers where on maternity leave.
Then I started to notice something. How often a new writer would introduce themselves and their blog with the words “I can’t wait to inspire/empower/teach you how to make your life better”. Words that reflected the ones we had used.
Words I found grating. They rankled and bristled and left a bitter taste. They did not compel me to explore that writers work. They left me asking questions – Why does this person presume my life is not complete without them? Why have they assumed they will inspire me? What’s wrong with how I am right now? Read more
In this month dedicating to organisation and making life easier, I thought I would share some of my favourite life/tech hacks, feel good blogs and the awesomeness that is Mac Preview. A little kaleidoscope of stuff to make life just a little bit better/easier. (I also figured you were sick to death of hearing about ProBlogger).
Over the weekend I attended a blogging conference – the one I recommended people wear clothes to (which was a reasonable call by the way).
It was large and noisy and exciting. Filled with people, ideas and inspiration. There was a palpable energy that comes with collecting 700 passionate people in the same place.
You can sacrifice a little bit here and in the long run it will be worth it. You don’t even need to get expensive things for your blog though, you could just check out something like this Certa Hosting site and you’d be sorted. Starting a blog has never been easier, so don’t panic.
I love the blogging community and I am very grateful for the great advice published by so many people. In the lead up to ProBlogger and at the conference itself, I know that I am going to come across even more advice.
But there are times when my inner cynic tends to come out. Sometimes “blogging rules” are much like “parenting rules” – you cannot follow them all as they contradict each other and their generalist nature doesn’t actually suit your particular baby. Also, sometimes the advice is crap. So I thought I’d write my own list of (firmly tongue in cheek) blogging advice.
If you aren’t a blogger and would like a laugh, why not check out this post: Things I suspect I should have already known