Sincere Words are Felt in the Heart and Triggers a Smile

Over the course of each of our lives, we tend to embrace hobbies; we find things that are interesting to us as individuals and they become important aspects of our lives. For me some of those things have been: collecting comic books, playing video games, weight training, running, reading, writing - just to highlight a few, but nothing has brought me greater pleasure, even in the moments when I face writer's block, as writing and blogging have brought me. In some ways blogging has been therapeutic. It is, essentially, to me, the same as Facebook is for my family and friends, a place to share tidbits of information about me and my life, but I feel blogging is a little more personal because my blog is the place where I share details of who I am.

I started blogging as a way to help me feel comfortable about sharing myself on-line. I feel my blog is a safe place for me to be, even though I know it's easy to search, and it takes no time to find this blog if you know my name. 

There are many reasons to start a blog. Some people blog to give themselves something to do, stave off boredom. Some people start blogs to show themselves as authorities in their given fields. Some start blogs as a way to generate income on-line. Some do it as a way to keep in touch with their families. Some do it as personal journaling. Some people blog because they enjoy writing, expressing their views, and sharing their life experiences. Some find it to be a form of therapy.

I feel I need to write this because I have so many people asking me how to start. The answer is simple: you start writing by writing. You start blogging by blogging. If you are hoping to make money writing, then the sooner you start, the better.

You’ll become a stronger writer by constantly writing, and it even challenges you to improve when you have others critiquing your words. Writing is essentially communication. You are communicating thoughts and ideas, and when you put those thoughts and ideas on-line, you are recording those pieces for others to read. When you write a view point piece you are compelling people to agree with your views, in some cases you'll end up debating your words, but when you are writing you are looking for like minded people who you can bond with. When you blog, you are not forcing yourself to become a better writer, it happens naturally. Communication (all forms of it) is a practiced art.

Writing changes the way you think, not necessarily about your life views, but how you phrase your words to maximize effect. It goes beyond all the research you do as a writer. We all have views as to how we see the world, and how those views have shaped our lives, but we don't always know how to articulate them. It may also come down to not feeling comfortable expressing our thoughts and feelings. Once you've become openly committed to your words, it becomes easier to share them. Everyone has something they can contribute because we all have unique experiences.

You don't need to go into blogging with the mindset that you are going to make money from it, but from recent conversations I've been having, this is the area everyone is most curious about. Unless you are a professional blogger, the average person doesn't know how to monetize their blogs. I can tell everyone, from experience, that numbers are key for advertising, and you won't make a dime without traffic. You will not gain a following until you start writing. No blog, no followers, no money. It all comes down to one thing, willingness to start.