I tried to do another Ye Olde Shoppe skit, but it wasn’t working. Fearing that the well has gone dry on those topics. At least for a while since you need something you can give a lot of options for. I found that blogging didn’t have the same impact as fantasy steeds, unique pets, houses, or whatever else I’ve done. I did begin thinking about how we can share advice and experience for blogging. I’ve given my thoughts so far, but I want to open up the floor. The questions will hopefully focus the answers because we all know that we can run wild with this topic.
- What advice would you give your younger self right before they began blogging?
- What is something that you couldn’t get to work on your blog?
- How much has your blog changed from its initial conception?
Legends of Windemere 
With regards to your point three above, my blog has changed quite a bit and has evolved into three blogs. I have robbiesinspiration where I still share fondant art and my cake pictures but I no longer share recipes. I also share book reviews and poetry on that blog. I have robertawrites where I share my darker pieces of writing and darker book reviews. Finally, I have robbiecheadle.co.za which is my flagship website. I share my travel posts there as they have lots of photographs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds like a big change. How do you keep up with all 3?
LikeLike
1. What advice would you give your younger self right before they began blogging?
Go with the flow. Don’t worry about the number of followers. Just be yourself.
2. What is something that you couldn’t get to work on your blog?
I could never get a series to work for long. I did a series once on space and had a number of guest posts for it. But after a couple of posts, interest waned. Also many bloggers do similar types of posts like Wordless Wednesdays and other things. I never do those because my posting schedule isn’t very consistent.
3. How much has your blog changed from its initial conception?
It hasn’t really changed all that much with the exception of frequency. I remember posting multiple times a week. But that doesn’t really work for me. Also, the posts are shorter. But it’s pretty much a wing and a prayer type of blog.
LikeLike
Good advice on the first one. Series are difficult to maintain. Once you reach a certain point, people have trouble jumping in. Unless I’m missing the type of series. Frequency is hard to maintain over time. You run out of topics and steam fairly quickly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
1.) Don’t be so uptight about everything. Posts have the lifespan of a gnat, and people aren’t going to freak out over some typos or odd topic. 2.) I struggled to get the original functions set up, including a Gravitar. Making my images for the sidebar was horrible, but the older format has changed now and it’s pretty easy. 3.) I had no idea what to post about, and tried to focus on my writing. Eventually, I found out that some lifestyle posts were more popular and helped me build my followership. I also tried to keep to a rigid schedule, and that was hard. I post more sporadically now, and things are a lot easier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Posts are kind of like gnats. Better lifespan than tweets though. Lifestyle posts are certainly popular
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes you have to figure this stuff out by doing it a few times. I’m sure people don’t remember what I posted last month.
LikeLike
I would tell my younger self it is a lot more important to cultivate great content then to worry about followers, likes, and comments. Like the ball diamond. Build it and they will come.
Something that doesn’t work on my blog is to talk about the political scene or any subject with which I have a great deal of passion. The words always end up sounding like a rant or lecture from an old fart.
My blog has been pretty much the same for seven years. I settled into a daily routine that doesn’t change much and it seems to work.
LikeLike
Rants aren’t all bad, but it depends on the topic. More troublesome these days too. I like the cultivation tip.
LikeLiked by 1 person
1) What advice would you give your younger self right before they began blogging?
First, choose a topic that you really love, so you’ll be able to stick with it. Second, decide how often you want to post. Be realistic with this and consider your other commitments, such as your family and actual writing projects. It’s better to consistently post once a week than to post every day and suddenly quit when you run low on energy.
2) What is something that you couldn’t get to work on your blog?
I consistently have an issue with just one or two people commenting and liking. After eight years, I hoped to have more of a community by now.
3) How much has your blog changed from its initial conception?
At first, I blogged about anything and everything that had to do with dragons. That lasted 7 years — dragons are a popular and widespread cultural icon. However, I started to feel like I was repeating myself in 2018, so from this year on I’ve been focused more on the writing life. Some techniques, some comments on techniques I observe others using, and of course the focus on my works-in-progress and their transition into actual publications.
LikeLike
Great advice. It does seem harder and harder to get comments. I’ve found that controversial posts and ones where I’m ranting get more attention than the other stuff. Think that’s the nature of the Internet.
LikeLike
My blog has changed a bit from writing what I know as a teacher, to writing what is happening in education and in my classroom. I need to write more reflective pieces. I have a full well, fortunately, as I’m still teaching. I am true to my blog’s intent and pathway, because otherwise I’d be lost and all over the place.
LikeLike
That’s really cool. I’ve considered writing about my TA stuff, but I can’t figure out how. Feels like I’d cross a line because of the kids I work with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean. But, if you are writing about the issue, the situation, and not the specific child, then you have opened a book to learning and understanding. For example, how you handled behaviors, what triggers the behaviors, and of course the successes – be it a smile or a laugh from a child. Those are real stories, and they’re broader than a specific child. That’s what I write about. You can, too. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ll have to consider how to do that. Some kids have very specific issues.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand. I hope it is food for thought, Charles. I know how much you enjoy teaching, which would be a natural for your subject matter. Best to you!
LikeLike
I’m not sure how much I’d change from where I started because I’ve always been of the mind that you should write what’s on your mind. I never force myself to blog something. Every time I try scheduling posts, it backfires on me. So I write when something comes to me (and once a week to share my writing goals). I don’t think I’ll change that despite the fact that my blog doesn’t get a lot of attention.
LikeLike
I started with doing it whenever I had an idea. Then topics piled up and I found that scheduling cleared up some time for me. That’s just me though. Blogging is a lot like writing. Some people are plotters/planners and others are pantsers. Both work.
LikeLike