Tuesday 2 April 2013

B is for Blogging

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net
Like everything in life, blogging has it's good points and it's bad, and these will differ from person to
person depending on your reason for blogging in the first place and how you use it.

This post will list the pros and cons that I have found from blogging since January.

Pros



  • Knowing that you have a post due helps with discipline.
  • Building a sense of community in a sometimes quite isolating job.
  • Writing for an audience on a regular basis improves your writing and helps you find your 'voice'.
  • Getting feedback on your writing is not only helpful but it also gives you a confidence boost.
  • Writing about certain topics, such as Writing in the Midst of Chaos and Turning Spare Minutes into Gems, has helped me with those issues as much as my readers.
  • I enjoy it.


Cons



  • It does take a lot of time, especially when promoting the posts on social media, and in theory I could be spending this time on my fiction writing. (Although, if anything, I write more now than I did before I started the blog.)


As you can see, for me at least, the pros far outweigh the cons. How about you? Do you blog? What are the good and bad points for you?

20 comments:

  1. I just started with blogging, and I made some rules right away for me. My goal is to publish books, so I only blog after I have written something for a book. This helps me stay focused on why I started a blog in the first place.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Dave. That's a great rule to have, it's essential not to lose focus of the bigger goals we have set for ourselves. Good luck with the blogging and your road to publication.

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  2. I blog everyday. Some make it into a post and others just remain mine forever. I find it a great way to talk myself through a bad day or even a moment of self doubt. Pros really out weigh the cons for this gal!

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    1. I love the style of your blog Rhondi, it's a bit like reading someone's journal and there's always something to relate to. Keep up the good work :)

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  3. I blog regularly, and I enjoy it. As you said though, it is a time commitment. I think it's worth it though--I've made a lot of digital friends, and met some really cool people. :)

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    1. I agree with you there Lara, you do meet some great people through blogging.

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  4. Blogging has kept me sane. When I started The Transgentle Wife I was terrified to put myself out there into the blogosphere for fear of what people would think. Yet the need to get my thoughts out of my head into a safe place was greater. My fears have been totally unfounded and if anything I have only support. And the beauty of my blog is that I have been able to connect with a community that I am now a part of. Great post today!

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    1. Thanks Lucy. A fear of what other's think holds us all back at some point, but only by pushing through it can you really feel comfortable with who you are. It's almost a form of accepting yourself first and then others will follow. I really admire your blog, and the fact that it has brought so much support is fantastic, I imagine your courage has helped a lot of your readers as well.

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  5. Good "B" topic. New follower here. I'm stopping by from the "A to Z" challenge and I look forward to visiting again.

    Sylvia
    http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks Sylvia, I'll stop by your blog later to check it out.

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  6. I am product review blogger, and I love it. Blogging is my creative outlet.
    I enjoyed reading your A and B and can't wait to read more.
    Connie
    Peanut Butter and Whine

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    1. Thanks Connie, I'm loving the name of your blog, I'll pop by later.

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  7. I also find i write more if I blog, its like the warm up to my fiction writing, although this month I will have to cut the fiction a bit as I don't generally post 6 times a week!

    Great post, thank you.

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    1. I know what you mean Maria, I usually post 3 times a week so this month is certainly a challenge, especially going on Holiday next week - I didn't plan that one too well!

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  8. I do spend too much time on my blog and not enough time of my book! But I love blogging:))
    www.gracegritsgarden.com

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    1. It does become a bit addictive doesn't it Tayla? I'm really enjoying it so far and that's what counts at the minute.

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  9. I'm conflicted about whether a blog is productive in the overall scheme of things. I do enjoy it, but I know every word in the blog is a word I didn't write in my latest WIP. Besides, I can't seem to find a subject worthy of the time. Greetings from Texas

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    1. I know what you mean James. It can become a bit of a time suck at times. I think it's important to prioritise your time so that the blogging and social media that goes with it doesn't take over from what is really important.

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  10. Right now my blog keeps me going and hoping that I could be a writer. I don't know how else to fuel that spark right now. Stopping by from a-z!

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    1. If that's what keeps you going you just have to roll with it, that spark will come as your confidence in your writing grows. Good luck with the rest of the challenge.

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