Celebrating Seven Years on WORDWALK: Preliminary Steps for New Bloggers

 

Celebrating Seven Years on WORDWALK: Preliminary Steps to Blogging

 

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

 

On January 19, 2020, Sunday, I will mark seven years of weekly blogs on this WORDWALK and will look toward a new eighth year of blogging. Have you ever thought of initiating a blog? Creating and posting a weekly blog on Word Press may be much easier than you may think. Since I am really not a “techy,” please keep in mind that if I can post a blog on Word Press, you can also. Although Word Press offers tutorials for new bloggers, I am sharing with you some steps to ponder.

 

Preparing for Initiating a Blog

 

STEP ONE: Reason(s) for Blogging

 

Why do you want to start a blog? Determine the focus for your blog.

 

STEP TWO: General Purpose

 

__ to inform

__ to persuade

__ to entertain

__ to inspire

__ to preserve family and/or community history

__ a combination of the above

__ all of the above

 

STEP THREE: Topic(s)

 

Now that you have a focus and general purpose in mind, determine a more specific purpose for your blog and/or a topic or group of topics for your writing. Some bloggers focus on one limited topic while others write on a variety of topics. I prefer to write on a variety of topics; but I most often focus on my small hometown of Blanford (Indiana), my Italian-American family, my four Leader Dogs, and writing.

 

STEP FOUR: Type of Writing or Genres

 

__ personal essays

__ poetry

__ journalistic, report writing

__ persuasive essays

__ political commentary

__ recipes

__ how-to pieces

__ humorous essays

__ travel writing

__ short stories

__ more than one of the above

 

STEP FIVE: Name for Your Blog

 

Make a list of possible names for your blog. Some of your ideas may already be in use, so try to create a name for your blog that represents well your focus and you, as well as one that is unique.

 

STEP SIX: Password

 

Of course, you will need to think of another password. You can think of a password in advance of your initial work session also.

 

STEP SEVEN: Tagline

 

Word Press allows you to create a “tagline” for your blog. You may wish to write a tagline that is one sentence. My tagline is: “This Word Press site is a WORDWALK at the intersection of Alice Avenue and Memory Lane.”

 

STEP EIGHT: Profile

 

Word Press allows you to create a “Profile” of your blog and yourself. Thus, write a “Profile”–an article to introduce yourself and your blog to your new readers.

 

STEP NINE: Blog Post

 

Now, you are ready to write, edit, revise, and proofread your first blog post. Before initiating your blog, prepare at least one blog post. Happy blogging!

 

IMPORTANT: A piece which is posted onto a blog is considered “published”; thus, if you intend to submit the piece to other sources (publishers), you may choose not to post the piece on your blog. Only some sources allow submissions to be works that have been previously published on a blog. Carefully read the writer’s guidelines for magazines, journals, and other sources where you would like to submit articles for publication. Secondly, remember that all that you post on the internet will be there forever; so, go wisely and gently into the blogging world.

 

NOTE: I am beginning this eighth year of blogging with a new computer which just arrived on Monday, January 13. I am still trying to fine tune my new version of Word to suit my writing and editing style. Soon, I hope to have all back in the order which I prefer. Meanwhile, I thank you for your understanding and patience.

 

Happy blog reading and writing during 2020!

Alice Massa and Leader Dog Willow

Ajm321kh@wi.rr.com

 

January 15, 2020, Wednesday

 

 

Advertisement