Once upon a time, when you told people you have a blog, they would say, "Wow, that's so cool!" and they had an attention span beyond 2 minutes to actually read your blog as well...so I decided to start a blog. Adhering to the title, let's do a before and after as I recap what I've learnt 6 long years after my first IndieWeb Failure!
Q1. What will I write about?
Before: Whatever interests me because I have a unique pov on experiences and can make even the most mundane day sound interesting, there's always something exciting happening
After: My life isn't as interesting as I thought. Apparently life does stagnate, get mundane AF, and that's how normal people live. My mood will also mirror that monotony hence, motivation plumetted just after publishing 3 posts.
Q2. Why do I want to start a blog?
Before: I have things to say and people actually want to hear them. I think I'm a good story teller. I'll be immortal in digital form.
After: I STILL have a lot of things to say and people STILL want to hear them but at this point, I should probably start a podcast so they can listen to me blabber on 2x speed. I'll still be immortal.
Q3. Where do I want to start this blog? [platform]
Before: On blogger.com. lol. Of all the platforms out there, this one seemed very simple and user friendly so why not. As a non-tech bro, this is the way to go.
After: My blog got taken down. lol. It literally disappeared, probably because I was inactive.
Q4. Who am I writing for? [audience]
Before: Me, my friends and anyone else who finds my writing interesting.
After: I, Me, and Myself.
Q5: How will I go about it? [process]
Before: I'll just wing it. Besides, I'm brilliant. I'll just wait for some inspiration to strike and capture it in words.
After: Let's not be over-confident since I'm not young and dumb anymore. It's a marathon, not a sprint. A few steps/ guidelines:
- Initial priority is to get back to writing - no matter what the topic. Flex that mental muscle
- Be regular to IndieWeb Club meetings
- Take inspiration and feedback from other writers
- Ask for help - technical and non-tech hiccups
- Set a timeline to experiment, collect data on topics of interest and start publishing no matter how shit it is.
Fun Fact: I revisited the site just now, and it has magically reappeared with all my blogs intact. Hallelujah! it's an IndieWeb Club miracle. I will take this as a sign to continue writing :)