A couple of years ago, I attended the amazingly awesome and motivating LaJolla Writer’s Conference. They provided tips of what to do as an aspiring author, like starting a blog.
It’s taken me a while to put that into action, but I see why you should start blogging before being published.
- It gets you writing
I’ve been working in communications/marketing/advertising for 15 years, so I write a heck of a lot every day. But if you’re crunching numbers at work, for instance, where you’d rather be chomping words, writing a blog can satisfy your inner word-nerd.
- It makes you accountable
My friends and family have heard me talk about writing book, short story or screenplay projects since the ’90s. But now, the whole world (wide web) knows. There’s no turning back. I must keep blogging and get published…or bust!
- It gives you “street cred”
When I look at blogs, I’m usually going for informal advice on a topic. I admire their level of visibility and commitment. A blogger doesn’t have to be an expert; I don’t really expect that. But I do expect to learn or gain some insight from the article.
- It puts you on a schedule
Speaking of commitment, blogging demands it, just like writing. There’s no magic formula for how many blog entries to post. I’m learning that consistency is key (for practice and Google Analytics). Sticking to a schedule and not over-committing myself are things I’ll have to watch out for.
- It keeps you writing when you’re not, uh, writing
If I need a mental break from working on my novel, I can blog instead. I’m exercising the same muscles, just doing it a little differently. It’s still a win. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment in the short-term that I don’t get while working on a long-term novel project.
Are you an aspiring author who has a blog? What can you share about your experience? Does it make you better at Scrabble?
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash; photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
Rene Penn 
Hi ! I never normally comment on other people’s posts but I just came across your blog and I have to comment and tell you that I adore it! Your blog is so wonderful, I am so happy I just came across it. I am going to follow you right now so I can keep up to date with all of your posts; I look forward to your next ones! Keep up the great work (:
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Thanks so much, I appreciate the feedback–especially upon knowing that you don’t comment on blogs much. I will check out your blog, too. Cheers!
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You are so sweet to message me back! You are so welcome, your blog is wonderful and I am so happy I came across it!
Do you have Twitter or Instagram? I would love to follow you!
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RedheadedBooklover…Yes, I’m on Twitter: @rene_penn. See you there. 🙂
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It’s posts like this that make me so glad that I finally started a blog. I believe I’m in a similar boat as you in being an aspiring author. I’ve written a book and working on polishing it. I just feel like my name isn’t out there and that fact all itself is not going to help me get published. I want to get noticed and I want people to look at an email and think that maybe they’ve heard my name before (well a girl can dream). This is my way of trying to get my name out in the world just a little bit more.
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Chandlar, congrats on getting to the “polishing” phase. Wishing you the best of luck on it and the blog. And don’t stop dreaming–that’s the spice of life. Cheers. –René
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