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Young Writers Society



Starting A Blog

by AnoCannotUserName


I've wanted to start a blog forever, but I don't think I ever quite understood why. For as long as I could remember, I wanted to do things, to be somebody. So, I came up with all sorts of things. Becoming a famous actress, a famous singer, a famous writer. As I got older and careers started evolving, I thought of famous YouTuber, a famous blogger, a famous podcaster, a famous influencer. I've always been interested in business so I also liked the idea of starting a company or a nonprofit and having it grow to be successful.

Do you get the keyword here? I wanted to be famous. My interests were far and wide but whenever I thought of going forward with them, it's like fame had to be a must. A part of me really did want it for the fun of it. I really am interested in music and singing, writing, acting, and a bunch more. Still, there was a part of me that wanted the fame only. The recognition.

As hard as it is to declare this, there were times I only wanted to help to be seen as good. I wanted to be Superman, or technically Supergirl in my case, not for the act of saving people, but for the recognition that came with it.

It's not right. I didn't like the way that I thought, especially because now I like helping people more for just the feeling of helping someone. It's kind of intoxicating. That moment you realize that they're a little better off and you helped them get there. Giving really is better than receiving.

But those fame thoughts sometimes still linger. It's not that it's bad to want to be recognized or successful but why should the definition of success be having everyone know your name and lots of money to back it up.

I just read a blog this morning. The post I read today was about him possibly ending the blog. In the comments, someone pleaded them not to, saying they check it every day. They love it and need it. And that's what I want.

I want to be a blogger who touches people's hearts. I'd like to think that someone needs to hear what I have to say. I want to blog because I want to. Because I want to explore new things and learn and talk about all that I experience. I want to write. I want to learn. I want to embark on this journey whether or not it become monetized, whether or not it makes me famous.

More importantly, I want to help people. I want to do something that gives someone what they need. Even if it's just one person, one person is enough.

What I'm trying to say is learn, start things, and do projects because you want to. Because someone needs it. Because you need it. Fame is nice and money is greatly appreciated, but don't let that be your why. Your why can be anything. It can be nothing. It can be just because.

When all is said and done, fame is fleeting and money gets spent. But that feeling of success and accomplishment you get is timeless. That is valuable. It's worth more than all the fame and money combined.

My project is to start a blog that documents my experiences, sparks an interest in learning, and, hopefully, helps other people. I'm doing this because I want to reach people and simply because I want to.

This is my project. What's yours?

I hope you enjoyed this post about why you should start projects. Here are some of the blog posts I read and a TED talk I watched that led me to this train of thought:

https://collegeinfogeek.com/side-projects/

http://austinkleon.com/2020/09/09/15-years-of-blogging-and-3-reasons-to-keep-going/

https://youtu.be/TTYOpfGvlwc

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Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:43 am
Thomasrive says...



Thank you for sharing this useful information on how to start a blog. I'm also planning on starting my own blog since I always had good writing skills and recently I found more free time to focus on my interest, so I said to myself why not give it a try. I mean since I spend so much time enclosed in my home, it might make me feel much better to start being more creative and share the experiences that I have gained throughout my career as a navy admiral. There are so many things I want to write about!




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Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:34 pm
AyumiGosu17 wrote a review...



Hey there, Ano! Don't mind if I drop some pointers for you:

You've got a few parallel issues here, which gets in the way of this "free flow" aesthetic you're trying to establish. I really like it, so maybe cleaning this up will help a little bit.

I thought of ((a)) famous YouTuber, a famous blogger, a famous podcaster, a famous influencer. I've always been interested in business so I also liked the idea of starting a company or a nonprofit ((organization)) and having it grow to be successful.


It also makes sense to combine your third and fourth paragraph, since both of those deal with the idea of fame = recognition = guilt. I would say the same about paragraphs seven and eight.

Otherwise, this is a great start! I hope you have an impact on other people as well.




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Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:46 am
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niteowl wrote a review...



Hi there, AnoCannotUserName (highly relatable username there, haha)! Niteowl here to review.

Since you asked, I'll touch on some grammar things and then get into my thoughts.

For as long as I could remember, I wanted to do things, to be somebody.


I think "something" would work better here since you use the word "things" in the next sentence. I had an English teacher who said she would replace the word "things" in our essay with "bananas". Obviously this isn't a school essay, but "things" is still a vague word that it's best to avoid (my English teacher found "something" acceptable, so it's a good replacement).

As I got older and careers started evolving, I thought of famous YouTuber, a famous blogger, a famous podcaster, a famous influencer.


"Careers started evolving" is a bit awkward. Maybe something like, "As I got older, my career ideas evolved." would work.

Do you get the keyword here? I wanted to be famous.


I would replace "keyword" with "idea".

I want to blog because I want to. Because I want to explore new things and learn and talk about all that I experience.


I would combine these sentences. "I want to blog because I want to learn new things and share my experiences".

Okay, now my thoughts. I can relate to the idea of just wanting to be known/recognized for something. I know when I was younger I wanted to be a pop star, and at one point I wanted to be a world famous author. While I'm definitely glad I don't live the pop star life and I can't write a novel to save my life, I can relate to that idea of wanting recognition. There's been times where I didn't want to bother creating something because I didn't know if anyone would read it. I can also relate to the idea of wanting to be seen as good rather than doing good things for their own sake.

However, I'm not sure I'm on board with the idea of starting a blog with no purpose. Even if your goal in starting a blog isn't fame and fortune, it's hard to build an audience when your focus is "whatever I want it to be". I would think it's a better idea to start with posts focused on a specific topic. This would also make your blogs better, as now you can make quality posts on, say, your favorite genre of music, rather than trying to cover music, acting, writing, and whatever else. As your audience grows, you could then sprinkle in more personal posts. To be fair, I'm no expert on starting a blog, but I am an easily distracted Internet user who would be more inclined to read a focused blog rather than a random one.

Of course, you could also gain an audience by using a distinctive format rather than a specific topic. The classic "Hyperbole and a Half" using detailed Paint drawings to dissect her life (side note: I Googled to see if she ever returned to this blog and now I know there is another book and I am happy) and the long reads with bad drawings format of "Wait but Why" come to mind. So that is a possible way to find your niche as a blogger.

Overall, this is well written, but I'm unsure if starting a blog with no focus is a great idea. Whatever blog you do or do not start, keep writing! :D






Thank you so much for writing this review. I will definitely take all of your suggestions into consideration. Thank you for your advice on the blog. It's given me lots to think about and also thank you for the encouragement. I really appreciated it. :)



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Thu Oct 08, 2020 4:58 pm
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rida wrote a review...



This was amazing, you explained talked about something really nice. I do get the thought of wanting to be...famous sometimes. To be recognised by everyone. And I really look forward to your blog posts. But..... I’m new hear and I don’t know what I should do so that I can know when you post. But I will keep my eyes peeled for any of your posts. I think you would be a great blogger!! Your urge to help others not just for reputation and fame is, I think, a great quality. Anyway, I would like to read about theses things sometimes, not just some fantasy all that time. Bye
:)






Thanks so much for this. I'm very happy you liked it so much. You can keep updated on my blog and journey to create it and other things I do @thebk.blog on Instagram. Also, I'll be posting here on YWS and I'll make posts on my wall too!



Thomasrive says...


Thank you for sharing this useful information on how to start a blog. I'm also planning on starting my own blog since I always had good writing skills and recently I found more free time to focus on my interest, so I said to myself why not give it a try.




To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.
— Proverbs 18:13