Since my University is on a mountain and it’s snowing like crazy in BC, my classes were canceled due to treacherous road conditions. Over at the Blog Azeroth forums, Rhoeyln asked a series of questions about blogging:
Hi, all. I’m going to follow past precedent and make a little request, here. I’m very new to the blogosphere, but I’ve been wanting an avenue in which to collect my long list of WoW thoughts. I want to start writing a blog. However, I feel like a very fat fish in very shallow waters. I don’t know how to move or breathe.
Could someone put together a list of steps to get started? What do you need? What should you have prepared before you publish? What does a successful schedule have to hold to keep the readers interested? What did you have put in place before you got started with the meaty-meat of writing?
Advice or resources to get the ball rolling would really be useful. Also, if anyone has thoughts about what the blogosphere hates or loves, needs or absolutely doesn’t need, I’d love to hear those, too.
Thank you,
~Rhoelyn
I started writing up a large response but then I realized it would be a lot larger then a simple forum post. With that in mind, I’m going to start writing a series of posts on WoW Blogging 101.
It will cover:
- Part 1: Before You Start
- Elements of a WoW Blog (features and such)
- Part 3: How I Write my Posts
- Writing and ideas in general
- Promoting your blog
- Commenting etiquette and ethics
- Statistics
- Extra resources and reading
- Conclusions and Final Thoughts
I don’t know when I’ll finish. But knowing me and my work ethic, I’ll probably finish within the week. Yes, I’m also aware I wrote this out of order. It’s how I roll! =)
Well Matticus I’m glad your taking the time to write this series of WoW Blogging 101 posts in getting started and helping all those that are new getting started. I’m was thinking while I was reading your post man I must be old at this blogging thing having being at it a while and watching so many new players starting their own new adventure blogging. An adventure it is.
When I started blogging in the beginning long ago, I really didn’t know that many bloggers back then. There were only a few dedicated ones at it. There were 3 blogs I read back then and all 3 are still around. One was a player that played my class the other 2 are big time blogs being BoK, BRK.
But it was the other player playing my class that inspired me. I was learning from him through his blog as he leveled that helped me because I was at least 10 levels behind him. So when I started my blog it was more like a diary of my progression.
I picked a hosted platform to keep it simple. It was just something fun to do in deciding to blog. But I kept it simple in the beginning. I just did a nice format and template theme and went from there. I wasnt sure if I would last a week at blogging or if I would like it. But I kept it simple and just did one post to start as a introduction of who I was and why I was here. I did start talking my first post theorcrafting about how to Paladin. Just a introduction. After that it was just to be consitant at just doing “One More Post” thats all it became.
Over a week or two I found I could be consistent at writing one post to the next. I just kept it simple without overcomplicating everything and having a need that I need to be, do or say everything. It took at least a month of consistency to find my voice of just how I wanted to blog as a format. When I did I stuck with it. I just be myself and blog the way I wanted to blog in a way thats fun for me. If it wasnt fun I couldnt continue. But it was fun and still is.
Consistency helps in estabilishing your self as a blogger in the community. It helps to see your self being around down the road. I don’t blog everyday, I cant. I’m just too busy with work. But I’m predictable in how often I also post that you know something will be up soon. I just blog the same way I play my character I guess, with dedication. Thats how you keep doing one more post.
Blogged from my IPhone.
Galo: What are you working for Apple now? =)
Thank you so much for the information. If only you would of wrote this last week you would of saved having to answer all my dumb questions over at BlogAzeroth.
Thanks again,
Bel
Thanks Matticus,
Just started my own blog today and your guides and advise has come in very handy.
~ Bisc