A lot of people are interested in starting a blog, but they are uneasy for many reasons. Perhaps they are worried about the content or publishing. It can be hard to keep up with writing and there are so many things that may be extremely offensive and controversial. If this applies to you, I'm here to tell you that blogging is doable for everyone, and I think you should try it. (This is not an article on how to write a blog, rather, what my experience has been and what you should consider before throwing out the idea of starting a blog.)
I was an underclassman in high school when I started a blog. I was not a "blogger," but I decided to write stories from the point of view of someone else who was in the similar situation that I was. These blogs were told in first-person, and they were also very full of teenage angst. In other words, no one would want to read them. A friend found them, and I immediately killed the site. I didn't blog again until I was a senior in high school. I grew up in a home with no internet, so the only time I had to write on my blog was at school. I didn't have a good idea about what I wanted to write about, so I started and stopped many blogs. It wasn't until I was at university that I actually started to write on a consistent blog. It is fun to write and it is fun to see who reads it. I know the US is obvious, but I also get hits from the UK and Australia, probably due to the language.
One of the reasons I started to blog was because I felt lost about who I was. Writing and posting something to the public where anyone could see it was, to me, an adventure. My friends who were there for me didn't seem to listen, but the Internet was open. This is not me saying to form strictly Internet relationships because that can get dangerous, but when you don't have a face, anyone can seem willing to listen. However, getting my feelings out on in public was also refreshing. I would not encourage doing this to the extent of ranting, but that is why I killed that particular blog. It seemed too rant-like, though looking back, it wasn't as bad as some people's social media these days. When I started it up again, I was writing about experiences and traveling. It was much more free and interesting to read.
I would encourage anyone to start a blog. Blogs can be about almost anything and you can find a blog for just about everything. I love reading travel and food blogs, but most people blog about their life and ideas. My friends who have blogs write about their lives and opinions. One of my best friends is a journalist and blogs about his experiences as well as his religion. Putting your writing out on the web is weird, but it also holds you accountable. No one wants to read a Facebook rant or something inappropriate. It also teaches writing skills. Blog posts don't have to be the standard academic eight- to 10-page paper. They do, however, have to be well-articulated, polished, clean, and professional. There should not be any grammatical or conventional errors. At the Odyssey we have an editor, but on a self-published blog it's just you. However, if you have the drive, blogging can be very enjoyable. I love writing about different ideas, and I love seeing when people read them and either like them or don't like them (and that is okay, too). Blogging can also help the mind. Journaling can be therapeutical in ways and can help declutter. A blog does not have to be a journal of absolutely everything that happened in a day or week, but writing about things that happen also helps to access a day without having a million people commenting on your status.
As an added bonus, if your blog gets really popular and you DO have a million people reading and commenting on your blog, you can make it into a job! Writing to make money; what could be better than that?!
Writing a blog can be a lot of fun! I would highly encourage everyone to start a blog. There is so much that you can discover from your own writing. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many people read it or if people disagree with you. You should blog for yourself and your ideas.
