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Last weekend was my 52nd blog posting. A Year Of Blogging. (Doesn’t have the same ring as A Year In Provence.) One blog was a greeting card wishing everyone a Happy New Year so technically today’s posting is my true 52nd blog. Over the course of this past year many people have asked how I come up with topics and what will I do when I run out of things to write about. How funny.
When I first started several people said I should do a monthly blog because I’d burn out and I’d run out of topics. I could write a blog every day. First, topics are limitless. Anything the brain can think of can be put into a blog. Second, some of the things that pop into my brain would not be appreciated by some readers and I do strive to be informative and at the very least as inoffensive as possible. It is possible to offend people even though it isn’t deliberate. Lastly, sometimes a topic is so important I process it over two or three weeks.
For example, early on I posted five lessons on how to start a small craft business which I did three years ago now and am entering my fourth year of the craft circuit (go to www.sharonstrawhandgarner.com though I’m in hiatus now and haven’t posted new inventory yet). I wanted to share the mistakes I made so that others would not suffer as I did early on in setting up a business. The creation of crafts is nothing--setting up the business end is a tremendous challenge. Most of my steps apply to any small business, however, so the lessons are helpful.
Another series of six lessons was on how to publish a book. Naturally I didn’t advise anyone on how to write a book but explained the process of doing it and publishing it. What a daunting undertaking but it changed the course of my life. I have more of those multi-part blogs on my list of topics. One topic that many will find odd is how to have nice nails without going to a salon. I have always had nice manicured hands and it’s very easy if a few steps are followed. But that blog is way down on the list. I’m only writing that one because I’m always asked how I manage to have nice nails. It’s a secret. (But I’ll share.)
And the list is long. Almost every day I think of a topic or a friend will suggest a topic or quite often the news provides fodder for my mill. I’m currently preparing one on Hiking In Iran. I could write a blog daily on my pets. They are very entertaining. Not only are the topics limitless but the treatment can be overwhelmingly long on some of them and I strive to keep that under control. That’s why some of them spill over to other weeks. Some writers often find it hard to get started or to pick up on a cold topic but I have always had the opposite problem. Once I start typing I can’t stop until my, uh, “back” hurts.
The most fun part of all of this is receiving emails from total strangers. I have no idea how word travels around but I have a nice steady stream of readers and each week I receive fun emails. Many are from people I’ve met at craft fairs. They take my business card or the item they purchase has my contact info and then they visit my site to look at inventory but then see the link to the blog! Some have been critical comments and I love that too. I haven’t been criticized for accuracy because I check all my facts or state that I have not checked something and often I include links for readers to check further. But some of my topics have been criticized.
I received the most comments after the posting about Michael Jackson. Most were positive but some suggested I should not have written about a child molester regardless of his talent in such an endearing way. That was odd because I thought it was a fairly honest look at his life though, yes, I unabashedly adored him. I’m still conflicted about my feelings on that topic because I so desperately want to believe he did not molest children, that he simply used bad judgment visiting with them in inappropriate situations. I still find it crushingly sad that he is gone.
The next topic that sent people into an email frenzy was the topic of alcoholism, which was done in two parts because the second part was devoted entirely to beer, an evil beverage. I was almost afraid to read my email when I posted that blog but I was stunned to learn how many people felt exactly the same way I do about alcoholism as a disease: alcoholism is not the same as muscular dystrophy. The former can be “cured” by not drinking alcohol; the second waits for a miracle cure. Many of the people who wrote shared a few sad stories they had experienced personally. And most of them said beer was the main culprit.
I’ve made time to work on my second book and thought my blogs would be delayed or abandoned but I was wrong. Amazingly I can write both with the only problem being I eventually get a sore “back.” I have three foam pillows on my special chair with lumbar support but still, that part of the body can only take so much. When it gets bad I walk my dogs.
I appreciate all the wonderful comments from family, friends, and strangers, and hope to continue blogging. I think at this point I have about two years of blog topics. And remember: I add to that list every day. I welcome suggestions though when I get around to a topic is based solely on my mood on a given Monday. Mondays are the days I pick a topic and play around with it. Each day I work on it for a few minutes and by Friday it’s ready for hardcore completion. I like to post on Sundays. Maybe I’ll do a blog on how to do a blog. Hey, that’s a good idea! See? I’ll put it on my list now.
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