tony pierce's "how to blog"
Of the 30 items in Tony Pierce's
How to Blog list, I've broken a few "rules", not adhered to a few "rules" and generally don't feel too bad about either.
Here are a few that I like, or have broken, or just don't feel I need to do:
1. write every day.
I try.
2. if you think you're a good writer, write twice a day.
Depends on who's judging....but I try to write as often as my little brain feels the need to get something out, even if it's an irrelevant bit of poo. I've found that it really helps kickstart my brain when I
have to write a chapter or an email of questions/explanations for work. It also tends to focus my brain, even if the task I can't focus on has nothing to do with writing.
4. cuss like a sailor.
I don't feel the need to do that. I have no aversion to cussing, I just can't see myself dropping an f-bomb in my blog. God, I hope that doesn't make me a prude!
5. dont tell your mom, your work, your friends, the people you want to date, or the people you want to work for about your blog.
Shit. (hey - I cussed) My friends/co-workers and parents are the
only people who read my blog!
9. use Blogger. [...]
yay for Blogger.
12. link like crazy. link anyone who links you, link your favorites, link your friends. dont be a prude. linking is what seperates bloggers from apes. and especially link if you're trying to prove a point and someone else said it first. it lends credibility even if youre full of shit.
I'm learning to link. Linking requires me to go out and find things to link to, which I'm also trying to learn how to do (it's a time thing, not a skill thing).
14. remember: nobody cares which N*Sync member you are, what State you are, which Party of Five kid you are, or which Weezer song you are. the second you put one of those things on your blog you need to delete your blog and try out for the marching band. similarilly, nobody gives a shit what the weather is like in your town, nobody wants you to change their cursor into a butterfly, nobody wants to vote on whether your blog is hot or not, and nobody gives a rat ass what song youre listening to. write something Real for you, about you, every day.
I think this is hiLARious, but I am easily suckered into some of the more interesting "quizzes" only because, well, come on....which 80's toy are you? that's funny. Except, I was a speak-n-spell so maybe I'm not so cool.
26. dont be afraid to come across as an asswipe. own your asswipeness.
I almost wish I could be as much of an asswipe in my blog as I sometimes am in real life, because I'd like to write an entry about how I own my asswipeness. Really.
28. tell us about your friends.
I would, but then people would know I only have four.
30. read tons of blogs and leave nice comments.
I'm starting to do this, too, in blogs of complete strangers. I think it's a good thing.
