It’s Monday and Dr. Tanya is back with her weekly Blogging Insights prompt. She provides us with a quote about blogging or writing and asks us to express our opinion about said quote.
This week’s quote is from American journalist Jeff Jarvis.
“The first step in blogging is not writing them but reading them.”
This quote reminded me of that old piece of advice that you need to learn to walk before you run. Back before I started blogging, I told an acquaintance that I enjoyed writing for fun. He suggested that I start a blog. He said it’s writing but you publish what you write and it’s out there forever in what he called “the ether.”
I asked him what people write about in blogs and he said they write about whatever they want to write about. I thought that was a cool idea so I asked him how to go about starting a blog and he referred me to blogspot.com (now commonly known as Blogger).
I opened an account at blogspot and followed the instructions on how to create a blog. It was pretty simple, and before I knew it, I had actually published a few blog posts. I asked my friend to read my posts and let me know what he thought.
In as a constructive way as possible, he suggested that I spend time reading other blogs to see the kinds of things other bloggers were doing. Not only what they wrote about, but how they wrote about their topics.
Reading the blogs of other bloggers, especially those who had decent followings, helped me quite a bit. I was able to discern what I especially liked or didn’t particularly like about the various blogs I read. And all that reading helped me define my own style and voice for my blog.
So yes, I fully embrace this quote. Take the time to read other blogs and then use what you learned. Don’t plagiarize or try to replicate another blogger’s style. But incorporate what you liked and think would work best for you. And then do your thing…on your blog.
This, That, and the Other 
thats great advice Fandango! I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sound advice. Sometimes we must dig deeper inside to bring forth what’s been there all alone, suppressed by fear and insecurity. We all have so much to share that can touch many people who feel the same way.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I totally agree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your friend gave you good advice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes he did.
LikeLike
I think I had my first blog, but we didn’t call them blogs (but that’s what they were) on Geocities (remember that?). Then there was something else and something else and then I didn’t do anything for a long time because I was running on online business and for all practical purposes, it WAS a blog — or I treated it like a blog. I wanted to be the J. Peterman of online and for a few years, until the great housing bubble collapse in 08, I almost was. It was also before sales tax so I did pretty well. When I closed down Kismet, I wandered aimlessly for a while until someone else said I should blog. “I should what?”
“Blog,” he said.
But I didn’t actually start until I started following a photographer on WordPress and finally, I signed up. One day, I decided to actually post something and here I am, all these years later. I still write about whatever I feel like writing about. Some things never change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very good piece of advice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks.
LikeLike
Welcome, Fandango.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now you tell me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂
LikeLike
Good, practical advice Fandango
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, the old days when Blogspot/Blogger was THE place to write! I started there too, and read tons of posts by looking at what other bloggers were talking about and then writing about it from my own perspective. Now I’m feeling nostalgic!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was some really good advice your friend gave you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it was!
LikeLike
I got advice that was similar in school by an English teacher… reading improves writing and spelling. You see how things look “right” and can notice when they are wrong easier.
LikeLiked by 1 person