Author: Masticina Akicta
Date: 29 August 2022
Plan your target Audience
First of all your blog requires a target audience. In this blogs case the vampire community and those interested. This creates the first filter, what makes a blog post fitting your blog? And what will your audience like? KNOWING your audience helps you plan for a good fun blogging/reading experience. In my case I hang around in discords of the vampire community, as vampire myself that is very welcomed. And next to chatting and offering advice I gather topics for these blog posts.
How I prepare articles for the blog
How do you know what to write on a blog? How do you know when article is ready? What topics make sense and how much work is it to get it ready for prime time?
For every article I post there are two that failed. Disheartening or maybe it is smart.
I see creating articles for the blog much like planting seeds and growing plants. And then deciding what plant is the strongest and worthiest.
And yes if a plant/article fails to reach a certain level then it is stashed away.
From seed to Plant
Everything starts with an idea, a question, a need. Much like this blog grew out of questions how to get things running or why you would run a blog. An idea is the very basics, a need! Someone talks about feeding, or shielding, or safety in a group I am part of and I got an idea for a topic. I seed it then, work out the very basics, how much I need to research, and so on. I will never post it day one! It needs time to grow.
Harvesting on the right time
Returning to it to add to it, trim it, edit it and making sure the idea is valuable enough I create this lovely little plant. It is never perfect, but it is just right. And then it is harvesting time and with a last check it is time to post it. Making sure the spelling is right, it contains everything it needs and isn’t too long. I found that readers don’t like to read too long, not in these days. And longer blog posts need to be cut in multiple parts. Be ready to do that if needed.
Dry Times
Some times are dry. I don’t post weekly on my blog and though I always gather multiple ideas to work on some of them have failed, died. Maybe the wrong time or maybe the topic is beyond me. One has to accept their own limitations after all. And I only can do so much. There are topics that require research I don’t have access too. Yes sometimes I co-work with others to fill that hole. If the topic is important. Else I rather refer to those who are much better at it.
Make your own blog
So you got ideas, hopes, dreams, and see needs around you. You could make a blog too. The world would say you need to update regular and provide top grade content. It needs to be one of those mom blogs that every week has wisdom and… I disagree. I rather want quality over quantity!
Having a folder full of ideas you work on is not a bad idea at all. Some take a while, others require research and help from outsiders too.
In our community information needs to be rehashed and retaught. The younger generation also has a point in there. Definitely since the older generation is getting really old and websites and slowly but surely disappearing.
You’ll need to find a website to host it of course. I use blogger, ran by google. It is simplistic but it works! That is about as much as there can be said. Enough options to for instance tag or set up things. Still simple enough. Another option would be a wordpress blog or even something hosted somewhere else. Niftier and a bit more options. You don’t have to spend money to get your whole own domain and website running for a blog! As long as you are willing to do the other work in it too.
Co Authors and Proofreaders
On certain topics I lack enough insight. I got enough insight to offer advice but it helps to ask the aid of someone closer to it or better trained.
Also a proof reader to make sure the spelling, grammar and more important obvious mistakes are written out. English is a second language for me so inevitable some mistakes will slide through. A fresh set of eyes does wonders.
Co-authors are always a great addition, with their own insight into the matters. For instance Red Dragon who helped me with the Donor Ethics post. It can’t hurt to ask someone to help you.
Publish
The magical time is here, you took time to do research, write, maybe get that co author and work out a very nice post. Full of useful insight and information. You got it through the proof reader so no obvious errors are left in it. And it is greenlit and posted. Hooray! Your work isn’t over yet though.
Connect with other people within the community
It is important not to stay too much in the shadow. Find ways to share it within the community. And be active, so if people have questions you can show them your blog. And connect with other active community members. We might be a community of shadows but that doesn’t means we are dead.
So connect with others, maybe co-author posts. And in discords that allow it share your blog posts. Don’t be shy! You write for a reason, people deserve to read it! And the right audience might use it and you end up with the connections.
Don’t give up!
Remember to Enjoy the Process
In the end you write for an audience but also yourself. So Enjoy the process.
