This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Gun control talking points... 
I leaned to the right for the first 34 years of my life. Center right. My outlook on politics changed roughly 2004 when President George W. Bush was in office and more details came to light regarding Pat Tillman. This was my “A-ha moment”, where I started to look from different vantage points. A little background on me… I grew up in a very conservative middle class family, I served in the United States Army from 1989 thru 1992 with the 101st Air Borne Division. I am a disabled combat veteran who served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After my term of enlistment, I ran a small business from 1998 until 2006 when I sold it. As I evolved over time, so did my views and opinions. Allow me to share.
LikeLike
When the 2016 election was taking place, I felt this was both a crossroads and pivotal moment for our country. I watched our world gradually change from substance to a world I wasn’t familiar with in my lifetime. In my opinion, Commander in Chief means leadership and integrity. In some way our five minute attention span went from checking and rechecking facts and substance, to the new “Normal” of embracing whatever was trending online and the refusal to look at things objectively , as to what was presented to us and to embrace our elected leaders only after the passed the basic truth test. Our country became dismissive of other views and only embraced their only own political parties viewpoints. This became both very troubling and concerning to me because we stopped looking at data, facts and counterpoints. Our optics became blurred by our own personal agendas. As a country, we all have a say on a myriad of topics. My hopes are to have good debates on issues that will unite us as a country, rather than divide us. We need to calmly talk about real issues and embrace other’s ideas, even if we are resistant, because if only for a moment… it’ll change our optics and let us hear and see things from a different view point. I really hope this forum opens up minds and debates in a constructive manner to search for real solutions to complicated issues. Let’s talk.
LikeLike