I haven’t been very happy with the way I’ve been blogging lately. I feel like I’m straying farther and farther away from the essence of this blog and more into “What can I write that will get me a lot of comments?”
It’s a horrible way to blog.
When I first started blogging, it was just because I liked to write and I liked having a way to document my thoughts and feelings about what was happening in my life. I never received comments and the only person I knew who read my blog was my mom.
But now I have followers. I receive comments on every blog post. I have made friends through blogging. I have given and received advice. I have debated over religious and political viewpoints. I have found a blogging community where I belong.
I love that part of the blogging. I don’t love what my (minor) popularity has done to my blogging. I remember Shalay writing a post about this last summer. It was a great post that sums up all of my thoughts in her hilarious blunt way.
See, I’m trying to figure out where I belong exactly. I’m not in a relationship of any kind. I’m not planning a wedding. I’m not a newlywed. I’m not married. I’m not a mother. I’m not pregnant. I’m not trying to become pregnant. I hate cooking. I suck at designing and decorating. I’m not training for a marathon. I don’t care about fashion. I’m not interested in sharing every mundane detail about my weight loss efforts. I’m not living abroad. I don’t have an interesting job. I can’t talk about anything that happens at my job on this blog. I can’t talk about anything that happens at my internship on this blog. I’m not living on my own. The only bills I pay are my credit card bills. I live with my mom. I’m not moving out any time soon. I’m not moving to another state for a job. I’m not interested in missions work (yet). I don’t travel. The finest restaurant I eat out at is Carrabba’s.
Frankly, my life is boring. I work, I go to school, I’m in an internship. I have a healthy relationship with my mom. I have few friends and no social life to speak of. I watch way too much TV and take naps whenever possible. I’m a homebody.
I’m trying to figure what type of blogger I want to be. Am I a seven-day-a-week blogger? A three-day-a-week blogger? A one-day-a-week blogger? A once-every-other-week blogger?
I know I want to go back to the basics of blogging again. I want to get back to writing. I want to write about my thoughts and feelings again. I want to stop completely meme’s and participating in every weekly feature I can find. I want to start honing my writing skills and this blog is the perfect place for that.
Maybe my niche is that I don’t have a niche. I’m just a blogger. I’m just a blogger who is trying her hardest to break into the publishing world, has doubts about every aspect of her life, and loves her family more than anything in this world.
Some things are going to change around here. And I hope you all stay along for the ride. I promise it’ll be worth it.
Blogging is, like anything else, unique to the person writing the blog.
I wish I had lots of followers and tons of comments, but that hasn't happened for me yet. So I continue writing about what I know, or like. I don't travel or have a hella exciting life, but I love to write.
I think finding your blog's voice takes more than a weekend of deep thought. Because finding out what you want to blog about it finding out who you are, and some of us never really understand ourselves. Those who do are lucky.
I think the question you should be asking yourself isn't what you should be blogging about. It's what do you enjoy writing about? For me, it's making people laugh, movies, fashion, technology, and romance.
Once you figure out what you enjoy writing about, the rest will come naturally, like breathing.
I may never have tons of comments or hundreds of followers, but I can look back over posts I wrote months ago, and enjoy reading them.
I don't think you need to be any specific TYPE of blogger either. Don't worry about that… Just be Stephany… cause that's why we read you. We like you.
I totally feel you on this, and I feel like every blogger experiences this at some point in their blogging "career" (for lack of a better word). I had a similar experience where I realized my writing was more about attracting/pleasing an audience and that I was losing my real voice.
It's hard to find a balance, especially because it feels nice to have people who read you and you want to keep them around. But just remember that probably all of these people decided to follow you because of your original writing. Blogging is personal – it's about your unique story and take on life. And that's what most readers (including myself) are interested in reading.
I hope you figure it out! It might take a bit to get back into your groove but I'm sure you'll find it.
I have to LOL at this post, just because last week, I was thinking the EXACT.SAME.THING.
And I posted about it, I was feeling "pressured" to conform my blog to what everyone else was just so I could get more comments or followers, and that's not what my blog is about.
I guess I decided that my blog was about me, my life, and if people wanted to read about it…great! But I'm not going to change who I am to fit into their mold.
🙂
It took a quite a while for me to find my blogging voice, to write what was important to me and not something that I thought would attract a lof of comments. Forget google analytics, site meter, whatever other hit counter you have. You can drive yourself crazy over the number of hits you do or don't have, I've been there. I've known the pressure to try to keep up a 5 day a week writing schedule. Forget it. As soon as you stop worrying about it, you'll find your voice and your audience. Write what comes naturally to you and when it comes. If you have a schedule great, but if one day you don't want to post, don't beat yourself up over it. Be true to yourself. Write about what you know or what you want. I could have written that 6th paragraph myself. There is nothing remotely exciting about my life yet there is always something to write about. You'll find what works for you.
Oh yes, I wasn't LOLing AT you, but because I was glad someone else felt the same way I did…needed to clarify that. :))
Stephany, are you going through a blogger crisis?
So AM I! I went to this SXSW food blogger workshop and it left me feeling undefined. I'm mid transfer of food posts from my personal to my new food blog and I thought being a 'food' themed blogger was a niche enough, but apparently not! These bloggers at these workshops were all specialized! organic cooking vs. tacos vs. casseroles vs cupcakes vs vegetarian! I was one of very few 'generic' bloggers. It gave me kind of an identity crisis.
What's worse is ever since I moved my food posts to a food blog, my personal blog is having an identity crisis of it's own.
🙁 let's hold hands or something. haha
I don't have a niche either, unless you count blogging about The Hills a niche. Let's high-five, shall we?
I know exactly what you're talking about!
I don't think I have a niche either. I was going for something funny, but then I noticed how hard it is to always be funny and to come up with a funny subject.
I just made a pact with myself to post whatever I want to post. Don't think, just write.
And don't worry, I'll definitely stay for the ride!
Great post…sometimes I feel the same way. For the longest time, I didn't really "read" other blogs because I wasn't into decorating and babies and when I was getting married, no one read my blog except the occasional real-life friend that stopped by. Sometimes I think to myself, what to blog, what to blog…that's why I describe my blog as…random.
I was in the same boat as you last year trying to figure out my niche. I found it in book reviews, giveaways, etc. However, I want to do more than that. My blog is called "Her Silent Musings," so I plan to actually muse. I've been "musing" and mulling over organizing a schedule for my blog. I think I might be able to pull off three posts every week. But, like you, I'm in school, I have a job, and I have Peaches, my cousin and best friend. I don't really have a social life, but as Amy Adams as Julie in Julie and Julia said, "I can write a blog. I have thoughts." Only, I'm no cook, so I won't be doing as she did. Lol. But I definitely get where you're coming from. Hope you get things worked out! 😀
Changes are always good – I'm very intrigued 🙂
Oh I totally don't havea niche either. I sometimes feel uh-oh, if I post about my wedding, I'll lose readers who happen to be guys. If I post about a recipe I tried I'll lose readers who don't care. And if I post about getting through anxiety one more time people will remove me from their readers completely throwing their arms in the air crying out "get over it already"!!! I think I totally lost readers this week (checked my stats) after my first and last emo post. But at the end of the day, I still had a few people sticking around – and those are the people I'm so glad I keep blogging for. People like you, miss. Even though you're miles away I'm glad we're friends, and don't worry too much about finding a niche – at the end of the day you're going to look back at this blog and it's your journey, nobody else's. And I'm totally enjoying reading everything you post 🙂
I totally understand how you feel! I never felt like your blog was about 'how many comments I can get' though. I have to admit some of the blogs I follow are beginning to get like that which I don't like. I prefer when people just stay true to what they want to write about… not what they think people want to read about!
You're right, you don't have to give yourself a title. Just be you. Totally cheezy but highly effective.
I'm not any of those either! I feel ya. You just have to write what you know and just be yourself. 🙂 Hope you're having a good week!
Oh but we love you anyway. Obviously. I love your mind, like you love my closet. Lets switch. LOL. You are so sweet, and so candid. Candid is the best. "EFF" comments. write what moves you, and we will follow. comment or not. <3
Actually, I found that I'm more likely to read [and comment on] posts like…well, this. Or posts where you talk about things, what your up to, something along those lines. So yeah. *shrugs* Just my two cents.
God bless,
~Laura
I have felt that way before especially before I got married and bought a house. You're an amazing writer and I love reading your posts. It's funny how sometimes when I have boring days I'm thinking to myself, "Oh no! seriously then what am I going to blog about now?" jeez or if something exciting happened I automatically think to myself that I've got to blog about this!
Anyways, you're awesome! 🙂
I definitely know what you mean about this. Personally I think my life is boring too. My blog is technically a "healthy living blog" but I probably only really focus on healthy living topics 3-4 times a week and then sometimes I just blog about whatever I feel like. I don't think you have to have a niche, you can just be you 🙂
That's the beauty of blogging… finding your niche, but just getting to be yourself because, Hey! It's YOUR blog!
Amen 🙂
Incidentally, I personally think homebodies are the best, most content people I know 🙂 I always think there's something desperate about people who keep their lives consistently hectic.
I think there's quite a lot to be said for "boring" lives; perhaps "peaceful" is a better word. I think it's lovely.
Smiling…
Abbie
I pretty much write about what I want when I want. Right now I have nothing better to do than blog because I have no job and no school.
However, when I'm busier I blog less.
It's just nice to know that either way I have people that read my words and can relate to what I write, ya know?
I had that same struggle with blogging last summer. Like, everyone else's blogs seem to have some sort of overriding theme, and mine was (is) random nonsense. But then I thought about Seinfeld, and how "it's a show about nothing!" That's sort of how I feel about my blog. It's a blog about nothing. But hopefully, like Seinfeld, it's still somewhat entertaining. Good luck with your writing. Stick with it. You don't feel interesting, but you are!
Hi! This post is excellent! Thanks for sharing it. I have recently started my own blog with the intent of finding my niche over the next 12-months. I'm new to blogging, so if you get a chance, check it out. I'd love to hear any feedback, or input you may have!
Thanks again, and keep posting, I'll be back!
Lee-Ann 😉
http://www.lee-annsniche.blogspot.com
That's the beauty of blogging… finding your niche, but just getting to be yourself because, Hey! It's YOUR blog!
Amen 🙂
Incidentally, I personally think homebodies are the best, most content people I know 🙂 I always think there's something desperate about people who keep their lives consistently hectic.
I think there's quite a lot to be said for "boring" lives; perhaps "peaceful" is a better word. I think it's lovely.
Smiling…
Abbie
Changes are always good – I'm very intrigued 🙂
Oh yes, I wasn't LOLing AT you, but because I was glad someone else felt the same way I did…needed to clarify that. :))
It took a quite a while for me to find my blogging voice, to write what was important to me and not something that I thought would attract a lof of comments. Forget google analytics, site meter, whatever other hit counter you have. You can drive yourself crazy over the number of hits you do or don't have, I've been there. I've known the pressure to try to keep up a 5 day a week writing schedule. Forget it. As soon as you stop worrying about it, you'll find your voice and your audience. Write what comes naturally to you and when it comes. If you have a schedule great, but if one day you don't want to post, don't beat yourself up over it. Be true to yourself. Write about what you know or what you want. I could have written that 6th paragraph myself. There is nothing remotely exciting about my life yet there is always something to write about. You'll find what works for you.