I’ve been wanting to start a developer blog for a while now, and I finally started blogging in September. With a few posts completed already, I’ve reflected on what successful blogging means to me. Here’s what I came up with:
Clarifying Ideas
When I brainstorm ideas to write about, I also have to consider what I already know about the topic. This makes me have to research the concepts a bit more to make sure I have it right. This means breaking things down, giving examples, and trying new ways to get a point across. I also have to consider my audience and what they may be seeking from the post.
Once I outline what I want to write about, I start the first draft. This tends to be a lot of notes, fragment sentences, and even questions I still have. Good writing involves a lot of editing. I might write several drafts before I feel my writing is clear enough to where I'm ready to publish, and this is where a lot of learning takes place.
Documenting My Journey and Growth
Writing posts helps me keep track of what I am learning and what sparks my interest. I can look back at my blog posts and consider exploring a topic again with a new angle or dive deeper into a particular concept. With more posts, I can analyze what I've been writing about to map out an area of specialization. Publishing posts also allows me to get feedback from readers. I might get comments that introduce me to new ideas and angles I didn't consider yet. I can easily keep these ideas written in a notebook or on my laptop, but there is something exciting about sharing ideas with others.
Publishing Consistently
From what I have learned about blogging, I understand that publishing consistently will help me become a better writer and communicator. To stay consistent, I joined a blogging accountability group. The goal is to write at least one post every two weeks. Having others who share this same goal is a great motivator because there is nothing like having a deadline to keep me on track.
Final Thoughts
Every day, I feel like I need to write something. It can be working on a post, jotting down ideas, or writing in a journal. Daily writing of any kind feels like a healthy habit. Do you feel this way? What does successful blogging mean to you?
Photo courtesy of Andrew Neel on Unsplash