Blogosis

What is the driving force behind any great writer? How about for any great blogger? No matter what you are writing about, you should not be writing for money. Even if your blog is about money, don’t write for money. Any good writer will tell you they write because they have a passion for it. Any great blogger will tell you just the same.

This is why we have niche blogs. You shouldn’t be picking a blog niche that is “guaranteed to make money” unless that niche is one you truly have a passion for. I quite enjoy writing and blogging, so I joined in the ‘writing a blog’ niche. I have a huge interest in technology, and live 1 KM from one of the largest technology store complexes in the world, which is why I just opened pcmonitorreview.com. Both of these blogs allow me to passionately write about what I love.

Think about the great things you can blog when you truly love what you are writing about. Those were some good posts, right? So keep writing about that. Don’t jump off the boat and swim in murky waters, if you know what I mean, unless you are truly interested in murky waters. Let that interest guide your writing. If you lose that interest, if you lose that passion, stop and rethink your blogging plan. Is this what you wanted? No.

The benefits about writing from your passions are limitless.

1. Gain a sense of fulfillment from your blog posts
2. You will write much better
3. You may write a lot quicker allowing for more time outside of blogging
4. Readers love blogs that are fueled by passion
5. You are less likely to need outside reference to write a blog post
6. You can just get an idea and instantly write about it
7. You will have more to blog about
8. You will have more personal experience listed in the blog
9. Easier to think of a blog post
10. Easier to think of a blog topic name
11. Get satisfaction from letting others know about what you love
12. Makes you want to actively participate in the community
13. Community will come to you for answers
14. Less headaches
15. Don’t need to think about writing as it comes naturally
16. You don’t have to find a blog topic, the topic finds you
17. Passion comes with original content
18. More fluid blog entries
19. Become the professional of the community
20. Create a very strong voice

Those are just 20 of my ideas about blogging from passion. I know there are a ton of other ideas that could be written here, but I want to leave chances open for the community to respond. Do you write from passion? If not, how the hell do you do it?

Many new bloggers get upset or frustrated when their blog isn’t the smash hit they thought it would be.
“The time and effort I put into this blog article should be getting more comments, more page views, more Stumbles or Diggs, and I should be making 100s of dollars a month by now,” says blog noob to his subscribers. I thought this myself when I started blogging. I thought I had the killer domain (moneyandblog(dot)com actually is a pretty killer domain for a make money on your blog niche), I thought I put up quality posts, and I thought I was doing everything I could to get control of the blogosphere. Notice the keywords? “I thought.”

This is a challenge new bloggers will have to get over. No matter how enthusiastic you are about your material, no matter how much you paid for that hosting plan built for Wordpress, and no matter how much you might think you are encouraging you blog readers to comment, don’t expect too much. Your time and effort you exhausted to post a blog is not pinged. Unless you just wrote the most comprehensive list of Adsense alternative affiliate programs (hehehe) or a 20 page report on the human rights issues going on in North Korea (hehehe), don’t start believing your readers will understand that amount of time. No one sees what goes on behind their computer screen. In the end you are the only real judge of the amount of effort put into your blog

A tip to new bloggers: High expectations lead to disappointments, while low expectations have exactly the opposite effect. Aim low and you might see your effort be all worthwhile. I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim for high goals, but don’t think you are a blogging rocket being propelled into the upper reaches of the blogosphere. Building a successful blog will take time, effort, pain and loss. After a little over a month of serious blogging I can already tell you this.

Outside from myself, I get very little from blogging. My affiliate programs are miserable right now (why are you more willing to click on Google ads?), so I am not making very much money. I’ve spent nearly 14 hours on weekend days troubleshooting my blogs, writing posts, editing blogs, configuring advertising, commenting other blogs, and setting up links to my contest. Lately, I’ve been sleeping only 3 – 4 hours a night because I want to get in one more post or one more link before I sleep. (You don’t have to remind me how unhealthy this is. Don’t worry. I took a nap at school today, and took 1 hour off of work every week) Honestly, I have never ever been so dedicated to anything in my life. Not even my girlfriend (No, I have never cheated on her, and yes, that is my supermodel girlfriend … ) The time and effort I’ve put into this blog is staggering, both a loss, but it all still feels like I am gaining so much from the experience.

There is this thing called satisfaction. Satisfaction is what should drive any writer, bloggers included. This is what keeps me up those sleepless nights. The money and success possible from it is all something I put on the sidelines. Learn to be satisfied with your blogging, without the need of others, and I guarantee you will start to see a change in your blogging. Comments and links should never really be in the back of your head when writing a blog entry. Pretend you are the only one that will ever read the post, and any extra subscriber is just a little surprise in your Feedburner stats. It is their way of saying I appreciate the way you write.

I will write more on how to gain satisfaction from your blog in a future post, but first, I want to know what you blog for. Fame? Wealth? Satisfaction? Men that pretend to be young women over AIM (we all know your chances of dating an attractive woman you met on Myspace is 1 in 34 million. Funny I am saying this when I dated 3 of my 4 serious girlfriends from Myspace)?

Tell me your story. Remember, all comments will be considered in a giveaway for a free month of advertising on this blog!

I have a notebook. It is a small notebook that I keep in my backpack when I go to school, and it sits on top of my desk when I am there, or at home. This notebook is my “blogging notebook.” It has saved me hours upon hours of work towards my blog.

It is part of my whole process of planning, and to every single blogger in the universe, make it part of yours. I use my blogging notebook to jot down new ideas. If I end up writing about these, I cross it out, and write a date next to it. It gives me an alternative method to tracking my posts, so I can go back and see if I already wrote about a similar topic or if I can link to other articles in my current post. Looking at my notebook now, I see I can do this. Remember how I told you to change the situation you are in to stimulate your mind? Going from digital to plain old paper is one trick.

There are tons of other reasons I can see why anyone would want to use a notebook rather than a computer. A paper notebook is much more personal than my notebook computer. Those are your own words, your own handwriting, your personal style being scratched onto the page. It makes a stickier connection, you know? Try it, and maybe you will.

I can use my blogging notebook whenever I want because it is light and portable. I’m not going to drag my computer out in the middle of my formal logic course or during my psychology course, mostly because it is distracting and the classes require my attention. My handy dandy notebook sits on my desk with my pen jotting down notes. I write down quotes, ideas that just pop up, or take suggestions from the people next to me. Occasionally, I’ve written down the day’s homework assignment within. It helps me be productive within the class and towards my blog, without creating extra distractions.

Do you use a notebook to blog? Do you write out whole post, and are there any other things you use that paper notebook for?

John Chow, the blogger that he is, is holding a writing contest of his own to hand out an extra ticket to Affiliate Summit. Here is my entry in response to this post of his.

John Chow,

What would I do with that $1500 dollar ticket to Affiliate Summit? I would get a real education, that is what I would get out of this ticket. I could be learning about the world of website affiliates at this conference. I could be networking with CEOs and other bloggers like myself. I could expand my horizons into that which is internet marketing. Unfortunately, Affiliate Summit is not where I’d be getting this real education.

How would I get that real education you ask? Well, first…

I would sell that ticket on Ebay. There must be some other sucker willing to buy that thing. To bad for him (or her), everything said, spoken, written, photographed and taped at this meeting will be online within one week after Affiliate Summit. I will be able to watch this all for free, so why not sell the ticket for an extra weeks wait. This is in no offense to you John, but bloggers should not have to be paying this much to hear you repeat what you have already said on your own blog.

Anyways, I would sell that ticket, yes I would, and apply that money towards my college degree in marketing. That is how what I would gain from my experience with Affiliate Summit. I would be supported, by you, in finishing an educational goal.

I hope you may still consider me for the running in this contest, Mr. Chow. The ticket would really help a student in need. I live off of student loans, and cannot work legally in the country I study in (Thailand). A quick 1500 bucks minus Ebay fees would be a blessing, and the thank yous you would receive from me would fill your mail box daily. So help a student out, Johny. Send someone who bought a ticket from me on Ebay to Affiliate Summit!

Thank you and Sincerely,

Justin Dupre

Pretty good, right? I think I have a really good chance of winning this thing!

I just started my Introduction to Philosophy course today at college. My professor seems like a great guy and dedicated to what he does. He is extremely intelligent, with three majors (Philosophy, Business Management, and Economics) and he “comes prepared to class with a sense of humor” according to his syllabus. He delivers. Anyways, here is what he had to say to our class today.

Read the rest of this entry »

What am I going to write today? What should I write about today? I don’t know what to write about so I am going to keep writing until I know what to write about. Oh, that sounds like an excellent idea for a blog topic. In fact, it is. Let us move on.

Blogger’s block, the blogger’s equivalent to writer’s block, is something that happens to even the best bloggers. It’s similar to having a wall between your brain and your hands. You have the idea in your head, whether or not you know you have it, and this wall is stopping it from reaching your keyboard, or pen, whichever you prefer to use for writing your drafts. Knock out the wall, and the problem is fixed.

In my university English courses, they stress that we need to get over our writer’s block. Even if you aren’t at the age where you are entering college, or you’ve gone well past the years where that is an option, if you’d truly like to be a blogger (especially for those thinking they would like to go pro) I suggest you take creative writing classes wherever you can. Community colleges offer great rates that are usually just as good as any big-shot university. If you know any authors, bloggers, or journalists personally, ask them if they could help teach/train you.

Because I am lucky enough to be in college now, I know plenty of exercises to get past my blogger’s block. Here are just some of the things I use to help me when I am stuck.

Write, write, write, and don’t stop writing.

Write about anything, in or outside of your niche for about 2 minutes. After two minutes, you should have some ideas but if not just keep writing until you do. Remember, do not stop for anything. This stimulates your brain to start thinking, because it doesn’t want to be writing gibberish for 2 minutes. My example of this exercise can be seen in the first paragraph.

Change what you write with.

If you type all your blog drafts, try writing one by hand. If you write by hand, try typing a draft or two. If you write with pen, write with pencil. Go outside and write a blog entry with sidewalk chalk if you can! A change of setting may be uncomfortable, but it is very efficient. This is all about stimulating your brain, and new experiences are what makes our brain work the hardest.

How about a change of setting?

I nearly always write on my bed. I don’t have access to a desk in my apartment. It is a boring and bland environment, but I’ve trained myself to ignore it. When I am writing I zone out and don’t notice much around me. For others, it may be something that is impeding on your writing. Go outside and listen to the sounds around you, sit in a lounge, coffee, or internet café. If you can’t leave for any reason, change what room you are in. Living in a one room apartment? Change your own position. Move to the floor, a

What is the number one cause of blogger’s block?

Failure to plan. Straight up, if you never plan, you will always be stressing your brain to be stimulated the moment you are wanting to post a blog. That is not going to happen. Why not write a little extra when your brain is already stimulated? Stop being lazy, and if you already know a future blog topic, write about it now. You can build up a stock pile of blog posts depending on how frequently you post. I try to write 2 – 3 blogs at a time. This way, if I don’t know what I will write about the next day, I can just take a day off from writing and use from my stock.

Never stress your brain too hard, kiddies. If you’ve been thinking but not writing for 30 minutes or so, stop, take a break, get something to eat and drink, listen to music. Let your brain find its own stimuli if you can’t make it come on your own. Do what you would do normally if you weren’t blogging. Some of the best blogs I’ve written come to mind when I am living out my daily tasks.

Got an idea now? Great! Subscribe to show me how much you appreciate my help.

Also, an update on the contest. I only have two email subscribers. That means a 50/50 chance to win! Check out here for details and rules.

Sometimes, I just never want to write a damn thing. We all have those days where you want to stay in bed, sit around and do nothing. I’ve skipped meals cause I get too lazy to go out and buy food when food is 5 steps outside of my door (street vendors in Thailand are strategically placed 3 feet in front of any apartment exit door), and I sure as hell am not going to make it myself. I just get to lazy to think and do anything including writing my blog.

How can I, as well as you, solve this problem? Reward yourself for writing a blog post! When you got a good grade in 1^st grade, you got that shiny smilie face sticker. Looking back you probably feel ridiculous, but who pimped that off to their friends? “Hey, look at my smilie face sticker! Did you get one? No? Haha, you suck! I’m the best! Nanana…” You get the picture. You were just proud that you got rewarded.

You need to find something that will make you proud, or glad, happy, because of what you wrote. Obviously, there are the trackbacks and comments that you might get from a well written blog, but sometimes we don’t get those. In those cases, comment yourself. Reward yourself with something relaxing or something spontaneous.

Tell yourself before writing, “If I finish this blog post, reread it, check it for errors, and publish it, I am going to give myself (insert reward here).” Make it something you love. If you didn’t eat, and you really want to, refrain, write first and then go eat. If you want to play some Death Match on Halo 3, but you haven’t written your daily blog post, work on your blog. Then you can go frag some noobie ass. You got a steamy date tonight? Well, that’s your reward.

If you don’t finish your blog though, do not, I repeat , DO NOT go off and do what you were going to reward yourself with. This is just spoiling yourself. You are training yourself that it is okay to slack on a job that you are doing. Food, gaming, and that hot chick/guy is just going to have to wait until you fulfill that goal that you are after.

Let us review:

1. You want to do something, but you didn’t write your blog today. That is your goal
2. Get up, get focused and know when you are done writing, you will get that prize.
3. You might be in a rush, but don’t be. Take your time to write thoroughly and correct your spelling and grammar.
4. When you are done writing, reward yourself.
5. Always remember, you may get extra rewards from your blog readers (Trackbacks and Comments and Links, Oh My!)

What is my reward for writing this blog? It’s almost 3 pm and I still haven’t taken a shower. I smell lovely.

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You will probably love Squidoo.What is Squidoo? It’s like Wikipedia in a sense. Members create pages about specific topics. The difference in Squidoo is that it allows for an infinite amount of topics to be posted, whether or not it has been previously posted or not, and it is yours and yours only.

The really cool thing about Squidoo is that while the pages are advertised with Adsense for Squidoo, they will split the money made from Adsense on your page. I like to think of it as a mini-blog/website due to the fact that you can constantly update it, or leave it static if you’d like. There are widgets and lots of options to help make money as well. They offer commission for people sent through your Lens (think of it like your blog) that purchase items. You can make money from Amazon and Ebay programs. If you choose to do so, the money you make can be sent to charity, all of it or some of it, instead of taking it all.

What do I use Squidoo for? I am a university student. I have to write a bunch of mindless crap, do 20 hours of research, and what do I get out of it? Besides kick ass grades, I lose about 6,000 dollars a semester. Well why not and try to make that money back? I could make a blog, but honestly, I can’t write a bunch of stuff on human rights, psychology, or American literature everyday, let alone manage the amount of blogs I would have. I think I’d rather die than type my professors history notes. So I will stick my papers and my notes up on Squidoo. It may or may not make money, and even if it isn’t a lot, I feel like the work I did for that paper deserves more than an A. The more Squidoo Lenses you have up, the more likely you are to make money. There are some users that are have already hundreds of lenses. Here is one blog with a man trying to make One Million Squidoo Lenses.

That is just one idea I have used Squidoo for. I’m sure there are lots of other things you can use it for. There are options to debate on lenses, groups can be formed, and if you make tons of lenses you can basically make your own network of Squidoo pages. The opportunities are amazing here. I suggest if you really like blogging, or any kind of writing, you check out Squidoo.

Wanna see my examples of Lenses? Here you go:

• Human Rights Violations of North Korea
• Lynn Hunt on Human Rights

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works for you, not against you.

You have the sourpuss that takes your words and regurgitates them with disgust, the sweetheart that will agree and comment on most of your entries, and then there is always the guy that says “That’s great, now checkout my blog at www…” What should you do about these comments? Encourage the first two, at least.

A blog is public, meant for anyone interested in that niche to see. Your viewers have the right to access your info, so long as you don’t make it private. Give them the option to comment on your posts. Not only will you see much more success in your blog, but it opens so many doors along the way. What are some great reasons to allow comments on your blog? I was just about to tell you…

• Gain criticism
• Get to know your readers
• Open further discussion
• Networking opportunities
• Receive suggestions for more blog topics

Gaining criticism and getting to know your RSS subscribers go hand in hand. Without your subscribers, your blog is just another one of the millions on the net already. Know who you are writing for, and what your audience wants and expects from your writing.

Comments allow for further discussion on your topic. You can either let your subscribers ask amongst themselves, but the blogger should involve them self indefinitely. Try not to leave a question unanswered. Stimulate people to comment by asking them questions or posting a poll. Tell them to criticize you. Dare them to challenge you.

The networking opportunities are limitless. Visit the blogs that comment yours. If they are in a similar niche, you may want to contact the blogger. If nothing else, say thanks for commenting, or answer any question they have. If they comment often, give them a little more sugar and scratch their back. They may end up sending you some link love, and if their blog traffic explodes, you might as well feel some of the aftereffects of that, too.

Comments might gain you valuable blog topics. If someone asks a question that takes more than a sentence to answer, jot it down and save it for a near future post. You might even want to question a commenter with a blog entry. The opportunities here are limitless, you just need to take advantage of them and be creative.

Don’t be scared of comments. Besides the spammers, (which there are many solutions for) a commenter will be your blog’s best friend. These are the people that truly enjoy (or hate) your blog, and you should let them know you are listening.

Enjoy the post? I did, so I subscribed.

In an attempt to keep this blog alive while I am still building it, I will be transferring posts from an old blog to this one. This is only a temporary solution, and soon new and original posts will be up. This post shows you how pushing yourself to write isn’t always a good thing.

The worst way you can ever write a blog entry is to force yourself to write. A blog is your own, so you usually aren’t forced to write about things you don’t want to. The thing that is surprising here, is that bloggers are forcing themselves to write for themselves! If you want to be a tool, go for it!

I see way too many people writing their blogs like they didn’t really want to write it. You can see it in the way it is written. How can I see it?

• Poorly revised. You’ve got grammar errors and spelling mistakes that you just didn’t care to go back and fix. The writing style is also sloppy and inconsistent
• Lack of emphasizing your points. You might be sharing your opinion on something, but fail to explain why.
• Unoriginal content. I see too many quotes, and not enough personal idea coming from your blog.

Just get it done and get it out the door, right? Bad idea. You have subscribers because they know your content is original and one of a kind. Do you want to fail them by posting something you don’t even like? If you don’t like it, chances are they won’t. Don’t rush it.

Tell me why you think forcing yourself to write is good? I can think of one and that is if you are behind schedule (I do this all the time on my school assignments). Other than that, you have no good reason to rush. Your subscribers might want your new content now, but if they know it will be good, they can sit their butts down and wait.

To finish a blog, it might take more than one sitting. This is perfectly fine, in fact, it should be necessary. This gives you time to rethink what you have just wrote. When I write, I write paragraph by paragraph. Sometimes, I write sentence by sentence. This allows me to evaluate what I just wrote, and then I can further expand.

Often times, I will take my computer outside with me to write using inspiration from things other than my vacant apartment wall. If I can write magic like this, inhaling the Tuk-Tuk fumes passing in downtown Bangkok, I guarantee you can use this practice anywhere. I will talk to friends and family just to extract ideas. I become enthusiastic about the topic. When I get to that point, I know I will write something productive without the need to force myself.

If you aren’t forcing yourself to post blogs like I know you were before, Subscribe… NOW!