20 Answers to the Question: What Does It Take to Blog?

MJ of the Desert Day by Day blog left an interesting comment on my article about women bloggers:

I will be 44 tomorrow and have no background in computer or technology of any kind. It is my limited understanding that those bloggers that do(yourself included) orbit in a Internet universe separate from the countless numbers of individuals like myself, who set up a blog with little or no information or understanding of the Blog world. I liken this to waking up in a foreign land, with no information, no language and know knowledge of the land I am in.

Initially I had no idea there were millions of “others” out there and that there was a ways to find and connect to others with similar (or not) interests. The ability to do this turned into a wonderful experience of discovery that continues each day; however, I still am clueless to those like yourself and those bloggers like me and how we find each other and interact.

First of all, happy birthday. Second, you ask a good question that needs a good answer.

What Does It Take to Blog?

The answer to the question “what does it take to blog” is not just a simple answer to a simple question.

Basically, it takes a blogging tool, like WordPress.com, WordPress, Blogger, Movable Type, Typepad, or whatever tool you choose. It takes a host, a spot on the Internet to set up your blog. This could be a free hosted site like Blogger or WordPress.com, or a paid host where you pay “rent” to set up shop with your blog.

It takes a vision of what you want your blog to look like. Then you have to fill it with the words and images that inspired you to blog in the first place.

This is what it takes to blog.

Does it take computer expertise? It could. It depends. If you can fill out a form, you can blog.

If you want to play with your web page design, layout, dig into the code, make your blog spin and whirl and do headstands with code, then you can do whatever you want, within or beyond your capabilities.

I present a lot of computer, Internet, and blogging workshops and programs and my participants often quote me: “A computer is only as smart as the person using it.” If you want to do brilliant technical things, then it will do it. If you want to just type letters, you can buy a USD $1,500 glorified typewriter. You get out of it what you put into it.

It might seem overwhelming at first, with new words and new concepts, but once you understand that words, and figure out what the buttons do, it will only do what you tell it to do. From there, it’s up to you.

It takes very little skill to create a blog. Blogging is easy. But it takes a lot of skill to maintain it. That’s the question never asked.

What Does It Take to Keep a Blog?

Blogging is easy. You don’t need a college degree. Twelve and seventy year olds are blogging. The hard part is keeping a blog going? To blog day after day, to keep the stories, opinions, photographs, images, and effort going.

That’s the real skill. The one few ask. What does it take to keep a blog going?

So here is what it really takes to blog:

1. Passion
2. Love
3. Enthusiasm
4. Determination
5. Perseverance
6. A Plan
7. Purpose
8. Flexibility
9. Clarity of Thought
10. Ability to Work Alone
11. Ability to Work Without Feedback
12. Reading Blogs
13. A Calloused Butt
14. A Calloused Spirit
15. A Strong Backbone
16. A Vision
17. Networking With Other Blogggers
18. Hope
19. Dreams of Making the World Better
20. A Willingness to Learn

Related Articles

• What Have You Learned from the Blogging Experience?
• Washington Post – Why Bloggers Blog
• Define Blogging Success
• Have Your Favorite Bloggers and Blogs Run Out of Steam?
• Developing New Ways of Thinking About Blogging
• Blogging Yourself Into a Job: Is Your Blog Your Resume?
• Lorelle is the Author of Lorelle on WordPress
• A Day in the Life of a Blogger
• Judging Blogs by their Post Content Styles
• Blog Writing: I lk yr blg
• Big Business – Listen to Bloggers, Please
• When was the last time you read your own blog?
• ProBloggers – Blogging for Beginners Series
• The 12 Biggest Problems With Your Blogs
• Blogging Tips – Hundreds of Resources for Finding Content for Your Blog
• I Love It When You Say Nice Things About Me
• Touching the Spirit When Blogging
• Mean Spirited Comments and Blogging

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