My Advise to New-Be Bloggers:

They say the first two years are the hardest. Who says that? Give me a break, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet…Abraham Lincoln said that. Ignore the fact checker behind the curtain and keep your focus on the general essence of my words. As someone with the infinite experience that comes with almost two years of blogging— a long and winding road indeed, with very little help from my friends, and I am confident that I will still be at this when I’m sixty four— I offer you three pieces of plum advice:

1. Don’t constantly check your stats. When I started this blog I had big numerical goals: Never let the slope of the graph lines veer downward. Today has to improve on yesterday, this week has to be better than last, and this month better than last…ad infinitum. The reality is that my stats read like an irregular heartbeat. I don’t think anything I write is ever going to be, as Elaine from Seinfeld would say-“sponge worthy” enough for the good people who are the “man” at WordPress, and the phrase “gone viral” most likely will never be used in conjunction with my work. Knowing that has not stopped me from hitting the publish button. I do this because I love writing, and you should love writing as well. 

2. Ernest Hemingway said “Write drunk, edit sober.” Pfft—What did he know? I would recommend not taking advice from suicidal drunks. (I dare to blaspheme the great one?!) My advice is to write exhausted and have your child edit for meals. It works for us. When I look back on past posts, I often embarrassing mistakes…oops. It’s never to late to fix mistakes.

3. If I’ve learned anything in life it’s not to expect too much support from friends and family unless you like disappointment. Very few of the people who follow my blog are my real world friends and family…but that’s okay, because that gives me the freedom to write about them, and they’ll never know. I can exaggerate or make myself the hero or victim in every situation. For example, when we were young, my sister pushed me and I fell on a piece of broken glass, the result of which was me with four stitches. I can turn that story into a stabbing which was a result of her jealousy over my perfection. Perhaps she should follow my blog.

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The Daily Post, Daily Prompt, January 25, 2016: Key Takeaway~ Give your newer sisters and brothers-in-WordPress one piece of advice based on your experiences blogging. If you’re a new blogger, what’s one question you’d like to ask other bloggers?<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/key-takeaway/”>Key Takeaway</a>