Let's Go Blogging, Blogging, Blogging Till We See the Sun

(A little play off of a song up there in the title. Can you figure it out?)

I sat down today and thought about the people who take the time to sit down, hop onto the internet, and read my random musings (thank you!). I wondered what made my blog readable. My brain decided to kick it into high gear, so I've created a list of the Do's and Don'ts of Blogging.

The Do's and Don'ts of Blogging
By Seana

DON'T write with bad grammar/mechanics.
The last thing I want to read online is a big long post of mismash that's something like, "yaaa, it was totes awesomeee and u wud neva believe it!!!!" Your post could be about the most awesome thing in the world, but when you type with bad grammar and mechanics, it makes it hard to read, and often turns readers away. *sad face*

DON'T use excessive punctuation.
You might be super excited about something that just happened to you. And that's great! But the thing is, when you write, "Oh my goodness!!!!!!!! She got me a fluffy purple duckling for my birthday!!! Isn't she the coolest???" I admit, when I started blogging I tended to do this a bit. And then as I started reading my posts, I would shake my head and groan, "No one is going to read that. It sounds awful." Save yourself the trouble, and keep the punctuation from running wild.

DON'T go caps lock crazy or hold add a boat-load of extra letters.
It's alright to type a word/phrase with capital letters if you're trying to make a point or it's just super important. But never, ever write an entire post with capital letters. It gets tedious to read, and it's hard on the eyes. Also, don't add extra letters to a word. For example, if you're trying to say, "Wow! That was so cool!" It sounds better if you don't say, "Wowwww that was so coool!".

DON'T take someone's post and claim it is your own.
This is serious. Never, ever plagiarize someone's work. Just don't. If you want to repost someone's post, get permission from them first, and be sure you credit them when you put it on your blog.

DON'T use the little option that says you can add a "click here to read more" to your post unless you have a very long one.
I suppose you could say that this one is just a personal opinion. Unless your posts opening sentences are absolutely amazing, people aren't going to want to click the "Click Here To Read the Rest of the Post". It's also just a laziness thing. I don't like having to keep going to new pages on a blog just to read one post. I like being able to just read the post, scroll down, read the next, and so on. However, if your post is a really long post, then it's okay to add the "Click Here To Read the Rest of the Post" button.



DO be original.
As hard as it is sometimes, when your posts are fun and original, people will read them and love them. If your post is ho-hum, the same old things that have been done a thousand times, people won't be as entertained by them. Add your own spin on posts!

DO comment.
Whether you're commenting on someone else's blog, on your own, or wherever, commenting is an essential part of blogging. It let's the the reader know that you take the time to respond to their comments, and often they'll comment back. Sometimes the comments just keep going and create a comment train (a bunch of comments that go back and forth), which is always a blast. Commenting on other blogs is a great way to meet new people and possibly gain a few more follows.

DO be yourself.
If you're trying to mimic the way another person posts, you might be able to, but the best way to blog is to simply blog the way you naturally would. Now, granted, if you enjoy partaking in foul language, I'd advise you to edit that out. Most people like reading blogs where the blogger is a person like them with their own problems and triumphs. The person is real to them. No one likes thinking that a blogger is really a robot. *shudder*

DO blog about things you enjoy and are passionate about.
When you blog about things you love, it will show in your writing! And when the blogger's words are really exciting and peppy, the reader will usually experience the same feeling. I love reading blog posts that are full of life and things like that. If you blog just for the sake of blogging, your boredom will show in your posts!

DO ask questions.
In your posts, if you have a question, ask it! It's a great way to get advice about different issues (I often ask my readers for help with my novels), and when you ask a question, the readers have the chance to leave a comment and answer it. When you just post, often times the reader just reads the post, nods, and moves on. If you have really loyal readers, often times they'll leave you comments on normal posts, but if you're a new blogger, questions are good!


I hoped these helped new bloggers, old bloggers, those thinking of becoming a blogger, or anyone who's just curious.

Do you have any Do's or Don'ts that you'd like to share? Shoot me an email at seana.j.vixen@gmail.com or leave a comment below!

Adieu!