Start a blog

~ beetleypete

Many people decide to do something new, faced with the prospect of another fresh start as the year turns. Some join a gym, or weight-loss class. Others determine to learn a new skill, or develop their education. Many want to travel, and see those far-flung places that they have only dreamed about before. For some bloggers, those who are serious writers, they may think that this is finally the year to write that book.

Then there are the potential bloggers. They have thought about becoming a blogger, but never taken the plunge. Perhaps they have some friends who are bloggers, or follow existing blogs that they enjoy. The urge to blog for themselves lurks in the background, but they have never quite got around to starting one. This post is a message to people just like you. Just do it. It is free, easy to set up, and can be immensely rewarding too. If you think you wouldn’t know how to go about creating your own blog, consider my story. I started at the age of 60, possessing only very basic computer skills, and the templates provided by WordPress. Five years on, I have two blogs, and I am a part of a great community of bloggers, from all over the world.

If you have an email address, you can be a blogger. If you have ever searched for stuff on You Tube, or chatted to friends online, then you can learn how to be a blogger just as easily. Think of a name, choose a free theme, and off you go. Maybe you want to blog about something you are passionate about, like books, beauty, history, or films. Or you might want to get your writing and poetry out there, to the huge audience of blog followers. Something as simple as chronicling how you learned to drive, ride a horse, or are coping with a new pet. There are no rules, as it is your blog.

That’s a great feeling, to say the words ‘My blog’. Even if it is only read by family and friends at first, it will be an electronic legacy left online for as long as you desire. Your thoughts, hopes, dreams, work, or ideas available for anyone to see and read. Something just for you, that may well become admired by thousands. Or maybe not, it doesn’t matter. If you come across some stumbling blocks along the way, ask other bloggers. They will always help out, and are happy to do so, believe me. If you don’t know any yet, then ask me. My email address is on my ‘About’ page.

Make 2018 the year you start that blog, and join the huge community of bloggers.

70 thoughts on “Start a blog”

  1. Thank You so much for these words, I just started my blog and they are of great help. I’ve been thinking about this for a looong time but I finally did it a few days ago, and decided to put it public a few hours ago. I’m already enjoying reading everything in this community. You have an amazing blog, with amazing stories!

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    1. I am very happy to have inspired you to take the plunge, and thanks for your nice comments about my blog, and this community. Well done for starting out; just remember it is a long-term thing, and hopefully you will always enjoy it.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  3. Blogging became a part of my life. I never had thought of this when I’ve started blogging some nine years ago. 😉 It can open the world, you can learn from other people, take closer looks into the habits of other nations, travel around the globe with some mouse clicks…

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    1. Those are the best reasons indeed, Kerin. We have learned so much from blogging, and become part of a world-wide community that would otherwise have remained unknown to us.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  4. Lovely post, Pete. I have a friend who has just started blogging but doesn’t know what to write about. I’ve suggested she sign up to follow some blogs which might be of interest. I’ll send her this, which might make her feel more enthusiastic. I did say, though, that if she doesn’t want to it then she shouldn’t.

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    1. Thanks, Mary. I think you have to want to get something ‘out there’, to find blogging rewarding. If I can be of any help to your friend, please tell her to email me for advice and suggestions. Write about where she lives, her likes and dislikes, pretty much anything. The potential audience is huge, as you know.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. I emailed her your post. Never emailed a post to someone before so I’ll be interested in seeing if that works. She is a writer so should not be short of things to say. I think it’s a shyness or embarrassment in case people ridicule what she writes. I’ve tried to reassure her. Thanks for saying she can email you. I’ll let her know.

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        1. In over five years, I have had some fair criticism, also some disagreement, but never ridicule. If she makes all her comments subject to ‘moderation’, she can rule out any nastiness appearing on her blog.
          Best wishes, Pete.

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  5. What a warm and welcoming invitation to blog, Pete. I hadn’t thought much about it before I started a couple of years ago. I only knew I wanted to write and didn’t know where to start. My brother suggested blogging to me and it was the perfect solution. A good place to practice writing, story telling, and photography too, and get feedback from the blogging community. Thanks for your encouragement too!

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  9. A nice post, Pete. Blogging is good.

    If I can offer a little experience about blogging and legacy. The first blog I started is gone. It was a fair few years ago now I can’t even remember the year. It was a labour of love, I enjoyd it, but the host company, 6Six, decided to fold. They did warn me by email but the time was too short for me to work out what to do. It taught me to be a bit philosophical about it but I really wish I had all those posts now.

    The second anecdote concerns someone whose writing I admired. He was funny and had a healthy world view. He had a blog using his own domain name rather than a host like WP. I didn’t know him personally, just via the blog. Anyway, I hadn’t visited his blog for a few months when I found out from other readers that he had passed away suddenly. I went to his blog and it was still there. However, after a year the domain was considered dormant and you just see a domain host advertisement where his blog once was.

    Sorry for the long comment but if legacy in perpetuity is important, save your writing on personal memory storage like an external hard drive or sticks.

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    1. Thanks, BF. You make some good points, and they are valid too of course. I went as far as to enquire with WordPress about what happens if I die. They inform me that they will leave the blog accessible, as long as they remain in business. I suppose that’s the best us bloggers can hope for.
      If the company folds, we cannot do much about that, just trust to luck.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Thanks. I have several older blogs on Blogger too and they’re still there, and a couple of Flickr photo blogs where I still get email notifications of “Likes”. I haven’t used either of those hosts for years and years. Yes, I agree, I don’t think WordPress is going anywhere soon.

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  16. This was a seriously beautiful and kind post that you have written here. It’s really encouraging for people that are maybe having doubts to start a blog, or people that have just started. Hell, it’s even encouraging for veteran bloggers. I honestly can’t live without blogging anymore. It’s become a serious addiction, that is for sure 😅

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  17. You should have written: “For some bloggers like Pete Johnson, who is a serious writer, they may think that this is finally the year to write that book.”
    Might I suggest a gritty crime novel that takes place in the underbelly of 1950’s London?
    Of course, I understand that right now, you’re living high on the blog…

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    1. Thanks, Peter. I started blogging at a time that was good for me. I had retired from work, and moved to a quiet place in the countryside. But any time is a good time to start for someone, as you know.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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