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> So I recently got the idea that I wanted to create a website and figured with little to no experience I would start a blog of sorts. I want to create it mainly because I want the experience and I plan to make more website in the future.
I have a few questions regarding the process and mainly looking for tips. I do not feel as if I am an amazing writer nor am I super creative, so I figured this would be a good way to help me improve in those areas. And also not being either of those should I toss the idea of a blog out? I came up with a website name and made a page but then it all stopped, every idea I had just went blank I was overwhelmed with what was in front of me.
So I guess my first question would be when creating a new website what do I do first? I made the page cleaned it up a bit but now its just plain and empty. I wrote a quick intro piece but now I find myself going to other blogs trying to see what to do.
When creating my website I also realized I have no pictures of anything and I was reading its not good to go to google for that. Which obviously I do not want to use some one else photos but I also feel like I need a starting point.
Again I am extremely new to this but it is something I would like to invest myself in. If anyone has any tips or references that would be great. Sorry if this isnt the right place to be.


First, I'd just start with Medium. It's a great first step so you stop worrying about the design and just start focusing on learning to write.

Even if your blog takes off years from now, you might still find yourself coming back to Medium. Look at Signal v. Noise. One of the first companies to take vlogging seriously in the early 2000s. http://signalvnoise.com/ (I write there) And we moved it all to Medium.

Images? If you need images in a post use Unsplash.com. License free. Gorgeous pics of almost everything.

Really don't overthink this. Just start writing something. It's not going to be very good at first I bet.

Just get yourself to commit to publishing something once a week. And it'll get better, I promise.

References? I'd just learn to tell good stories. Here's one of my favs:

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Structure-Substance-Principles-Screenwriting-ebook/dp/B0042FZVOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493417056&sr=8-1&keywords=story

Biggest lesson from the book is lead people from one "charge" of an important emotion to another. Show my sadness turning into happiness, depression to joy, broke to not-broke, frustrated trying to start a business to not ---- you get the point.

Show me the mountain and how you got over it. Or someone else. It doesn't have to be about you. Interview people. Tell their stories if you get stuck on you.

Getting interviews is pretty easy. Just email a bunch of folks that like to talk about themselves and promote themselves :)

There are ton of VIP type people who'd love to do an interview even on new sites with little traction.

Just send someone less than 5 questions and have them fill it out over email, and you can publish that. Or do a 15 minute phone call. Keep the time commitments light. (Someone just asked me to spend "a couple hours" with them on their podcast. I do not have a "couple hours" to do anything)

Just start. Stop thinking about this. :)

I don't have any blogging role models. My niche is videogames (with a splattering of music thrown in). I find that most "journalists" operating within the industry are people who I don't want to emulate, as they tend to write about politically correct nonsense that I have no interest in. At the same time, there are very few bloggers who happen to be one-man bands who I know about (none actually). Usually it's always a case of bloggers and journalists (what's the difference?) banding together to form some sort of umbrella super-site from which they all chip in with their opinions from time to time.

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There are lone Youtubers though... I like Cornshaq and ACG. But that's not really blogging per se...

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To be honest, I don't have any blogging role models. I think it's the lifestyle which is so at odds with what the "lifestyle entrepreneurs" so often promote, where they are sipping champagne on some far off beach in the Bahamas... I worked on my blog for a year, and was always churning out content, and never made a dime. I didn't mind it though... I enjoy writing. But blogging is a lonely endeavour, and doesn't really pay, unless you incorporate other activities - such as creating exclusive products, promoting products via affiliate marketing (which you need a LOT of traffic for).

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There's a book out there called Blogging Heroes... A lot of them started out as lone one-man bands, and started hiring additional staff so as to have more regular content on their site. So like all the other established sites in other words.

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The problem is the market... There are sooooo many content creators out there, that it creates a culture of disposability, where even if you do create an original blog post, you most likely will be forgotten about in less than an hour.

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I think Gary Veynerchuck is worth investigating... Maybe read some of his books? He's all about the idea of regularly churning out content. Keeping on that metaphorical treadmill, so as to maintain audience attention.

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Personally... I am going to take a much more "DIY / punk rock" approach with my blog in future. And this is by looking into branding / merchandising. Get t-shirts and stickers printed. Start learning other skills (currently learning guitar, and will soon learn games development).

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Maybe look into extending your blog's array of services and activities? Create an online store? Buy and sell products - like traditional retailers? Online shopping has gotten pretty big over the last decade or so...

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yes that's true, screenshot them yourself although for games, its mostly video. There's YouTube Live - a feature for gamers who wish to connect with their readers and viewers on a deeper level.

This is an extremely useful and popular platform that can help you to gain new followers as well.

(Learn to build a startup: The Strawberry Startup)

Without knowing quite what your definition of 'cheap' is, I've used these for product & portrait shots:

Interfit Ring Lite 3 (~$100)

Daylight-balanced fluorescents w/shoot-through umbrellas (~$40) - this is not the exact kit I have but it's functionally identical

The ring light is more space-efficient and easy to use, but the other kit is cheaper & more versatile in the sense that there are more options to position the lights relative to the subject. I do all my photography in a windowless closet, so these are great for replacing natural light :-)

I actually have the exact same idea, except that I don't want to sell it, just give it away. I don't think it's a viable way of making money since the users are able to already see all of the content for free on your blog anyway.

As for the number of articles, I can't really know. I think that's important to include only your best works and to incorporate them in some way that they're actually telling a story.

Also, one of the dearest books I have is just this: a collection of someone's blog posts: The Boy Who Could Change the World: The Writings of Aaron Swartz

I have. After running our blog for around five years, I saw some interesting books at Urban Outfitters and thought that it would be a good time to reach out to a publisher to create something similar. We ended up writing a book of 25 stories that we'd already written about on our website, however, we spiffed it up a bit for the book and had to obtain permissions and sign contracts. It takes a few years for the whole process from the start to publishing. Our book was released this past March. To answer your question, there is no doubt that our publisher considered my unsolicited email because we already had an established blog. It helped that she had already heard of us. We still needed to pitch our ideas at a lunch meeting and have it accepted by their team upon review. Writing a book is a time consuming process versus writing a blog post, but it's pretty neat once it's physically finished. Here's our book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-25-Heartwarming-Celebrations-Humanity/dp/1452139849?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Here's my two cents about being anonymous online:

• Be prepared to be unmasked at anytime
  
• Use a different email account for everything related to your site
  
• Use a webhost who will not use your information for your whois listing.
  
• Never post a real photo of yourself on anything related to your blog - even an altered photo
  
• If you want to be super anonymous, only do activities related to this blog via public wi-fi
  
• Don't break any laws via your blog because it could lead to you getting unmasked.

What I would do is pick up some daylight CFL or LED bulbs (should be under $20 total) so you can get the closest to natural light and then focus on bouncing the light or diffusing it.

Example CFL bulbs: http://www.amazon.com/EcoSmart-Equivalent-Spiral-Daylight-4-Pack/dp/B0042UN1U0

Then, put them in lamps that you can direct towards your work area (clip-on flexible neck lamps like this) and try this method of diffusing the light.

If the issue is primarily one of stamina, I recommend Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer.

Rather than The header with the cigar and drink. This mug would be better https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006I6PEBA/

Link?

Do obscure and hard to reach locations. True challenges.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Coyote-Across-Oregons-Wilderness/dp/0870715267

That guy set out not knowing what was ahead and what changes would come.

Hey OP. Check this book. I think it can help you.

https://www.amazon.com/But-Not-Expert-radically-skyrocket-ebook/dp/B07J5FZNLK/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=expert+in+books&qid=1549619628&sr=8-8

I got the book Everybody Writes.

In that book it says the About You Page isn't really about you but should instead focus on relaying who you are in relation to the visitor.

>All good content puts the reader first, and that's no different on your About Us page. In other words, About Us gives you a chance to talk about yourself, but always in the context of what you do for your customers. What burdens you help them shoulder, what problems you solve for them.

https://www.amazon.com/How-was-Murdered-Fox-Monster/dp/1482028182