This week: Blogging Edited by: Jeff  
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"You never know what you can do until you try,
and very few try unless they have to."
-- C.S. Lewis
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm one of your regular editors for the Noticing Newbies Official Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 350 newsletters across the site during that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or the handy feedback field at the bottom of this newsletter!  |
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Blogging
Blogs (a truncation of "weblog") first gained popularity in the mid to late 1990s. Some bloggers focus on a single topic or theme, while others are more akin to online journals or diaries where the bloggers express opinions on a variety of topics. As blogs became much more popular in the early 2000s, the internet saw the advent of multi-author blogs (such as those from media outlets, advocacy groups, etc.), many of which incorporated professional editing, graphic design, and other services.
On Writing.com, there are a variety of ways users can maintain a blog, the most common of which for Upgraded+ members is to maintain a book item where different entries can be added as desired. If you have an Upgraded+ membership and would like to create a blog, just follow these simple steps:
1. Select Create New Item from the left-column navigation menu
2. Choose a Book item and fill out the fields as necessary
3. Under Book Settings, select one of the Blog Format options
Once you have a blog item created, you can even create a link to it on both your Portfolio page as well as the left-column navigation menu. Just go to:
My Account > Account Settings > Personal Display Options
On that page, you can enter in the item number of the blog you've created and once you click Submit Changes, it'll set that book item as your official blog. This will also list your book item on the site's blog page, which keeps an up to date list of the most recently updated blogs across the site.
One of the most common ways that members of Writing.com utilize blogs is as an informal writing space. Instead of creating separate static items for every idea or writing prompt, a blog can be a great place to express oneself without the pressure of creating distinct items each time. Blogs can be a great way to develop a regular writing habit as well, either to continue develop a goal or cause, or just to keep your writing skills honed.
There are a number of activities intended specifically for bloggers, many of which run special activities or offer daily prompts to keep you inspired and give you something to write about. For example, every February there's the "The Soundtrack of Your Life" music blogging challenge, and "Invalid Item" runs frequent activities. And if you're interested in something more along the lines of a daily rhythm, there are groups like "Take up Your Cross" (Christian-themed), "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" , or "Blogging Circle of Friends " , all of which offer regular prompts for consideration. Sometimes, just blogging with no agenda can be incredibly freeing as well; especially if you work regularly on other writing endeavors, it can be nice to just enjoy the process of putting words on the page without a larger agenda or goal in mind.
Many writers extol the virtues of developing a regular writing habit, and a blog can be a great way to do that in a relaxed, no pressure kind of environment. Writing.com blogs can even restrict access to individual blog posts (as well as the book item as a whole) to help maintain a privacy level that you're comfortable with.
If you're looking for a way to incorporate more regular writing into your routine, consider setting up a blog if you haven't already. It's a great venue for exploring your thoughts and developing your writing skills, and there is an abundance of blog-related activities and opportunities to take advantage of here in the Writing.com community.
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy Things" | "Blogocentric Formulations" |
This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:
I also encourage you to check out the following items:
EXCERPT: "Tonight is quieter than usual"
That's what Melody thought when she woke up tonight. As she stands up, she sleepily looks at a small clock on her bedroom wall. "3:46 AM...." She said, whispering almost with no sound. Melody then softly shakes her head, waking herself up even more. Her cat ear moved gently following her head movement and then moving up and down, trying to find another sound other than the sound of the clock ticking and the sound of fabrics colliding with one another because of her movement.
But she found nothing.
EXCERPT: E’vin Yaenke had been right. Heaven knew he hated it, but he’d been right. The Assembly had scoffed. The Governor had dismissed him. Outright war was impossible, they’d said. The Talar were neutral, they’d said. Well, now the Talar were here, and death with them.
EXCERPT: Rebekah of the Bible is a bit of a conundrum. Despite being a matriarch, she tends to get a bad rap, seen as favoring one child, the younger one at that, over the other. When we look deeper into the story and at the fine details that are often overlooked, a new story emerges.
EXCERPT: The man smirked across the table at her. “So, you finally caught me?”
Maisie gripped her coffee cup tighter, willing her pounding heart to calm. “Sure did,” she replied, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “The cops are on the way.”
EXCERPT: A sudden chill came over me and I couldn’t catch my breath. A million miles away from Oswiecim, and I could still hear the sadistic buzzing in my ears. |
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Feedback from "Noticing Newbies Newsletter (March 8, 2023)" about macros:
I'm going to post this comment and question here just in case this is something other people are wondering about. I have participated in the " Invalid Item" Newbie Welcome Wagon in the past. The owner of the site has not responded to any postings since 2020. I would like to push forward with an activity to reward reviewers of new writers on WDC but would prefer not to compete with this site if the owner returns. I reached out to the owner to offer help, but with no response. Do you think it wise to just recreate the activity? If I did would it be okay to contact via email those who have been members of that group in the past to encourage their participation again? Let me know what you think and thanks for this newsletter!!! After all these years I had no idea about the Marcos! Love Macros. Thanks again! — ♫~ Kenword~♫ 
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Noticing Newbies: April 05, 2023 Issue [#11899]
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