Ready to start your blog or know someone who is? Share the news with your friends!Click To TweetCan you be a blogger during this pandemic?

Many people have asked me “what does it take to be a blogger?”  Albert Einstein said “once you stop learning, you start dying.”  And I believe that to be true.  Andy Dufresne’s mantra in “Shawshank Redemption” was get busy living or get busy dying.  If you mash the two together, you discover that to stay alive and to live, you must learn something new every day.

This post contains affiliate links.  I will make a small commission if you use these links, but it will not change the price you pay.

Being a blogger changed from a hobby to a job

Writing changed from a hobby to a job for me now that I’ve gotten serious about it.  Someone once said, “Find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”  (There is much discrepancy over who that quote should be attributed to.  Just know – I didn’t make it up.)  And that’s exactly what I’ve done.

Decision time – can I be a successful blogger?

 

 

I’d had it in my head that I wanted to do this writing thing since I was in high school.  But I found myself working a very stressful 50-hours-per-week job, so my brain was fried by the time I got a day off work.  I couldn’t seem to be productive.  So it just continued to sit on the back burner.

A couple of successful bloggers warned me that it IS a full-time job to write a blog for a living.  If I couldn’t dedicate some decent chunks of time to the business of blogging, then I should probably wait to get started.  I found this to be good advice.

And then my boss unexpectedly eliminated my full-time position.  I found myself unemployed.  So I figured this was the time to focus on making a living with my writing.

 

Doing an internet search to see how I could start freelance writing, I found Elna Cain.  Elna has a course called Write Your Way to Your First $1K.  This course truly changed my approach to freelance writing in general and more specifically to blogging!!  I learned everything I needed to know about how to set up my hosting site with BlueHost and my website with WordPress in her course.   She teaches students how to find clients and how to write good copy.  I later discovered another of Elna’s courses – Freelance Blogging in a Weekend – that was geared more toward what I really wanted to do, which is be a blogger!

Speedbumps along the way

I did have a really tough time launching my writing career.  I am a perfectionist.  And I have a phobia about being less than perfect.  So it took me quite a while to get the blog launched because I needed it to be perfect.  I read some articles along the way and did a guest post on FreelancerFAQs about being what I call Passably Perfect.  You can read it here.  I finally took the leap, hit the “launch” button and sent my brainchild out into the world.

My original plan was to write a travel blog.  I love visiting other places, especially historical ones, so I chose that as my specialty.  I successfully posted about the Civil War Battlefield at Bentonville, North Carolina, and about the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum in Boston, and about the North Carolina Historical Museum.

And then COVID-19 happened.  So I had to re-think what I want to write about, at least until we are free to roam about the country again.

So on we go …

I’ve chosen to focus for the time being on how a perfectionist and often anxious planner & traveler can cope with what’s going on in our world right now.

Writing is my therapy, though not all of my writing is worthy of sharing.  But sometimes that’s the point.  It’s a journey, not a destination.  And practice makes perfect. Most writers will agree that the more one writes, the better the writing.

I am currently a writer for hire.  I write this blog, manage two web pages, and manage three Facebook pages.  I’m creating something special to share with you all soon.  You can see where I’m writing by going to my Samples page.

Can you be a blogger?

Many people, when they find out I’m a writer, say to me “you know, people tell me I should be a writer” or “I’ve always wanted to be a writer.”  That’s usually followed by “but I don’t know where to start” or “I just can’t find the time to be a blogger.”  You can get started this weekend with Elna’s course  Freelance Blogging in a Weekend, or go for the brass ring with Write Your Way to Your First $1K.   And what better time than now?  Many businesses have moved to a predominantly on-line presence and are looking for writers these days.

And people, in general, are looking for things to read on the internet, now more than ever. Your blog could be one of their choices.  You can write about virtually anything that interests you.  But I’d limit yourself to something you’re passionate about.  I don’t write many posts related to finances, because I am mathematically challenged.  But I could write all day about history or how to organize your day to get more done!

If you’re even thinking about starting your own journey to be a blogger or freelance writer, I highly recommend one of Elna’s courses – Freelance Blogging in a Weekend or Write Your Way to Your First $1K. (I do get an affiliate fee if you click through these links, but it won’t cost you anything extra if you sign up for the courses.  And they are definitely worth your time and money!)

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you leave in the comments below.  And if you need a cheerleader, I’ll be that too!