The business of blogging

It's only been a bit over a fortnight but I am having an inordinate amount of fun writing this blog. After 20 months with my brain semi-idle it's beyond satisfying to have somewhere to channel the commotion inside my head. I've been writing for months but sharing what I write feels different. Much more fun. 

I've been writing more than I envisaged when I pressed publish on that first post. Some of my apprehension about starting a blog was that I didn't know what I'd talk about. But since I started posting, I haven't been able to stop. This brain had been dormant a little too long.

It's terribly cliched but I love writing. It's the thing I do that makes time disappear. It's why I loved my job when I got to write and it's why starting this blog has been the best thing I've done in a long time.

I know it's a little too early for a proper appraisal but I have some business I'd like to discuss.

Since starting this blog I've been reading everything I can about blogs. What works, what doesn't, why my formatting is off (further reading required), what a gadget is, which gadgets help visitors … it seems there's a lot to learn.

One resounding tip for new players is to communicate with the people who visit your site. Hello!! Thank you for reading. I like you a lot!! Especially those of you who aren't bound by blood to read*. I would like to extend an open invitation to you to comment. A lot. Whenever. Tell me what you think. What you like, what you don't like. Anything. I'd love to hear from you.

One thing I like even more than comments is checking who has dropped by. Unfortunately I can't see exactly who you are but I can see how many of you visit and – best of all – I can see which country you're from. I am obsessive diligent about checking these graphs. I love trying to figure out who is in Malaysia that is reading. Any ideas?

A few technical things – if you would like to receive an email when I post something new, there's now a 'gadget' in the top right hand corner where you can submit your email address. This is anonymous so I don't receive your details when this happens. Which come to think of it, means I probably wouldn't know if it's working or not. Further reading required. Give it a go and if you don't receive anything, let me know. Leave a comment!

Another 'gadget' I've added is a Blogroll. At least one reader asked me to include a list of blogs and websites which I frequent so I have now obliged. It's included on the right-hand side of my blog. The list is likely to expand regularly. I love finding new blogs so please recommend any of your favourites.

One other tip for new bloggers is to be consistent. To be honest, I'm unlikley to be consistent in what I write about. It will vary depending on my week, mood, life but I will try to be consistent in the amount I post. My aim is to write something twice a week, sometimes three.

I think that's a wrap on today's business. Thanks again for visiting.

 *Hello family members! I love you a lot but I also expect hope you'll read.