Is Blogging For You?

As I do the rounds of certain blogs, I have come across the topic of Writer's Block and in some cases, the bloggers even refer to blogger burn-out. How do you know if blogging is for you and if you will be blogging over the long-term?

Personally, I have been writing on the internet since 1995 at a time when we had websites and the word "blog" was not even heard of. Now, even my 5-year old daughter from time to time asks me: "Mommy, are you going to blog?"

So, if I started in 1995, that means that I have been writing on the net over the last twelve years! One more year and I'll be a teen. I guess by now, I already know that I will be writing over the long-term. I've already done it.

How long before you get tired? Just like any other activity, the feeling comes and goes. Even when you work in an office, there are good days and blah days and the same thing goes for blogging. The best thing to do when that happens is not to force the issue. Take a break, throw out your notebook (the paper one, not the computer!) and relax.

If you really like to write or to blog, the feeling should come back in a few days or weeks. Just as with anything you really like doing, if you truly like writing or blogging, you will be able to sustain it.

When I started writing on the web, I wrote more for myself than for readers. The web was a tool by which I could document my life and save myself from a heart attack by having a venue where I could rant and write about anything which caught my fancy. Then I realized that people were actually reading what I wrote and that I had some common ground and interests with individuals out there. Readers began taking the time to e-mail me and tell me about how they felt, to share a story, or to ask an important question like: "Where should they send their daughter to school?"

So, for as long the internet is up and our servers are not down, I can confidently say that I will be blogging or writing -- whether for myself or for those who stumble upon this site for one reason or the other. I'd be happy to hear from you about what you think might be helpful to you or what it is you are looking out for. To the extent that I can write about it or can find the information to help you out, I would for that's what I think life on the net is all about.