Friends and Family (Elements of Blogging) #AtoZChallenge

      Not everyone likes the idea of others blogging about them so if you are considering blogging about your family or your friends then it's probably a good idea to get their permission to do so.  If you only blog about family or friends then you might be limiting your readership, but then again anything made interesting enough might keep the readers even if they don't know who you're talking about.

      I have seen a few sites that blog about specific groups of people and the activities they are involved in doing, but these blogs are often limited mainly to the readership that has some interest in these people.   If you know a lot of people who are spread out over a wide area then a friend or family blog is better than a yearly holiday newsletter as you can keep up with the news and add photos or even videos on an ongoing basis and allow for your visitors to comment back.

        Most of this sort of thing is done on FaceBook or the like, but a blog is a perfectly viable solution as well and has the advantage of being better place to catalog everything.  If you don't want the world to read what you've got to say then you might consider a private blog.  I suppose there are a few private people still left in the world.

       Fiction is a natural topic for blogging, but it's so prevalent that not much need be said about it here.  A good many of you reading now are already fiction bloggers in that you are discussing fiction literature, offering fiction writing tips, or actually presenting works of fiction on your blog.

         Would you consider offering a personal newsletter format on a blog directed towards your family or friends?   Have you seen blogs with this type of info and are there any that you read?   What are some other blog topics beginning with "F"?


Some fiction blogs you might enjoy:

Story Treasury

Eclectic (Elements of Blogging A to Z)

       Tossing It Out is what I consider to be an eclectic blog.  I discuss all sorts of topics on this blog and don't limit myself to anything in particular.   My topics range from music and entertainment and to cover the gamut of writing, politics, history, religion, food, or whatever I feel like talking about.  There is no niche in this blog.   This is what I think of as an "eclectic blog".   This is a blog with variety.

        Many bloggers approach blogging in this way and that can work well for readers and especially be good for the blogger who is less likely to experience blogging burnout or topic block.  There's always something to write about and when our blog doesn't have focused expectations then the eclectic approach is a good one to take.

        Blogs can be Educating and Entertaining.  An entertaining blog doesn't necessarily have to educate, but it probably helps if an education blog is at least somewhat entertaining.  Blogs don't have to be fun, but if you're not a expert on a subject then the fun approach is more likely to be appealing to your readers.

        Do you think of yourself as someone with eclectic interests?    What do you find to be most entertaining on blogs?    When you are getting educated do you prefer that the learning process be somewhat fun?


Here are some blogs that are educational as well as entertaining:

Positive Letters...Inspirational Stories

Delivery (Elements of Blogging) #AtoZChallenge

       A blog run by UPS or the Postal Service might have a lot to say on the topic of delivery, but that's not exactly what I'm referring to in this blogging element.  One more function of blogging that we will consider is "Delivery" --messages, the goods, the news--we are all delivering something to our readers.

       When we receive a package or letter in the mail it can be quite exciting once we've determined it's not just more junk from advertisers.   Something that is nicely packaged entices us to look inside to see exactly what it is.   What a delight when it is something that we enjoy, find interesting, or from which we might even be enriched.

         Each new blog post that you produce should deliver something that your readers can use or will enjoy.  As you prepare your post keep in mind how your readers will react when they open up your blog to find that post.   Even the most mundane seemingly nonsensical topic can be presented in such a way to give it a relevance that a reader can respond to and will be affected by in some positive way.

        If you keep delivering quality--or at least fun and entertaining--goods, then your readers will return for more and maybe even share your post with others.    Avoid lazy sloppy posts or piling on excessive marketing or haranguing tirades.  Overly long posts can be tedious--divide those into smaller posts when you have a lot of text or images to share.  If you're a blogging star or if this is what your following expects then maybe you can get away with this, but most of us can't do that.  Readers don't have the time and patience for the most part.

        It's a crowded market in the blogosphere and we'd all like some precious time with readers.   Sometimes the shorter post can deliver the most powerful punch.

         Some other "D" blog themes can be about dreaming, debate, development, or even dogs.  What are some blog subjects that you can think of starting with the letter "D"?    How do you typically handle long blog posts as a reader and in your own blogging?