How to Write for a Personal Blog

It can be said that writing for personal blogs is the form in which you get the most freedom of creativity and expression out your blogging experience. A personal blog can basically be anything you want it to be, but many make it into a public diary of sorts. This allows for the author to show through their writing completely, making the reader feel connected in a way other blogs cannot.

These blog types are completely personality driven. There is no set writing style, form, or tone that can be pinned down as the ‘right’ way to go about creating them. Writers who are looking for complete freedom in their blog would definitely choose this type as their outlet. The content of these blogs can contain absolutely anything: likes and dislikes, reviews, personal stories (in fact, they consist mostly of personal stories), hobbies, and events. The complete lack of guidelines seems to appeal to most people who write personal blogs. Although they’re also frequently used to keep in touch with family and friends. For instance, one of my roommates uses her blog as a type of diary to inform people back home of what’s going on in her life.




Target Audience-
There really isn’t a set target audience for personal blogs. Generally, they’re written with their peers and family in mind, although they’re also sometimes just written for themselves.
Topic-
Again, there is no set topic for personal blogs. This is what makes them so appealing to people, readers and writers alike. When you never know what to expect from the blog, it makes it more exciting to read it. Almost like a choose your own adventure book, although completely out of the reader’s control. ;-)
Tone-
The tone of personal blogs depends completely on the actual/writing voice of the author. If the blog writer wants to completely disregard grammar, complete sentences, and all other formality, they have every right to do so.
Length of Posts-
Personal Blog posts are generally lengthier than those of genre blogs. Since the reader is not looking for specific information, the writer does not have to worry about the frustration that comes with searching for one thing within many words. Readers come to personal blogs almost expecting lengthy stories and ideas to keep them entertained.




In closing, here are a few questions for Personal Blogger, Sarah Horwitz!


What do you think is unique to writing personal blogs as opposed to subject blogs?

How do you manage your privacy when dealing with writing a personal blog?

Who is the intended audience for a personal blog?

1 comments:

Sarah Horwitz said...

What do you think is unique to writing personal blogs as opposed to subject blogs?

Personal blogs are unique because you're not really restricted to any subject matter, and this gives you more freedom to write what you want and when you want.



How do you manage your privacy when dealing with writing a personal blog?

Privacy can be a tricky issue with personal blogs. I myself once got into a bit of hot water for something I'd wrote about someone on a personal blog. The best bet is to set your privacy settings and pick a blog that has settings that are suitable for you. Blogging sites like Xanga and LiveJournal, for example, have privacy settings where only approved "friends" can read your entries. Also, it is best to keep in mind that in reality, anything you write on the internet has the potential to be seen by lots of people, so I would stray away from writing about topics that are just too personal or inflammatory, like your current divorce or something, haha.



Who is the intended audience for a personal blog?

The intended audience for personal blogs can vary a lot. Mostly I use my current blog to let friends back home know how I'm doing and what I'm up to in college. I also have friends all over the world that read my blog to keep in touch, and I read and comment on their blogs for the same reasons. By keeping my personal blog geared toward a small group of people, I don't have to worry about things like explaining who/what a person or place I mention is, because my audience is already familiar enough with my life to know these things.



(Thank you to Sarah of Renaissance Wednesday for taking the time to answer these questions for me)

Post a Comment