What is the purpose of blogging?
I imagine you will get as many answers as there are construction barrels in Wisconsin. But I ask myself that a lot.
I wonder why it is I chose to write this sort of blog. I subscribe to others, and they, too, run the gamut. Some are funny, some are inspirational. Some get personal, some are spiritual. I think of the scope of this blog. Is it too long? Too short? I see lots that are under 300 words. I see lots that are 900 words. I see blogs that have thousands of followers. What makes a person follow one and not another?
At one time I thought about writing a funny blog. My friend at The Return of the Modern Philosopher (http://moviewriternyu.wordpress.com) mixes writing about talking to Zeus and aliens and all the weird goings on in Maine with personal glimpses of the writer behind the madness. Then there are others like David Kanigan (http://davidkanigan.com) who makes you think and feel, sometimes with as little as a couple of sentences. My friend Itty( http://ittymac.wordpress.com/) is a font of inspiration and strength pulled from her life experiences. I am a fan of so many others, just like you.
We all read blogs for all kinds of reasons. But how do I figure out what others are looking for? Yes, we write for ourselves. The more we tap into our “talent” the more believable — and readable — we are. But what do readers want? How do you get to the thousands of followers mark? And does that necessarily mean you have a good product?
And, as you all are saying back to me — what does it matter?
I don’t really have an answer to that. I want to entertain, I want to encourage, I want to make people laugh. Do I want to be a famous blogger? A famous writer? Do I want to dazzle the world with my keen insight into getting older?
Or do I just want to write?
Entertaining friends and family, both old and new, means more to me than having hundreds and thousands of followers who never open an e-mail. Having fun writing is more important to me than forcing words out just to make a dollar. Writing is therapy in a hundred different ways — I am no different.
So tell me, friends, readers, writers — what makes you follow a blog? What do you look for?
Humoring the Goddess 
So many blogs. So little time. I too, am a blog surfer and have a few friends that write them. To me they show the diversity that is humanity. So much is learned and yet so many questions remain. Bloggers out there, please keep them coming.
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Thank you for mentioning my silly blog, The Return of the Modern Philosopher, in your post. The reason I started my blog was to distract me while the woman I love is off in another time zone going to grad school. Now I’ve realized I love the challenge of trying to come up with something bizarre and offbeat every day…
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Blogging, writing, hone your talents, and makes the learning fun. I never developed a talent for music or painting (although I am into both), but the more I work with words the better my grammar — and outlook — get. Keep writing! And keep enjoying it!
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That’s how I feel about the ones I read…and that’s what I hope I create with this one. That’s why it’s sometimes so up and down…busy and not busy…since I don’t have time for reading a book lately, blogs seem to scratch the itch. That’s why I enjoy yours so much!
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Those who get bit by the inspiration bug will never be the same..nor should we be. We learn from those around us. Thank you so much for your input.
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So true…I just want people heading this way to know that it’s not ALL bad.. just a little confusing now and then..
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I want to follow blogs for a variety of reasons yet find that there are very few written by and for those in middle age.
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Thank you for being such a good friend; I’m thrilled you feel the way you do about my blog. 😊
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For me, writing flutters between emotions and passions I believe we all share. Some days I’m weary, others I’m strong or funny. I like to share with others, and lacking a wealth of material assets, I offer bits and pieces of myself. That said, my friend, I write because I must; it is an essential of existence.
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I tend to follow a blog where I think I may eventually have an online friendship with the blogger. I can relate to the blogger and/or we have things in common. Some blogs I follow strictly because they entertain me, and I admit to following a few blogs that are easy to leave a like without a comment (like photography blogs), but mostly I like the friendships that evolve. I’ve added and deleted to my follow list quite a few times. Because I like to interact and leave comments, blogging takes quite a bit of my time, and I have to keep my list pared down somewhat.
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I agree I love writing for the sake of writing.I also love doing research for my content.It’s fun getting smart then putting it on paper.I know you don’t care about the money but why not make a little for the efforts at the same time simply from blogging
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