Weblogging isn't difficult. It's something anyone can do. (You should try it.) There are, however, a few guidelines to keep in mind to make the experience more rewarding for both you and your readers.

Rule One: Write what you want — it's your space.
Everyone has something to say.

Don't try to emulate the so-called A-List bloggers. You're not an A-List blogger. You're you.

What are your hobbies? What are your passions? What childhood events shaped who you are today? What do you know that nobody else knows? Write about this stuff, the stuff you know. It'll make your weblog unique, more authentic, and interesting.

Don't fret that if you write about computer games you're going to alienate your audience. Don't fret that if you write about how much you love to play the violin you'll scare people away. Don't fret that people don't want to hear about your two-year-old daughter's fascination with the toilet. Your audience will find you.

Write what you know.

Rule Two: Post often.
"Why doesn't Jeff post more often?" Kris asked me tonight. "More people would read him if he wrote more."

"Lynn has a new entry up," I said by way of response.

"She should write more often, too," Kris said.

The frequency with which I visit an individual weblog is directly related to how often new entries get posted. For example, I check kottke several times a day. That's not because Jason's weblog is great — it's interesting in a detached, flavorless sort of way — but because he updates it every few hours with new links. (He's a great source for my flotch.) On the other hand, I only check onfocus once a day. I'm more interested in pb's weblog than in Jason's, but pb doesn't post nearly as often.

Also note that most weblogs take months or years to develop an audience. I've been posting several times a week for four years. This main page now receives about 250 unique visitors every day. For the first year, I was lucky to have four unique visitors every day: Mac, Dana, Kris, and myself.

If you want readers, post often. If you want more readers, keep at it.

Rule Three: Don't become a slave to your weblog.
Contrary to rule two: if you have nothing to say, it's probably best not to post. Posting for the sake of posting leads to the much-maligned (and deservedly so) "what I had for breakfast" type entries that everyone mocks.

All webloggers are guilty of breaking this rule from time-to-time. (I do it often enough to make me cringe!) It's easy to feel obligated to post something for your readers. Don't do it unless you have something that must be said.

If you need a week or two off from your weblog, take the time off. It'll only make it better in the long run.

Rule Four: Don't expect anyone to read your weblog.
There are tens of thousands of weblogs. (Hundreds of thousands? Millions?) Many people believe all weblogs are exactly alike: festering pits of narcissism. Perhaps they're right. Whatever the case, it's unlikely that your weblog will ever have any sort of audience outside close friends and family members. Don't pin your self-esteem on your site's visitor stats.

Rule Five: Always assume everyone reads your weblog.
On the other hand:

By their very nature weblogs are public documents, exposed for the world to see. If you write something, be willing to take responsibilty for your words. You never know who is reading your weblog.

I've discovered that some of the people I least expect read my weblog every day: long-lost friends, distant family members, customers, neighbors, people I've only met in passing. This happens so often that I'm no longer surprised when somebody I barely know says, "Oh yeah — I read that on your web site." I try to be sure that what I write is something I'd be willing share in person.

(Example: I once wrote about an experience from my youth. I told the story from my viewpoint, and the picture it painted of another person was not altogether complimentary. I learned later that this person, a person I've not seen in twenty years, is well-aware of this weblog entry. I made no alterations to the story when I learned this; I stand by it as my perception of what happened, and would have told the story exactly the same way had the person been in the room.)

If you follow these guidelines, you'll find that your weblog is better for it. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you write for yourself. Everyone has something to say. Weblogs are the perfect vehicle for saying it.

On this day at foldedspace.org

2004 — Disorganized   My super power may be organization, but moving is my kryptonite.

2003 — Cats and Dogs   Animals are a big part of my world.

2001 — A Passage to India   I am an ardent believer that perception clouds judgment, causes different people to see different things. I've mentioned this before in this journal, I think, and I will mention it until I die. What a person brings to a situation determines that person's perceptions.