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How to Blog

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During my appearance on the Bloggers’ Panel at Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union on Saturday, I asked the audience to go home or to the library, get on the web and begin to become familiar with the internet. If the first steps are to type in www.google.com and put a question in the box, then that is a great start. But immediately following our panel, I was approached by dozens of people who were intrigued by the idea of blogging and wanted to understand the ‘how to’s’. I am not a technical expert so I’ve tracked down several sites that explain the mechanics better than I could. But, before I send you off to other sites, I want to share a few thoughts:

1. Your voice is worthy of attention. I started All About Race in March of 2007 because spirit called me to do it. Day after day I sat in front of my computer, typed my words and sent them out into the void. For days only 3 or 4 people (all of whom were close personal friends) stopped by. And then a week or so into it, my now good friend Nezua,The Unapologetic Mexican, stopped by and chewed me out for some uninformed ideas I had about immigration. I was exhilarated by the exchange and I was hooked. And then the Jena Six case came along and my amigo Wayne Hicks over at Electronic Village reached out to me and then over time many others did the same. I soon found myself connecting with extraordinary people who shared, challenged and broadened my worldview. You will find many of them on the blogroll to the right.

2. Read! Read everything. Read blogs, news articles, science articles, financial articles. If you don’t have much time, take 15 minutes to read and 15 minutes to write. Information will feed you.

3. Be consistent and persistent in your writing. Writing regularly will increase the number of people who will come to your site. Daily is ideal, but if it is once a week then make sure you post once a week.

4. Be unafraid and be honest! Write from your spirit. Don’t be afraid to shift and to grow in your blog. A good blog is a dynamic, evolving entity. I have chosen to be transparent in my journey and I suggest that it’s a most effective way to go. We all have clay feet and authenticity (or lack thereof) will come through in your writing. If you posture, the people who are searching for your message will not be able to find you.

5. Keep working to get better. If your grammar is not good, then improve it. Have a friend help you proofread for spelling errors if you find a lot of them in your writing. Sites like The Guide to Grammar and Writing and Daily Grammar offer free tutorials.

Okay, and now the how! Click on the links below for all the information you need to get started:

How To Blog: A Beginner’s Blog Publishing Guide – Robin Good

Learning about blogging and How to blog – Lorelle on Wordpress

How to Blog – Slate.com

How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else) – Electronic Frontier Foundation

  • brendabeyt
    I really was excited to hear that nother person in this world was conscious about the race issues and lack of purpose it holds for our future~ Our children it seems don't have the drive or the need I personally feel they have been rocked to sleep) with technology and other distractions that allow themm to see only limited versions of the institutionalized mess we have sunk into. I mean if it wasn't for me being a baby-boomer and a person that actually lived through the persecution personal and otherwise i might even be mild about this disease that permeates and destroys everything good about this country. i just twittered the other day and got so many hits, just saying what is the logical reason that in 2010 that human beings can't just cease being red,white or black and just live , not trying to do anything irrational or biased to you and the same applies to you. That apparently won't be the case because of the bigots that still run the Conservative right and the many other clandestine operations that would have every thing not Aryan sold on the block again?
  • Just stumbled across this post, and website. Kudos. We're only a year old but can use many of the tips and links you provide. Thanks for helping people find their voice. I look forward to reading more.
  • Thanks. I'm just getting started and this advice is so helpful. Tranparency is important - as wella as being your authentic self-to connect with your audience.

    Whew. I can now sleep at night and will stop yelling at my kids. LOL.
  • Greg L
    Thanks for providing this tidbit. I've just gotten into blogging and I've found what you've suggested very helpful as well as inspiring. Thanks!
  • johnlindsay
    Last week I called in to a local talk radio show here in Lexington, KY to ask "Why do they focus sooooooooooooooo much on a HANDFUL of terrorist acts committed by members of a group who practice a radical form of Islam....while completely ignoring the huge number of hate crimes committed by White supremacist organizations in the U.S.?!"

    The host claimed that he "wasn't aware of these crimes."
    I then went on to state that "domestic terrorists have committed more crimes in a single day...than ALL of the crimes committed by international terrorists against America since 9/11.".
    But the host didn't want to hear this and thus slammed the phone down.

    These hate groups NOT only attack African-/Asian-/Latino-/ and Native Americans, they also attack Whites working against racism and Whites involved in inter-ethnic relationships/marriages, such as the Black male/White female couple who were attacked in Detroit a couple of years ago by a White supremacist group a few days after they were married.

    Many of these hate groups are also "States Rights" supporters and thus "anti-federal government."
  • johnlindsay
    Last week I called in to a local talk radio show to ask, "Why is there so much ranting and raving against a HANDFUL of terrorist acts committed by members of a group practicing a radical form of Islam....yet absolutely nothing from this station about the huge number of terrorist acts committed by White supremacist groups in the U.S.?"

    The host claimed he "wasn't aware of these acts committed by hate groups."
    I then went on to state that "these hate groups are a much, much, much larger threat to America than the handful of international terrorists."

    If anyone is interested in working to get these domestic terrorist acts before the public, write me at jclind2@msn.com

  • Marc Wolf
    I don't pretend to be an authority on race relations. However, I do know that through out history that there have been individuals that transcend color. This evening, I was watching "Count Down with Keith Oberman". Journalist John Ridley was a guest. I was reminded of such a man. His name is Dr. John Ridley. This is a great man. The color of his skin is moot. He is a great man. It reminds one of how important color is.
    Marc Wolf
  • Nicole
    Hey Carmen!
    This weekend I had a chance to take a class instructed by Shawn P. Williams of Dallassouthblog.com. After being inspired by what he does, I followed his recommendation and I am checking out as many blogs as I can. I think your advice is outstanding. I will have to Ecoh Warren, and I will take your advice, to be unafriad and be honest. Also I think everyone did a great job on the blogger bunch on CNN.com on the topic of Michael Jackson.
  • I recently wrote a wonderful interracial love story on African American, medical journalist, Olivia Moreno, and Greek Emigre, Ptolemy Verenis. It's set in the 1960s in Paris. It's a story of unconditional love, of pain, deceit, secrets and sorrow. I believe it has a great story line and the love scenes are tastefully written. It's entitled: "True Season of Love," by Urenna Sander. If you get a chance look up the quotation by Goetze (True Season of Love). The book is on Amazon.com
    I wish you love regardless of gender or race.
  • Warren
    I wish I could begin to write about all of the ideas and opinions flowing in my brain. I am going to follow your advice - be unafraid and honest; keep working. Writting is alot harder then I thought but, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Glad I surfed by this site and sure will be back.
    WW
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