Chapter 1: The First Post

How to write your first blog post

Starting anything can be daunting. They say taking the first step is always the hardest, and honestly, it is. I have wanted to start a blog for more than five years now. I have watched hundreds of videos on ‘how to start a blog’ and I’ve probably read twice as many articles about it. I’ve done the planning, I’ve made a schedule and I’ve even started working on the platform. But I never published anything. I never had the confidence to push that publish button and make my blog live. But today that is going to change.

Hi, my name is Jamie and this is my very first blog post. And if you are reading this, you are probably wondering how to write your first blog post. Now, maybe you are like me. Maybe this has been a long time in the making, and finally you have decided to take the leap and do it, or maybe you are in the beginning stages of your research into starting a blog. As you probably know there are hundreds of videos and articles out there with the steps you need to start a blog, although they are written and filmed by multiple people, they can all be summarised as this: pick a niche, pick your audience, choose a hosting platform and domain and publish your first post. To be honest, everyone makes it sound really easy, too easy even. And I think that is what makes starting a blog so daunting.

Sometimes there is quite a negative opinion revolving around creative careers and many people don’t see writing as a career unless you are Brandon Sanderson or J.K. Rowling. This is probably because you can’t finish school or university and go onto a job site and type in ‘next million pound author’ and apply for that job. (I wish that was a thing..) Writing takes time and effort, and for many people, it is something to do on the side of a job that they could apply for. Writing is hard work. Starting anything is hard work and that is why so many fail.

For years I tried to put in the effort to start a blog and for years I ended up putting it off. There are mixed opinions about blogs and bloggers and it’s difficult to figure out what would apply to you if you were to start a blog. I know I’ve watched these six-figure earners talk about their blog as if it was the easiest thing in the world. They talk about growth and monetizing that growth. They also speak about posting a certain amount per month or per week and they say how it will make you grow. But will that work? Will I actually be able to achieve the same level of success that they have if I follow their steps?

The honest answer is; you won’t know until you try and that is something I wish I had known a while ago. I wish I had the courage to just do it. To give blogging a try and see how it goes. We can talk about what-ifs and statistics and numbers and projections, but that’s all they will be unless you start.

So, how do you start? Find your motivation. Find your rocket fuel. Our goal is to make it out of the atmosphere and into outer space where our income is passive and our blog is our job. But we have to get it there, we can’t use up all our fuel reserves before we enter orbit, because breaching that barrier is going to be the hardest part, running out of fuel will cause the rocket, that is your blog, to crash and burn. (You know, I think I have been watching my boyfriend play Kerbal Space Programme way too much… But you get the idea.) Think of your blog as a rocket. A lot goes into designing, testing and planning before a rocket is even launched, and that’s what needs to happen to your blog.

So yes, you need to do all your research, pick a niche, an audience and a hosting domain, but you also need to make sure that the motivation you are using as your fuel is enough to break the atmospheric barrier and propel you into what could be the best decision of your life.

But what do you write in your first blog post? To be honest, write whatever you want. Yes, it is the only time you will ever write and publish your first blog post, but it’s also going to be the first of many. It’s okay if it’s not perfect. Your writing will get better the more you write and the more you post. Your audience will help you shape your writing style and theme. You can always go back and edit an old post once you know the ropes. (Which is something I may do to this post in a few months time.) You have a niche, just pick a topic. You don’t need to have anything set up to write your first post. You can have ideas for platforms and domains, but you definitely don’t need them set up to start writing. The more articles you have before you start your blog, the easier it will be to keep up with the demand of posting. You will have more time to dedicate to writing posts because you have a collection already, keep adding to your collection and publish them on your schedule.

As I said, taking the first step is always the most difficult, but which step is the most important?

“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.” – Oathbringer, Brandon Sanderson

So, here it goes. Hi, my name is Jamie. I want to be an author and this blog is what I will be using to track my progress and include everything I have learnt as I go along. I want to show everyone the ups and downs of what it is like trying to make it as an author in this day and age, and I want to be honest about my journey. I know it’s not going to be easy and some days are going to be really hard, but that is what the reality is going to be. My motivation for the project is to make enough money to quit my job and work from home as a full-time writer. My ultimate goal is to make enough money to buy a castle and run fantasy balls and fantasy themed events, and although that will be a massive task and an insane amount of money, I have to start somewhere. So, this is it. My very first blog post. What are you going to write in yours?

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