Why I blog

People are super curious about bloggers. I’m constantly being asked things like, why did you start your blog? How do you keep up with it? OMG, you got that for free??

I never really thought about it, but blogging is new to most people and below are some of the thoughts I’ve come up with in thinking about these questions. I’ve been a blogger for, oh, three-and-a-half years now. But I’ve been a writer all my life and these days, and there doesn’t seem to be a big difference.

Except there is.

My blog has become an extension of me.  It has taken on a life of its own and has grown into an entity that I could have never imagined. Unlike the newer bloggers who design their blogs with a goal of product reviews or junket jumping, when I started writing The Daily Grind in May of 2007, I had one goal in mind – to write.

And though I’ve grown beyond what I ever thought possible, and have been offered exquisite opportunities as a result of my little TypePad foray into the blogosphere, my original goal is still intact – I still aim to bring quality writing to my readers as frequently as the words come.

As a blogger, as a writer, I value quality writing. I have high expectations for myself, and as a result, I set the bar high for other bloggers. And while not everyone delivers, there are a handful of blogs that present fine writing technique, day after day. And for those writers, I’m grateful. I value those bloggers who regard writing as an art-form, not as a means to grab swag.

They’re fewer and further between, I’m afraid, but they do exist. And I don’t mean on those top 50 lists that seem to be published as many times per year. They exist in my RSS reader.  Maybe in yours, too.  And they’re my go-to when I’m looking for inspiration, for a diversion, for entertainment, or even a glimpse into somebody else’s everyday. But the one thing that remains consistent across all those blogs I visit regularly – they present quality writing.

So how does one achieve success in this over-saturated blogosphere?  Amidst all the muck, how does one stand-out?

Well, first of all, success can only be defined by one person – you. Some measure their success by number of readers, others by volume of comments. Others, myself included, measure success by going back and reading posts they wrote on a cold, snowy day, a different day, and feeling every one of those words again. Success comes to a blogger who is patient, a blogger whose goal is to hone their skill. A successful day is any day when I re-read what I’ve written and think, I’m a good writer. A day that I believe I’ve written a post worthy of being read by others whom I hold in high regard is a successful day.

And all the “stuff” that comes along with good writing?  A lovely perk.

Jill Notkin blogs at The Daily Grind of a Work at Home Mom when she’s not tweeting @AlexCaseyBaby. She is also the Managing Director of MotherTalk division at Mom Central Consulting.

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