When I started writing more seriously in 2019 as a teenager, I primarily wrote poetry as a form of expressing the trials and tribulations of school. I never would’ve pictured myself taking journalism or literature classes for fun, much less majoring in English once I got to college or starting a blog before I even turned 18. Yet here you are, and all of the above is my reality. Funky stuff, isn’t it?
Regardless of my sentimental musings, I decided to start my blog for a variety of reasons. Here are seven of them!
1. It seemed like the next logical step.
As I write this in June of 2023, my first-ever article will be over 4 years old. I’ll be graduating college in just under two years, and (hopefully) begin writing full-time soon after that. Naturally, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of years contemplating what to do with these writings. Keep them in a dark hole on my computer? Try to publish? Submit for contests? Ultimately, my insatiable desire to send my work out into the world has won.
I also decided to start because of my career goals.
2. Delve into the worlds of journalism, editing, and publishing.
As I approach my college graduation in early 2025, I’m excited to get started on some real-world jobs. A big part of finding those jobs is knowing exactly where I fit–this page allows me a lot of space to experiment in different areas and find my footing.
3. Build a professional portfolio of published work.
In fields such as my own, it is incredibly helpful–if not downright necessary–to have a showcase of your best work. Especially for rising journalists such as myself, a blog can be a great way to not only practice our craft but also begin to publish our work and build our reputation. I certainly aim to place my writing in other, more widespread publications, but I also appreciate the creative freedom self-publishing allows, as well as being able to showcase a variety of my best works on different topics.
4. Learn the basics of running a blog.
Regardless of what exact role I end up in career-wise, knowing how to set up, maintain, and run a website and blog will always be a useful skill. Even if I never blog as a formal part of my career, such skills are a great way for me to freely express my thoughts in increasingly creative ways.
Additionally, some personal goals led me here.
5. Push myself to write consistently.
I started thinking about building a consistent writing habit towards the end of National Novel Writing Month (a popular writing challenge in which participants write an entire book in one month) this past November. While my passion is more in personal essays and journalistic pieces rather than novel writing, the importance of consistently honing one’s craft remains the same. In addition, writing allows me a creative platform in which I can express my thoughts and experiences–quite a healthy practice!
Overall, I hope that the desire to publish consistently on this blog will help push me to build a stronger habit of writing every day.
6. Write more about my favorite topics, as well as expand into less-familiar areas.
Another reason I chose to start this blog was to share my passions and ideas with an interested audience.
I believe that my desire to cover new areas for readers will also push me into expanding my writing into new areas and topics I haven’t previously covered or attempted. As a result, I’ll be able to expand my writing abilities, style, etc. to become more diverse and learn to properly cover additional sectors through my writing. Plus, I’ll learn about a lot of new topics and techniques!
The final reason?
7. My friend Mack proved to me that it can be done.
To be honest, the only reason I didn’t start my own blog sooner was that I didn’t feel ready or skilled enough. I don’t know the first thing yet about setting up and owning a blog, or keeping it running.
I met Mackenzie in a Creative Nonfiction Writing class last semester. This coming year, Mack will be the co-president of the writing club I’m starting on my college campus. Getting to know her has allowed me to learn a lot about how other people in my area and skill level approach their writings. Ultimately, seeing her blog proved to me that owning and running one of my own isn’t as scary as my mind made it out to be.
Check out Mack’s blog, MacMedia, here!
I hope this brought some insight into my writing (and blogging!) journey. I’d love to hear your feedback and any ideas in the comments!
P.S. I’d like to express my gratitude to my mother for her support in the pursuit of my dream of being a writer, and for editing this article. I love you, Mom!