Since June 2009, I have been writing a blog called words at random. That started when a friend suggested it as an online vehicle for my writing. Despite a few hiccups and time outs, it has been a fun and quirky way to share my thoughts, concerns, ideas and stories.
At first I wasn’t sure I wanted the responsibility of a blog, and I wasn’t even sure what I would write about. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised I could make it work, with two guidelines to keep me on track:
- Write for me and hope others enjoy the content. That freed me to write what I wanted when I wanted without questions, criticisms or judgement.
- Set a maximum time limit of 30 minutes. If it wasn’t finished in that time, it didn’t get posted because I didn’t want to end up losing an entire day consumed by dilly-dallying and tweaking to perfection.
My original blog has been a going concern since June 2009.
That blog has 11 categories and 157 posts about everything from shopping trolleys, buses, books and movies, to winter, working from home, a broken toe, food and beverages, annoying people, and life in general.
Content exactly like its namesake – words at random.
And that brings me to blog #2.
My new professional website has its own blog with nine categories and a minimum of one post a week. It follows the same 30-minute guideline, but offers readers information and ideas drawn from my work as a speaker, storyteller, editor and writer, and related projects.
So, two blogs, each with a different purpose and, in many ways, a different audience, but all posts written by me and using words to tell stories and start conversations – the core of my professional and personal pursuits.
Which begs the question – one blog or two? Keep them separate, or incorporate into one?
For now, I’m keeping them separate, but I am interested to know what you would recommend.