{"id":69,"date":"2015-09-14T17:07:10","date_gmt":"2015-09-14T17:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/?p=69"},"modified":"2015-09-14T17:07:10","modified_gmt":"2015-09-14T17:07:10","slug":"the-joy-of-blogging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/the-joy-of-blogging\/","title":{"rendered":"The Joy of Blogging"},"content":{"rendered":"

I started blogging in 2009 and quickly discovered I loved it! Here are some reasons to love blogging:<\/p>\n

Blogging is creative<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are no hard rules about blogging. You can make your blog be whatever you want it to be.<\/p>\n

\"Spooky
I included a photo of my cat Nisene in the fog for one blog post I wrote. Now I’ll never forget Nisene sitting next to that foggy spider’s web!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blogging records history<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you write things down, you are more likely to remember them. And years later you can look back and see what your thoughts were in the past. That’s pretty cool.<\/p>\n

Blogging creates community<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you start blogging and telling people about your blog, you create new community networks in your life. You might meet people who are interested in the same subject. You might start conversations with people you know but didn’t have much connection with before.<\/p>\n

Blogging gives you an audience<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the hardest things about writing is doing it when you don’t have any real reason to do it. That’s what a lot of “school writing” is like: you’re supposed to work hard on a piece of writing, but probably no one but your teacher is going to read it! It’s really fun and inspiring to have an audience, and a blog is an easy way to find an audience. Also, your blog might help other people get interested in what you like.<\/p>\n

Blogging sends you on treasure hunts<\/strong><\/p>\n

I find that I’m constantly having to look up information when I’m blogging. Maybe I need to check a historical fact or find a picture of what I’m writing about. I go out on the Internet to find one thing, and usually I end up with all sorts of new treasures by the end.<\/p>\n

Blogging creates raw material<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"From
I wrote a whole book based on one blog post I wrote in ten minutes!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you blog, you might not work as hard to polish your writing as you would if you were turning your work in for a class. But often, blogging helps you develop ideas that you use in other places. I call the ideas blogging generates my “raw material.” I even once wrote a book based on a blog entry I typed in ten minutes!<\/p>\n

How can you start blogging?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Talk to your parents first. Each family has their own rules about using the Internet. Some families might want you to create a private blog that only your family and friends can view. Others might be OK with you making a blog for the whole world to see. Some families might want their kids to use a blogging platform made just for kids. Others might be fine with you signing up for a blog on a general blog website.<\/p>\n

After you and your family agree how you will blog, there are tons of options for free software. Starting a blog is easy, and once you start it, you can keep refining it as you go along.<\/p>\n

Happy blogging!<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my students is passionate about snakes and keeps two blogs on that subject:<\/p>\n