When I am blogging, I don’t just talk, I write. And what I write is so honest, so real. When people read my posts, they feel like my words match their own life. I’ve had so many people comment and say how it has saved their lives, helped them get through the toughest of times, especially divorce and shared the sad stuff I went through in a nonjudgmental way. My words brought out some deep truths. Other times, it has shocked them, made them laugh. Other times it just helped them sort things out for themselves in a non-judgmental way. Mostly it is heartwarming.
Every day in this lifetime, I’ve had life lessons learn about me from the written word. That’s why if I had to start a blog from scratch, I would…
Find a topic I can connect with the most.
This can be real-life or it can be fictional characters. Either way, the topic should be something I can relate to as I have a lot of experiences. I feel very close to the humor I wrote about in my book, When Kissing Unsuccessfully, and that has made me laugh through so many divorce stories.
Find a voice that is unique to you.
You don’t have to write like Tina Fey or Oprah Winfrey to have your voice come through. Think about how you talk to your friends. Do you have a particular way you give advice or express yourself? Find that and write with it. I will always try to say the things that I think are best for people in my situation. For example, if a friend or client is asking a question about divorce or a problem with their kids, I will try to answer that with candor and openness. I can always use some new words and mannerisms to describe how I feel. Finding a unique voice is important.
Make sure your writing is diverse and strong.
There are plenty of blogs that are nothing more than lists of that song you hate the most or stories of the things you did that day or a list of the dumbest things you have ever done in life. A good blog is something you can identify with, an idea you can relate to and a thing you may even love. If you write like that, it will have an impact on people and help them look at their lives differently.
Be honest!
There are many moments in my life where I have felt so overwhelmed that I wrote the opposite of what I said. Sometimes my words were aimed at someone to make them feel better but it was the furthest thing from my heart and really wrong. It’s a great skill not to back down but to just let the person know you are not being mean.
Be positive and be proud!
Being open and honest is OK, not the only place to do that. But, I do know when I express myself in positive ways, it makes for much better reading. I am proud of the way I write and how I think and feel. I try to think about how I can help people and encourage them and motivate them. They can take that feeling and use it to make them feel better. In the end, they will feel so much better about themselves.
Get the books !!) to read!
I wrote a few books, including my New York Times #1 best seller When Kissing Unsuccessfully, because I knew that writing helped me emotionally and mentally through difficult times. Getting the books to read is a wonderful tool, too. Reading them gives me opportunities to remind myself that I am not alone and that there are many other women out there who have gone through what I have gone through and are thriving.
The bottom line is, I have found a medium that has helped me tremendously. If you really want to be a better person, a better person than you are today, read a blog. It’s time for you to shine.