How to Start a Blog// Words of 'Inspiration'

I've been blogging since I just turned seventeen. It was something I started because I wanted to touch on personal things like my day-to-day experiences and a few current issues. When I started the blog I only really got around to do about two posts because I was studying for my AS levels and lots of stuff was going on.
 I then proceeded to do a post about my experience with domestic violence, which you can read here, and this got quite a bit of recognition. I did get quite a lot of bother from it and even called an 'attention whore' because obviously there are some people that just aren't pleased with anything. But one of the main things with blogging is that you're sharing a big hunk of your life with the general public, so you have to be careful about what you post and always think whether you'd be able to cope with the controversy or criticism that may arise from your writing.

A few people have approached me about wanting to write a blog but not knowing where to start. It is honestly so simple to write a blog, and your introduction, believe it or not, is the easiest part!

So you're probably asking now, 'what do I cover in my introduction then?' ...

1. Introduce yourself! Say your name (obviously), how old you are, where you're from, what your hobbies are and why you wanted to start a blog

...That's about it really.

After the introduction point is when people start to get 'writer's block', which is when you don't know what to write about. It all honestly depends on your interests. But if you want to start a political blog then I'm not the right person to come to. Completely anti-political blogs plus I know next-to-nothing about politics. But I won't get into that. 

Here are a few genres of blogs you may want to get into and tips on how to start them, lay them out and ideas on posts..

Personal

• Make it entirely about you. Your likes, dislikes, what you enjoy doing, vlogs (video diaries) and photos. 
• Make sure you only share information you're comfortable with pretty much the whole world knowing. Once you start a blog everyone can access it and you don't want any weirdos trying to add you on Facebook after putting a bikini snap on from your holiday! 
• Keep it creative. Don't bore people writing about what you had for dinner last night! Do some activities and review them, recommend things and inspire people with your personal life! If you went to Alton Towers and thought it was amazing, write about your time there and say why everyone else should go!

Fashion and Beauty

• Keep up to date with the latest trends.
• Comment on recent looks, do you like them or dislike them?
• Review catwalks and shows, comment on celebrities styles and make-up techniques.
• NEVER gossip. The fashion world is bitchy enough. Don't go commenting about models who wore certain things and looked dreadful, saying Kate Moss's bum looked enormous in those chinos. If you want to critiqué then there are ways of doing it, for example Kate Moss's chinos weren't really to her style, but she would have looked great if...
• Do make-up tutorials
• Do some styling on Polyvore, screenshot your looks and post them on here!
• Take selfies, like your outfit of the day or something
• YOU CAN DO THIS WITH AN ART BLOG. Research some art, criticise and review it then try it out for yourself. Invent creative tasks and give tutorials to people on your blog! 

Current Issues and Events

• Always keep up to date with the news so you know what you're talking about
• Write about events that are of key interest to you e.g. if you're interested in crime and the justice system then write about this, not something that will bore you
• Include stories of your own personal experiences to intensify your writing. People always take interest in the person behind the story and love to be nosey!

Reviews

• Again, keep up to date with what's going on in the media. New books, films, TV shows and stuff. No one is going to want to read a review of a film that came out ten years ago! 
• Be honest, people are interested in your views and why you did/didn't like it
• Make it amusing! No one's going to want to read a concrete, serious review. Be quick, describe your amusement or disappointment with the film in interesting ways that you think readers would like

Other than that, I cannot give you much more advice. Just on a note, every blog post you write, be it political or a review, is entirely personal. It's your opinion on something, everyone is different and even if you gave two people a task to review the same book, they would both write it completely differently. Be brave, and don't be scared to cause a bit of controversy either. That's how you get your publicity and interactions from your readers! 

I hope this has helped and inspired you guys to get blogging! I would love to wake up tomorrow morning and see that lots of people are starting up a blog! Get writing! xo