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If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you probably know I love writing about blogging. I know, it’s terribly cheesy to blog about blogging, but as they say, write what you love.

I have also been teaching my toddler the alphabet so struck my (lack of) inspiration, here are the ABCs of blogging, as defined by me. Brilliant and original, I know.

A - Awesome. Blogging is awesome. Period.

B - Blogger. I don’t really call myself that, I just say “I write a blog.” But who am I kidding? I’m totally a blogger.

C - Commitment. You need to be committed to blog. Or at least, to write a good blog that people want to read, and read again.

D - Design. I love this part about blogging. Designing my blog. When I started on Blogger, I played around with backgrounds, font, header and learnt about HTML. It was so fun!

E - Energy. You totally need energy to keep going. Couple this with commitment and you’re good.

F - Friends. Who said online friends aren’t real? They totally are. They rock, in fact.

G - Google Reader. I use this and I have a love-hate relationship with it. It manages my subscriptions to blogs, but some days, it overwhelms me and I scream at it. Just a little.

H - Highs. In blogging, there are so many highs – getting comments, seeing your readership soar, getting syndicated, being invited to guest post – love it all.

I - Involved. Get involved in the blogging community. It’s one big world out there. Find a group you’re comfortable with. Take part in link ups and memes. Join a cause. Join a community website. Blogging is so much more fun when you are involved with something.

J - Jealousy. It’s inevitable. At some point, you’ll feel a twinge of jealousy at a more successful blogger. Don’t let it eat you up. These successful bloggers put a lot of work into what they do, they deserve it. Be supportive, be happy for them – you’ll be happier for it.

K - Klout. Ah, Klout. If you tweet, you have Klout and you will know all about it. I used to care about my score and trying to get perks, but now, it’s not on my priority list. (plus I still haven’t scored ANY perks  - are you reading this, Klout?)

L - Lows. Just like everything in life, with highs come the lows. I’ve recently hit a low with burnout from doing too much. Then you scale back and see your numbers drop. But remember, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the connections.

M -Mothers. I have met so many amazing women who are mothers. Through their blogs, they always teach me something about parenting, or show me I’m not alone.

N - Networking. I’m pretty sure you’ve read enough posts to tell you how important networking is in blogging in order to grow your blog. The bonus? All the great people you will meet.

O - Obsessive. I was particularly obsessed with my blog when I first started out. Actually, I still kinda am, but I realize now that I need more balance in my life. Love your blog, but don’t get too caught up in it all.

P - Pinterest. I’d venture as far to say that bloggers are probably the most enthusiastic bunch about Pinterest. ‘Pinning’ is as much a part of the blogging community now as say, Twitter. (okay, maybe not so much, but people, Pinterest is awesome and addictive)

Q - Quiet time. We are so involved in writing, networking, social media – then turning off the computer and running back to our lives of being wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, we lose ourselves so easily. Take some quiet time for yourself. It’s a sanity saver.

R - Rest. As with quiet time, you need rest. Trust me. Take a break from your blog once in a while. Your readers will still be there, but your life moments will pass you by if you don’t stop to take a breath.

S - StumbleUpon. I have mixed feelings about StumbleUpon. I know many bloggers have achieved great success and traffic with this tool. I have not. However, as with most things, I am willing to stick it out for a while. Patience is a virtue.

T - Twitter. Essential if you blog. Duh.

U - Urgh, That’s how I feel sometimes about blogging. I know, it sounds like I’m contradicting myself. I do love blogging, but when I see pettiness, cattiness and bitchiness in the blogosphere, I do go ‘urgh’ and step away from all that ugliness.

V- Vlogging. It’s like the new blogging! Filming yourself, editing, publishing your video – it’s all very intimidating to someone who’s never tried it. Believe this camera-shy girl. But I did it, more than once. It’s so freeing to be able to get over that hurdle of dreading to see yourself on film. Your readers will feel like they know you better if they’ve seen your face, heard your voice – you’re real. Think about trying it if you haven’t. The VlogTalk site is great if you want to give it a go.

W - WordPress. I love WordPress. Before I made the leap from Blogger, I was totally freaked out about WordPress, it seemed so complicated! It’s probably a little more complex than Blogger, but once you get the hang of it, there’s no going back. Consider this my pitch for WordPress. If you’re thinking of making the move to a self-hosted blog, do it.

X - XOXO. For kisses and hugs. For you, my dear friends. (yup, I”m really stretching this one!)

Y - You. You, blog readers, are part of the equation for a successful blog and a happy blogger. Without you, there is no me. So, thank you.

Z - Zip. That’s me, zipping up my very long post. Thank you for reading this far!

Bruna, it’s been such a pleasure hanging out here with you.
Thank you for having me!!
xoxo