Since being a wee little thing, (and trust me, that’s been quite some time!) writing has been a focus. Since I can remember, a pen in my hand was there to write, write, write! And, over the years, many journals and tablets in which I’ve written my deepest and not-so deepest thoughts have been tossed out. So many that I couldn’t count them! I can’t just keep a thousand of them!
Every time going into my “computer room ” and beginning to clean or straighten, I go through a stack of journals and toss one or two thinking, it’s outdated information , old news or who cares or will care! (I do keep my most treasured and tender moments.)
Many of those writings have been related to my teaching career or topics in general. Many of those writings have been for pleasure. For pleasure, I wrote about family and family events. For pleasure, I wrote stories about my youth, my children and kept these thoughts in journals named to them for a designated time to be determined in the future.
Some writers use the movement of the pen as an expression of creativity to share something on paper with others. Now, the stage in our world is that there are journalers, or now called, bloggers at every turn. Almost all websites have a “blog” in which the website owner tells of “something” important. Moms, Pops, stores, and news organizations to even the basic of television shows have a blog.
A blog is a personal expression or informational tool used to express thoughts. It’s always a fun thing until money becomes important and then the whole action sits in this new category called business. Businesses are formed to make money so when a blogger begins a business blog, it is for the purpose of bringing in revenue.
When writing for pleasure, one might choose topics based on how he or she feels or to encourage another or to help someone out. When considering business writing, it generally is for the purpose of promoting something related to helping too but in a way that might bring about some tangible result.
Blogs that are fanciful, fun and cute can still make money and be a business but business blogs must have a focus. It can be true to have a fun website and blog and still make money as a business but still, once a profit is being made, the focus does change in that there is some kind of accountability to make the bills at the end of each month. And if this becomes the prime focus often it loses some of its fun.
Whether you choose to write for business or pleasure is certainly your call, but most importantly, do what would make you happy, fulfill your needs and meet your wallet concerns. If you balance the fun with the work, it can be a very lucrative experience.
Josie