A couple of days ago, I was asked, “How do I get started blogging?” And after explaining different blog platforms, etc, I lowered my voice and said, “What to know what my three rules of blogging are?”

Nodding, the person said quietly, leaning in as if I was about to impart some special code that only “real” bloggers knew, “yes.”

Looking in both directions, (mostly for the waitress as I was thirsty), I said, “Listen closely, for I will not repeat these.”

At this point, I figured you guys know that I am making this crap up, but given we all like stories, I will continue…

“For these rules are never to be spoken aloud once they are heard. They are never to be written down once they are seen. And, if you ever pass them on, I charge only 25% in royalities. Do you accept these terms?”

Without hesitation, the gentleman quickly nodded and his grin spread it what only could be considered a bad case of gas. Being a posititve guy, I decided to pretend he was grinning with glee.

“Fabulous,” I bellowed.

And, I am now over this stupid italic story concept. Sometimes you try and fail, and sometimes something just makes you laugh.

My Three Rules of Blogging:

1) Write as if the only person who will ever read your blog is you.

Its important to always be proud of what you write. To feel that the words you are placing on the screen will exist forever, and ten years from now, you will still be proud of what you wrote. I only write things that I have been thinking of, and think are interesting. On occassion, I will write about things that make me laugh. But regardless, I write for me. And, I am my harshest critic.

The nice benefit of this is when someone seeks me out to talk about how their struggles with their own personal Andrew were helped by reading my blog, or a CEO of a company emails me to get my thoughts on a subject because of the examples from my life I have used, I am still amazed, pleased and proud. I love that feeling, and I never want to lose it.

2) Dont write on a timeline.

When I started blogging, I tried to write every day and I hated it. So, then I tried to write every week. Hated it. When I have been asked to write for others, and there is a deadline attached I literally puke in my mouth a little.

Inspiration is not something you can get in the quarter machines outside the grocery store. It has to come from something organic, and it has to come in its own time. Sometimes, I have 3-4 posts sitting in my head, so I write daily or multiple times in a day. Sometimes weeks pass before something interests or inspires me.

Either way, I only write when I want to write. I think it makes the product better and something I can be proud of. After all, according to rule #1, I am just writing for myself. So, I am the only person I am trying to please.

3) The moment when an experience or conversation makes you think to yourself, “I should blog about that,” is the exact moment you have become a blogger.

Just because you write on a blog platform, you are not a blogger. A blogger is someone who wants to record their thoughts and experiences in an open format that others might read and enjoy (or even learn from). So, until a person sees the world in that context, s/he is not a blogger. S/he is just a writer.

And fundementally, thats the difference between the two. Bloggers want, invite, hope for, two way conversations to occur about what they write about. Writers just want people to read what they wrote.

So is becoming a blogger that easy? Yes, it really is.

1) write for yourself;

2) write when you want to;

3) write out of a desire to record and share experience and ideas.

Thats it.

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