By Jody Collins
When I began blogging almost 3 years ago I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Maybe you’ve felt the same way?
I was welcomed by a few new online friends into the High Calling network and encouraged to pursue my passion. In just three years, God has shown me a few things about the path I’ve chosen, this ‘writing for the world,’ and given me some perspective-makers to keep me focused:
1. Find Your Nancy
As you’re tapping and typing away at your laptop or desktop computer, there IS no audience, it’s just you and Jesus and your words. You send them out into the blogosphere and pray for a connection. You hope they’ll land somewhere, maybe touch a chord and speak to somebody. At least that was my prayer.
Lo and behold, one day I got a comment on a blog post. (Yay! It’s Okay to do a Happy Dance when someone leaves a comment.) Someone actually read what I wrote and told me about it!
It was an encouraging precious word from a woman named Nancy. And she showed up every week, to read whatever I’d written. In spite of my fears that my words were than less-than-profound, she’d remark on their depth or how encouraged she felt. Every week since then she has read and commented on my posts.
Now I have a very small crowd of ‘regulars’—fellow writers/bloggers and readers who encourage me as well. But I always remember Nancy—to write just for her—as if she was the only one listening. It personalizes my writing, which makes it more relatable. It also gives me hope.
2. Choose Your Words
Not everything is a blog post! Like the nurse logs in the Washington Coast rainforest, some things just serve as detritus for new growth. You know all those sticky notes and backs of envelopes? Those inspired scribbles from a Sunday morning sermon you wrote on the back of the bulletin? The scraps of paper you found just in time to scratch a revelation on? Yeah, you’re probably not going to write all that down…
Not everything gets into print—much of it is practice for the process, part of the pile—a paper detritus that is the growth medium for what you DO write. The Holy Spirit will quicken in you the words that need to see the light of day. Some of it will serve as markers, sitting in your notebook or under a paperweight, reminding you of how far you’ve come. Just keep writing. Persist, and then choose the honest, compelling words to share.
3. Build Relationships.
I am no professional marketing person to speak to what ‘platform’ is. I am a believer and a writer and simply offer my words back to God to use as He sees fit. Looking past all the social media skills and conferences and platform building, I think the core truth is this: Building your blog (or your writing audience) is all about relationships.
I am not concerned with numbers or stats, really. For me, it’s all about connecting. But how can you extend your reach? Widen your audience? By reading other peoples’ words, commenting when you can and having them click back and find you. That’s how others will find what you have to say. There are other voices that share your passion and vice versa. Maybe it’s Patheos, maybe it’s The High Calling, maybe it’s an online magazine—like Ruminate or Relief Journal or of course, where you are at now, the Faith & Culture Writers Connection!
There becomes an overlapping of the circles that you find yourself touching, an ever-expanding Venn diagram of comments and topics and people. I personally am interested in keeping my reach small so I can go deep, rather than being wide and therefore shallow. You’ll find what feels right for you. But wide or deep, it’s all just relationship connections.
As you write keep these three things in mind. Find your Nancy and write for her. Choose your words and persist. Build relationships. Do this consistently and you will see your writing and creativity move forward and impact people you never thought possible.
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Jody is the Volunteer Coordinator and Administrative Assistant for the Faith & Culture Writers Conference. She blogs at threewaylight.blogspot.com.
