A Reader’s Guide To Blogging

By Caitlin Corsetti

It’s Sunday Funday y’all! I’ve spent mine in a van on the way back from Orlando, so my apologies for being an absent editor all day. I spent a few days at Disney World and couldn’t log in to CollegeCandy. Apparently, Disney resorts don’t let you visit certain websites. We were considered “R-Rated” so I couldn’t get on, and they wouldn’t unblock it for me. Whenever I tell people I write for CollegeCandy, I usually follow it up with “It’s not porn!” making this whole situation pretty funny.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the reader-blogger relationship lately. I realized that there’s a lot of things you guys don’t know about what goes on behind the scenes. We’re real people just like you, we just like to write more. Here are some facts about blogging that you might like to know:

1. We are basically sleep deprived: On average, I probably sleep about four or five hours a night. Bloggers thrive on the internet (duh) which for me at least means I’m up super late reading and doing internet things. In order to write a lot, you need to read a lot too. Plus, whenever I have an idea for an article I often get up in the middle of the night to write it down.

2. We usually have caffeine addictions: This is because of the non-sleeping. Not all bloggers rely on jet-fuel strength coffee to get through their day, but about ninety percent of the bloggers I know do. I drink roughly three cups by noon. Black, two sugars.

3. We make up words: Sometimes you can’t find the right combination of words to express a thought so you have to come up with a new one. I do this frequently. Mainly for necessity, but also because it’s really fun. I’d love to find a word of mine in the dictionary one day. It’s part of the creative liberty we have in this industry.

4. We skirt the rules every now and then: I’m really into grammar so much that I have a copy of Strunk & White on my end table. As writers, we’re pretty in tune with the rules. We know the difference between their, they’re, and there (that was an example of the Oxford comma). English was my second major, and I proofread papers for fun. I even did my last boyfriend’s English homework because his assignments were fun for me. But blogging is more casual than the comp and lit classes you’re taking, meaning we change things to be more chill. I don’t want you to feel like you’re reading an essay. I want you to feel like you’re having a conversation with me.

5. It’s a lot of work: If you think that we just sit down and magically pump out articles, think again. I’ve been known on occasion to stare at my screen hoping for words to appear. Articles can take hours to write depending on research, fact-finding, and writer’s block. It’s not easy.

Are you a blogger? What are some things your readers don’t know?

[Image via We Heart It]

Caitlin is a graduate of the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger, social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!