Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016 - What's in a Name?
When I started my first gaming blog Misadventure in LOTRO back in 2008, I wrote under my in-game character name. Several blogs later I now use my real name Roger Edwards. Because the current site is not purely about gaming (why limit the scope of conversation?) I felt that dropping the gaming related name was prudent. My real name also has the advantage of being somewhat bland and common place on the internet, which is advantageous in this age of crazy, gaming savant, stalkers. Sometimes standing out in a crowd can be problematic. Yet it is my genuine identity which is ideal should I see fit to develop the business side of the blog, such as advertising, sponsorship or e-begging at a later date.
Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016 - Some General Guidance
Blogging is a broad church that offers many talking points. In this, my first post for the 2016 Newbie Blogger Initiative, I want to explore motivation, aspirations and style. I also want to touch upon some of the inevitable problems that may come up when writing online. Forewarned is forearmed. But before we proceed, don't forget that the advice you’ll both here and via the other sites contributing to this year’s event is purely subjective. We're all individuals and what works for one may not for another. There is no definitive way to blog and each blogger has to find their style.
The Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016
Contrary to a lot of people expectations (my own included), there is to be a Newbie Blogger Initiative this year, mainly due to the determination of Doone over at XP Chronicles. Some folk are just born “doers” and Doone is very much a community orientated guy. So he has managed to cajole many of those previously involved in the last four events to pull their fingers out and rally round the cause once again. Hell, it’s even brought me temporarily out of blogging retirement.
So for those who are unfamiliar with the Newbie Blogger Initiative, here’s a brief history lesson. The Newbie Blogger Initiative (hence forth to be known as the NBI) is an annual event created by Syp of Bio-Break and Massively OP fame, back in 2012. His goal was to “get prospective writers to come out of the woodwork and try their hand at an MMO blog of their own. We all know how hard it is to get started, which is why bloggers have banded together to give you a HUGE measure of encouragement, advice, and initial traffic”. The first NBI proved so successful that Syp passed his brainchild over to several members of the community who have continued to run the event each year.