Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The first blog post! (AKA first blog specifications)

Hello and welcome! I started this blog on a whim and, totally lacking inspiration for my first post, I am falling back on what will no doubt prove to be my usual standby: my experience as a technical writer.

The first thing I do when approaching a new writing project is to outline the specifications of the document. This serves two purposes: helps me write a clear and cohesive document, and gives me inspiration when I hit a patch of writer's block (even tech writers get that, believe it or not).

Since this is a motherhood journal it should be easy to find inspiration. I have a three year old and another one on the way so I shouldn't have to look farther than knee level. But for those days when I am too tired, or feeling too grey and thinned out, I hope to come back to the following specifications and find the drive I need to continue.

Enjoy!

Purpose:

  • Journal the first few months of my daughter's life.
  • Provide a place for Grandparents and other family members to check on Ian and Baby, view pictures, and leave comments.
  • Get back into creative self-expression through writing.
  • Provide an outlet for frustration, excess energy (haha), inspiration, and love during my maternity leave.
  • Learn the technology involved in blogging.
  • Have fun!

Scope:

Hanna's Motherhood Journal will cover the first few months before Baby is born, as well as the months of my maternity leave. The blog will cover daily thoughts, pictures, and items of interest (not all related to motherhood).

Intended audience:

  • Family members
  • Close friends
  • My children

Action items:

  • Research blog etiquette. When it is it okay to link to other sites and blogs? Quote authors and websites?
  • What is my audience interested in reading about?
  • What restrictions does the blogger format have?
  • How do I change these funky bullet points?
  • What is the best way to minimize post editing frustrations?

3 comments:

  1. Are the stupid flower bullets a reflection of the wallpaper on your site?

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  2. I LOVE the flower bullets! I am wondering though why you have a PURPOSE to your blog? Isn't this supposed to be for fun? AND you've gone into tech-writing jargon. So I hereby banish all this tech-writing-ness!

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  3. What???? Tech writing IS fun! Whatever do you mean????

    The first posts were really test posts. I didn't want to post anything too personal if it turned out that I really didn't like doing it.

    Plus it is journal-style blog so most days you will likely get the trials and tribulations of a totally uninteresting life.

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