Blogging Alternatives

Your greasy little fingers can't help themselves: you yearn to express yourself.

So learn to express yourself.

1. Read
   
   Before you run, you walk. Before you walk, you crawl. Crawlers learn to walk through imitation, so start here: Malcolm Gladwell; Wonkette; Stop Blogging.
   
   Meanwhile, learn the rules of effective writing. Buy these books: The Elements of Style; Eats(,) Shoots & Leaves.
   
   
2. Journal
   
   Share your words with only the people who care to read them. And, for now, that's you (and only you). Write whatever you want. Try it using a pen and paper-- it forces slow, deliberate thought.
   
   Don't erase. Write something and mean it.
   
   
3. Review
   
   Find a good editor to critique your work. Hand her a red pen and instruct her to be ruthless. Read her comments. Read her comments again. Ask questions. Rewrite, rinse, repeat.
   
   
   
4. Micro-blog
   
   Join a micro-blogging website like Twitter. Learn how it works. Follow some people who share your interests.
   
   Get to the point. Use only the space provided. If it's worth saying, 140 characters is more than sufficient.
   
   The previous sentence contains only 51 characters. The previous paragraph, 108. This paragraph, 114. Get the idea?
   
   
5. Voice
   
   This blog employs laconic styling.
   
   This is our voice. Find your own.

As a service, we'll critique your writing if you've completed these five steps. It's one of the ways we put-our-money-where-our-mouth-is.

Send it in to 'stopblogging' at GMail.