Can I use it to shape a different career for myself or make money somehow? How will it help me develop as a person? Because I have a baby, and we already established that I don’t spend enough time with her, so I really don’t need another special interest that takes up a lot of time. I want to make sure that if I start writing that I’m not just doing it for some extra dopamine.
When you got off from your blogging journey as you hit personal roadblocks, how did you get back on track?
I want to know how you keep writing over so many years despite so many life changes.
My husband and I are swingers, but I feel like I can’t even consider writing about it on my blog because it is so far from what is accepted in society.
Should I have an anonymous blog about it?
We just got out of the army after being in for 4 years. I could still write about it but it would seem to not make sense after a while.
I don’t feel like that can be THE central theme of my blog. It doesn’t feel genuine for me to tie everything back to the army because I see so little of it as part of my identity.
Do you see another angle for me? I’m hoping you see something that I don’t.
I feel like most stories about my life are boring and there’s nothing interesting to write about that I would feel comfortable sharing with you or anyone else. It sucks away all my inspiration to write even though I usually feel like I want to write after reading stories. I’m not trying to write long or anything, I can’t even come up with small stuff. I’m open to writing fictional stories too but I’m struggling to come up with interesting ideas there too. It’s been really discouraging to me. Do you have any advice on how to get over this?
I’ve created a blog, but after 3 years it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I started it to help others get through some of the tough stuff I went through, and I have interviews as well. But I’m still have no real following. How can I get a bigger following?
My daughter and I had an idea to start a digital magazine with writings by girls, for girls. This could be a great resource to encourage writing for homeschoolers. We are trying to encourage more submissions and just released our first issue. It’s all free. Gemag.me is our site. We would love if you would help us get a start.
I just finished reading your post about how one is unlikely to earn significant money from a blog (http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/04/21/8-reasons-why-you-wont-make-money-from-your-blog/). I generally agree with what you say, but I’ve also noticed that you’ve mentioned in other posts that you now make a substantial amount (maybe most?) of your income from your blog.
I understand that you’ve built the blog, its readership base, and your professional reputation up over the years to get to the point you’re at now, and I know you have other businesses as well, but my questions is: how do you actually make money from your blog? What is the mechanism through which you earn?
I’d like to set up a blog or two, mostly for my own creative outlet, but it wouldn’t hurt if I was able to eventually earn a small side income from it. How does one go about doing it? Just enabling Google Ads or going out and courting ad companies to get them to plaster their sponsorship all over your page?
I don’t like the idea of ads on my blog (or at least “over-commercializing” it) and would rather not put too many on there, but I don’t understand the underlying business dynamics of how one makes money with a blog otherwise. You don’t appear to have any ads on your blog, and in the above article you’ve even mentioned how you dislike them, as well; so how does one go about generating (even the tiniest) income from a blog, website, or writing/media platform if not with ads? I don’t think I understand the underlying business model here or the revenue-generating alternatives that exist in the internet world.
I’m a 27-year-old INFP woman. I live with my parents, have a boyfriend of four years, and quit a good office job last year to travel. Now I’m a part-time manual laborer (I’m a longshoreman, so I tie up container and cruise ships). I also have my own office space where I do some freelance writing and photography. I don’t market my freelance services at all—so I get very little work, and it’s all word of mouth. I can bring my dog to my office, which I love.
Other than traveling, I’ve been working on a novel for the past year. I don’t tell anyone that because I’m embarrassed by it. I almost started an MFA in creative writing last fall but didn’t because it wasn’t free and you told me it was a bad decision anyway.
I’m pretty happy doing what I’m doing (longshoring, occasional freelance, personal writing projects), but I’m not making much money, and I feel like I should. Especially because I do want to have kids within a couple of years. And my own house would be nice, too.
I’ve started applying to jobs and have gotten a few interviews that might lead to job offers. I’m also vacillating as to whether apply to my former employer (same role for a different department at a big corporation). I left on great terms with them, but I’m afraid I might apply and get interviews and then decide I don’t want to work there. Which would be really shitty, and I hate being really shitty.
As a side note: I’m worried by the current political climate, and the actual climate, and the world. This contributes to my desire to make money (money = stability).
What should I do?
Contact
penelope@penelopetrunk.com