I am thinking that I would like to make a small blog and post it online somewhere that hosts them, and I would like it to be free (like some places host a website for you for free).
I am not sure if this is exactly what I need, so I am just going to explain what I am trying to do, and see what ideas everyone here has about it.

I was an only child, now am almost 70 years old,  parents are passed on many years ago.    I have three children, and I would like to write down some stories of when I was growing up, and things I learned from my mother and father; so they can have the stories to share in the years to come.
I can write stories about when the kids were little, and even things that have happened after they grew up, that I think would be appropriate for a Family Memory Album.
My story about the old-time radio was my first attempt at one of these stories, and it came out pretty well; so now I think the idea has potential, but i have to figure out where to put the stories as I write them.
Facebook is okay, but I would like either a webpage or a blog where I could just add stories as I go.
With a blog, my family would be able to actually add comments, so that is kind of the direction I am heading; but I know NOTHING about having a blog.

If anyone has ideas, or suggestions,  I would love some productive input ! !

Tumblr is alright for that. So is Wordpress and also Weebly.

There's a couple of sites where you can have a blog for free and earn some money. None come to mind right now but you might like one .

I think that the commenting system on Tumblr is terrible, it makes it very difficult to edit a typo after reblogs, but Tumblr is better at tracking people's reactions to it, and uploading multimedia such as videos, images, voice recordings, and so on. Tagging gets quite a fair bit of instant attention.

If you have a gmail address, you can keep your writing on Blogspot, which I consider fairly bare-bones, not as good at getting stuff out there via tagging entries--but then again, Google search. Also, the last time I checked, while you can keep some entries as drafts, editable but not viewable--all of the entries are either public, viewable to invited people, or private.

Wordpress is definitely my favorite right now. If Blogspot seems bare-bones about it, Wordpress has this giant chunky toolbelt that, even if it took me some getting used to, I don't have to use what I don't need. Individual entries can be password-locked. There are categories and tags, commenting system is intuitive, I think that they even had reblog options before but it didn't seem as out-of-control as Tumblr's reblogging madness. Maybe it was more that the crowd is more careful to link back to where they quoted from.


The best thing about blogs, in my opinion, are the categories or tags. That can make sorting through particular entries much easier. If you can remember to categorize properly, then you can filter through all the entries involving or mentioning a particular place, or a specific person. If you fly off into a lot of different "plot threads" then categories can help readers with following that. To my understanding, a category would usually just be for the blogger's administrative use, whereas the tags basically put it out there for anyone with internet access to come across, but some platforms make categorizing and tagging more fluid.

Another organizational feature is the "cut tags" which started way back when LiveJournal was the most popular blogging platform, and I can see how it can give readers a "gist" of a plot point that they can expand on if they're interested. It's like predicting what they'll skim-read. For some reason, Wordpress has not caught on to that neat thing where 1.) you can have more than one cut tag in an entry and 2.) you can toggle the show/hide instead of having it re-direct you to the whole sea of text in the entry page of its own. I suppose that these are blogger equivalents of footnotes/appendices, which some authors use excessively (looking at you, Terry Pratchett) and most don't use at all, and some readers do really delve into (looking at you, hardcore Lord of the Rings book fans) and most just skim over.

Next, I want to mention multi-media features, adding some visual interest, like a photo (even one that's only symbolically evocative of the gist of the entry), or a drawing (even a doodle--I do marker-on-whiteboard, digicam photo stuff and I don't feel like I do that often enough because walls of text can look so intimidating or boring on a screen).

And on the other hand, if it's a video or non-musical voice recording, though, I'd as much as possible get that transcribed, because I know people who prefer to read a transcript rather than watch a video, an I know people who can't see images or videos, or who don't have updated software to listen to online voice recordings--or who have a really bad ear for perfectly understandable accents.

Readers these days, though, I think are likely to have multi-media minds... So, just throwing that in there for consideration. You could stick to keeping a blog that is nothing but prose, as I mentioned all the bells and whistles shouldn't force you to use something that you don't need, and there is a readership of people who actually just read.

I guess it depends on whether you want to write a novel autobiography in a blog format, or if you want to blog the whole toolbelt (if the whole toolbelt is your storytelling style, or your memory organization style.)


I'm mostly speaking from a sense of the sorts of blogs that I like to read. I blog, and my blog-writing style is not my novel-writing style. My blog-writing style is my influenced-by-blogs-that-I-like-to-read style. Often, that means centered pictures with hopefully-humorous captions interrupting the body of the text, for example. Or pasting a picture demonstrably, giving the blog entry a slideshow feel. It's up to you.

Phew! I hope this helps! I wouldn't recommend LiveJournal, Dreamwidth, or JournalFen (the second two being imitators of LiveJournal, essentially) because those are structured like fortresses containing labyrinths.

I've never tried Weebly, could be worth looking up too.

LiveJournal! That's the one I was looking for and forgot the name of ha ha.

Yeah I too recommend Wordpress. It's very simple even though it's packed with features. Usable out of the box as well .

I've also heard good things about Typepad here, and some con's about my second-favorite blogging platform Blogspot...but just as an amateur blogger, Wordpress is my favorite now. As you can see by the walls of text I keep setting up in these here parts, I...cannot abide the mini-micro blogs of 140 characters. I cannot. Might work well for some people, though. I mean, I read status updates and find them good to know how people in my life are doing and what they're up to. Probably/definitely more current reporting stuff than memoir stuff, though!

I have started my blog, and I am using the Google Blogger. There was even an app for it on my iPad. I am still learning all the ins and outs about using it, but at least I am getting some of the stories put on there for the kids and grandkids to be able to read when they want to, and the family history (at least the parts that  I know) will not be lost.

I am actually enjoying making the blog, and most of the stories that I posted on there also made decent posts for me to put on my Bubblews page, so everything that I have been writing has been getting a double use.
If this one turns out not to be what I need after I get familiar with everything about how it works; then at least I will have everything written down, and can change it over to a different format if necessary. 

Oh Happyflowerlady, you must share your blog with me...I would love to read it!  I am not sure you are able to post it though, as that would be considered advertising?  If it is allowed, would you PM me the link so I can look at it?

I would love to start my own blog eventually, but I have a 7 year old and a 13 year old who take up a lot of my time.  It would be hard right now to sit down and work on it so that it would be a fun place for people to visit.  My niche would be something surrounding homesteading and modern day urban farming as these topics interest me a whole lot.

Are there any good tutorials out there for using Wordpress?  I have seen Wordpress before, but I get so lost in the software that I don't think I could navigate it without some instructions.  Do you have to get people to post ads on your blog in order to make money off of it?  Sorry for so many questions, but I am new to online business and I am trying to soak up as much information, like a sponge, as possible.

The google blogspot is really easy to use, Rosyrain. I don't know anything about starting a blog, and it just walked me right through it. If you have a google account, it is not hard at all.
I don't think that giving you the link to it could be advertising, since I am not selling anything, or making money from the blog in any way. I am just posting family stories as I have time. so my grandkids will be able to read them.
At any rate, if you just search for happyflowerlady.blogspot.com , I think you can find it.  I am just doing basic things with it, but there are a lot more options when  person wants them. 
Having a blog might be a place where you could also put your Washington book as you get chapters written. I was thinking that Bubblews would be a good place for you to publish it, a chapter at a time; but they have made that impossible for you to do.
My daughter was in Seattle all last weekend. She is going on the Alaskan cruise with some of the people she works with; so she has been posting pictures as she spent the weekend. Just looking at Mt. Rainier makes us both so homesick for that area ! !
When I lived near Mossyrock, it was great. I was close to see Mt.St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and sometimes (from the right location), Mt. Adams as well. Seeing all three of those snow-covered peaks is just awesome ! ! 

Rosyrain (02:38pm Wed, Jul 30, 2014)

I would love to start my own blog eventually, but I have a 7 year old and a 13 year old who take up a lot of my time.  It would be hard right now to sit down and work on it so that it would be a fun place for people to visit.  My niche would be something surrounding homesteading and modern day urban farming as these topics interest me a whole lot.

Since I've done personal blogging for years, it's difficult for me to think of blogging as something that you "work" on, like that takes time and attention away from more urgent things. The comment you just wrote, about twice the length of that could be a blog entry. So, perhaps if you imagine it like posting two or three comments about homesteading or modern day urban farming...that's already a blog entry. You can save them as drafts and schedule for publication, too.

My mother just had her 13-year-old (my sister) take care of the 9-year-old (me.) In our 20's and 30's now, my sister's gone really bitter about it and developed a drinking problem, but, er...you're not us, so maybe it'll work out fine...I know that I was quite maternal when i was 13 and liked being entrusted with responsibility over smaller children.

Quote

Are there any good tutorials out there for using Wordpress?  I have seen Wordpress before, but I get so lost in the software that I don't think I could navigate it without some instructions. 

Do you have to get people to post ads on your blog in order to make money off of it?  Sorry for so many questions, but I am new to online business and I am trying to soak up as much information, like a sponge, as possible.

Alas, I just learned by doing--playing with it. You can allow the blog host to sort of patch in a window on your blog where advertisements will pop up.

I think that there are other ways to monetize a blog that aren't pay-by-click, with maybe more effortful building of affiliates...though Blogspot has got a reputation for being "precious" about that (like randomly deleting blogs for spamming when it was really that those who kept the blogs monetized outside of their system).

Happyflowerlady, I'm definitely going to be checking in on your blog too

Rosyrain (02:38pm Wed, Jul 30, 2014)

Oh Happyflowerlady, you must share your blog with me...I would love to read it!  I am not sure you are able to post it though, as that would be considered advertising?  If it is allowed, would you PM me the link so I can look at it?

Seriously guys, where the hell does it say you can't link to your blogs?!

I mean if you're trying to get money off of people or being obnoxious about it I might step in but not for other reasons lol.

I know other forums are against it. There's only one place I don't want mentioned here and in that place you will find the rules regarding links. So go look in that place if you know what I mean and don't respond to this message .

Hehe, noted Bunny I just try to be on my best behavior, I don't like to break rules.

HappyFlowerLady- I went to your blog and it looks amazing...actually it looks like home to me:)  I am now a follower of your blog, and you are such an amazing writer.

I think I am going to start my own blog as a form of a journal for my Washington book.  It would be nice to get some feedback on the notes I am taking as a part of the project. I can even add pictures and have people vote on the ones that should go into the book (I just got a new camera for Christmas and I have been going a little photo crazy lately).

Rosyrain, i definitely think that starting a blog for your book is an awesome idea ! !  You can start having things out there for people to read as you go along, instead of waiting until you have finished the whole book first.
One of the reasons that i decided to make a blog for my stories is that it is (or can be) interactive. Since I was writing not just about my family, TO my family, I wanted them to be able to comment back to me when they had memories of the same event, or just wanted to say something about the story or the blog itself.
I think this  would work well for you, too. When you describe a town, restaurant, or tourist attraction; people who had been there could comment about the place as well.  And once people started following the blog to see what part of Washington you would be writing about next; they would already be wanting to buy your book once it comes out.

Since I have lived in many places around Washington State (and all it takes is a picture of Mt. Rainier to make me homesick), I will definitely be looking forward to reading your articles, and looking at the pictures that you take as you travel around the state.

Be sure to go to the Seattle Waterfront, and include some pictures of the " Ye Olde Curiosity Shop" for every one to see. 

A blog/website for your book is called an authors platform. We have some great resources for that.

http://www.creativeburrow.org/help-advice/(tcp)-what-is-an-author-platform-and-why-do-you-need-one-now/msg4646/#msg4646

http://www.creativeburrow.org/help-advice/(tcp)-the-author-2-0-model-explained/msg3497/#msg3497

http://www.creativeburrow.org/help-advice/(tcp)-the-author-2-0-blueprint-using-web-2-0-tools-to-build-your-author-platform/msg3488/#msg3488

http://www.creativeburrow.org/help-advice/(info-tcp)-overwhelmed-online-3-steps-to-start-your-author-platform-building/msg6538/#msg6538


Ha ha just found this one

http://www.creativeburrow.org/help-advice/(tcp)-how-to-start-your-own-blog-learn-from-an-expert/msg4493/#msg4493

Thank you Bunny for the resources, I will read up on them.

HappyFlowerLady- The blog you are creating is a great gift to your family and friends.  What an excellent way to make sure the memories and stories stay alive for the future generations to read and learn from.  I wish my own family would have started something like this a long time ago, it has been a rough go for me even to learn about my family history. 

I am going to start on the introductory chapter of my book, hopefully next week, and will post it for you all to read and offer feedback on. I think I will also include some of my outline notes so you can let me know if there is anything I am missing, or anything you would like for me to include.  I will let you all know when it is ready!

Rosyrain, I can hardly wait to see your first chapter of your book ! I think that putting it in a blog i a great idea, and since you will be describing restaurants and other attractions in Washington; I bet you can also get some advertising on your blog and make some money as you are writing the book and posting the stories.
Plus, those places you mention in your book will undoubtedly want to exchange a link with you from their website to your blog, so that will increase your readership as well.
When you get the blog started, I am looking forward to reading it ! !

Get busy writing there, Girl...

I'm a blogspot kinda guy myself. I may not be the best guy to ask I don't have a blog. But from the point of view of a reader such as myself, I find blogspot to have the best ease of use in term of navigation and ease of leaving comments. I'm sure there are other factors in blogging, so don't take my word too seriously, but that's my two cents.

I have several blogs and use both blogger and wordpress. Having read through the posts and what you need, i think wordpress maybe easier for you.
You can sign up with any email address and their dashboard is user friendly, it is all on one page where blogger you need to move around a lot more.

With wordpress you can cut and paste straight into a page or post and the free themes are good to choose from. I am happy to recommend a few depending on what you are looking for. You can make them private posts as well so you can publish them when you are ready.

For blogging, I use both blogspot and wordpress.

I've used blogger way back 2005 and it was the best bet for monetizing your posts. The only concern is that you can't choose the ads that go into your site. Google Ad Sense is going to be the one who will decide which ones they'll place on your pages.

As for Wordpress, it has very limited storage for .com domains. The best solution would be to have it self hosted .org Wordpress domain. It will provide a lot of storage while having the convenience of using a professional themed website with plugins for additional site features.

However, you can also check new blogging mediums such as Medium and Typepad.