How to Start a Blog
When You Don’t Know What to Write About
Introduction
Have you ever thought about starting your own blog?
Perhaps you’ve imagined having your own little corner of the internet.
Somewhere you can share your thoughts.
Ideas.
Experiences.
Stories.
Or simply to write about the things that you’re really passionate about.
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Until you sit down.
Open your laptop.
Stare at the screen.
And suddenly realise…
You haven’t got the faintest idea what to write about. Or even how to get started. 😅
Perhaps you’ve got too many ideas.
– One minute you’re considering a travel blog.
– The next it’s personal development.
– Then cooking.
– Books.
– Photography.
And before you know it, you’re wondering whether there’s an audience for a blog dedicated entirely to your cat.
And the truth is – there probably is. 😂
I understand that feeling.
I have definitely been here myself. 😂
When I began developing this website – I had so many different ideas and things I was passionate about and experiences I wanted to share.
The problem was – at the beginning – it just felt – overwhelming. 😅
• Creative writing.
• Poetry.
• Short stories.
• Personal development.
• Reflections on life.
• Mental Health issues.
• Small Business advice
• Career advice
• Self care advice
• I even wanted to write about some of my favourite smoothies I had created over the years.
There just felt like there was too much I wanted to write about – and not enough free time.
Everything was a small piece in a much bigger puzzle that I want to try to build.
I’m not finished yet.
I’ve only just started.
But hopefully as you read on and browse my website itself – you will pick up some helpful hints and tips to get started on creating your own blog.
But even if you choose to read no further than here – please remember this.
Start small.
Start slow.
Stay curious.
Keep your website simple.
It will grow slowly over time.
And always write about the things you love. 💗
In this guide, we’ll explore how to discover blog ideas, create your website and publish your first article.
We’ll also look at how blogging might support your wider writing ambitions and what you can realistically expect as your website grows.
Let’s get started. 🤗
Contents
1. Stop Waiting for the Perfect Idea
2. Write About What Interests You
3. Think About Your Readers
4. Turn One Idea Into Several Articles
5. Create Your Blog
6. Write Your First Article
7. Make Your Website Easy to Explore
8. Blogging as an Author Platform
9. Growing Your Blog: Think Long-Term
10. Final Thoughts
1. Stop Waiting for the Perfect Idea
I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make when starting something new is trying to make everything perfect.
What should I call my blog?
What subjects should I cover?
Will anybody read it?
What if I choose the wrong topic?
And perhaps the most worrying question…
What if nobody likes what I write?
They’re understandable concerns.
But here’s something worth remembering.
Your first blog doesn’t have to be perfect.
Neither does your first article.
Or your tenth.
You’re learning.
And learning involves experimenting, making mistakes and occasionally discovering that something you thought was a brilliant idea wasn’t quite so brilliant after all.
I’ve certainly experienced that while developing my own website.
If you take a look around I am sure you will find that some of my older articles are perhaps a little less polished than my more recent ones.
But that’s okay.
Because my website is continuing to grow and evolve along side me just as I do and as you will too.
2. Write About What Interests You
One of the easiest ways to discover blog ideas is to look at your own life.
– Your interests.
– Experiences.
– Hobbies.
And the things you’re curious about.
Perhaps you enjoy:
– Reading and reviewing books.
– Gardening or cooking.
– Travelling and photography.
– Health and personal development.
– Creative writing.
– Learning new skills.
Any of these could become the starting point for a blog.
And you don’t necessarily need to be an expert.
You could simply share what you’re learning.
Imagine you’re taking up gardening.
Your first article might be:
“My First Attempt at Growing Vegetables — What Went Wrong!”
You wouldn’t need to pretend to be a professional gardener.
You’d simply be sharing your experience.
And somebody else might find that incredibly useful.
Try this
Write down three things:
1. What do I enjoy?
2. What have I learned through experience?
3. What would I love to learn more about?
Somewhere amongst those answers, you might discover the beginnings of your blog.
3. Think About Your Readers
Here’s a useful question.
Who would I actually like to read my blog?
Because writing becomes easier when you have some idea of who you’re trying to help, entertain or inspire.
Imagine starting a gardening blog.
Are you writing for experienced gardeners?
Complete beginners?
Or somebody who’s just bought their first house and is wondering why everything in the garden keeps dying? 😅
Different readers.
Different needs.
Different articles.
When developing my own website, I’ve gradually become clearer about what I want visitors to experience.
A welcoming place to discover stories, poetry, useful ideas and different perspectives on life.
You don’t need to have your audience completely figured out.
But try finishing this sentence:
“I’d love my blog to be somewhere people can…”
Learn?
Laugh?
Find inspiration?
Feel understood?
Or simply enjoy reading something different?
Your answer can help give your blog a sense of purpose.
4. Turn One Idea Into Several Articles
This is where things become exciting.
Because one interest can lead to lots of different articles.
Imagine you love reading.
You might write:
– Five Books That Changed My Life
– How to Start Reading Again
– My Favourite Books This Year
– Why I Love Second-Hand Bookshops
– How to Find More Time to Read
Five possible articles.
From one interest.
And you could do exactly the same with gardening, photography or creative writing.
It’s something I’ve found helpful with my own website.
Rather than constantly inventing unrelated subjects, I’ve started developing collections of connected articles.
Each explores a different question.
But together, they become a useful resource.
Your turn
Choose one subject you enjoy.
Imagine somebody who’s completely new to it.
What might they ask?
What mistakes could they make?
What advice would you offer?
Try writing ten possible article titles.
Don’t worry whether they’re brilliant.
You can improve them later.
5. Create Your Blog
Now comes the practical part.
Actually creating your website.
And please don’t let this frighten you.
You don’t need to understand computer programming.
Or know how to build everything from scratch.
There are platforms designed to make blogging relatively straightforward.
For example, I use WordPress for my own website.
It allows me to create articles, pages, menus and different sections without having to write computer code.
Other platforms are available, so it’s worth comparing their features and costs.
What do you need?
A name: Something memorable that reflects your interests.
A website address: For example, mine is jssummers.com.
A simple design: Choose something clear, welcoming and easy to read on mobile phones.
A few basic pages: Perhaps Home, Blog, About Me and Contact.
That’s enough to begin with.
And here’s something I’ve learned.
It’s incredibly easy to spend hours adjusting colours, fonts, images and menus.
Then changing everything again. 😂
Some of that is useful.
But remember why you’re creating the website.
To share your writing.
A simple blog with useful articles is a much better starting point than a beautiful website with nothing to read.
6. Write Your First Article
This is the exciting part.
And possibly the most intimidating.
Because at some point, you need to stop planning.
Stop researching.
And actually publish something.
So what should your first article be?
I’d suggest choosing a subject you already enjoy or understand.
Something that feels relatively easy to explain.
A simple structure
Introduction: What are you writing about, and why might somebody find it interesting?
Main content: Share your advice, ideas, experiences or information.
Practical examples: Help readers understand what you mean.
Final thoughts: Bring everything together and perhaps offer a little encouragement.
That’s it.
You don’t need to write thousands of words.
Just focus on creating something useful or enjoyable.
Then read it through.
Correct any mistakes.
Make sure it flows naturally.
And press that little button.
Publish.
Congratulations.
You’re now a blogger! 😁👍
7. Make Your Website Easy to Explore
Imagine walking into a library where every book has been thrown into one enormous pile.
No categories.
No labels.
No organisation.
You’d probably turn around and leave.
Unless you particularly enjoyed treasure hunting.
Websites can feel much the same.
One thing I’ve spent time developing on jssummers.com is organising different types of writing into clearly defined sections.
Poetry.
Short stories.
Personal development.
And other subjects.
This helps visitors discover what interests them.
You don’t need lots of categories immediately.
Start with two or three if that’s enough.
Use clear article titles, relevant images and links between related posts.
It’s also worth learning a little about “search engine optimisation (SEO)”, which helps search engines understand your content.
But don’t become obsessed with getting perfect SEO scores.
A green light on a plugin doesn’t guarantee hundreds of visitors.
Ultimately, you’re writing for people.
And they should always come first.
8. Blogging as an Author Platform
Now, this won’t apply to everybody.
But if you’re interested in becoming an author, your blog could become something more than a collection of articles.
It could become part of your “author platform”.
In simple terms, this means creating somewhere people can discover your writing and connect with you.
For example, your website might feature:
– Short stories or poetry.
– Articles about writing.
– Reflections on your creative journey.
– Information about your future books.
– An email newsletter for interested readers.
It’s something I’m gradually developing through my own website.
A place where I can share different forms of writing, experiment with ideas and hopefully connect with people who enjoy reading them.
And you don’t need to be a published author to begin.
Just remember that having a blog doesn’t automatically mean you’ll sell books or attract thousands of followers.
Building an audience takes time.
For now, focus on creating something people genuinely enjoy discovering.
And perhaps they’ll want to return.
9. Growing Your Blog: Think Long-Term
Here’s something I think is particularly important.
Blogs don’t necessarily grow quickly.
In fact, when you first begin, you might find that hardly anybody visits your website.
Perhaps just one person.
Maybe a few in a week.
Or nobody at all on some days.
But that’s okay.
Please don’t feel too disappointed.
It’s part of the normal growth cycle for blogs.
I know it can feel hard when you’ve spent a lot of time writing about something or sharing an experience you hope people will read.
But it just takes time.
I understand that feeling.
But with patience and dedication – more and more people will come.
Some through Google and other search engines.
Others through social media platforms.
Or perhaps even word of mouth.
And eventually you will have gained significant blog traffic and followers that will be excited to read your next upcoming post. 🤍
5 Tips To Help Your Blog Gain More Traffic
Each of these tips can help encourage a greater number of visitors to come to your blog and when used in combination with each other they can definitely have a helpful compounding affect:
1. Publishing helpful articles consistently.
2. Sharing your writing on social media.
3. Improving your SEO.
4. Linking related articles together.
5. Learning which subjects interest your readers.
But it is important to be realistic with your expectations especially for your first year.
There’s no guarantee you’ll reach 100 visitors a day after three months – or even within the first year.
Some websites grow quickly.
Others take much longer.
But a blogs importance shouldn’t be just measured by visitor numbers – instead it should be measured in other ways too:
– Did it give you purpose
– Did you enjoy creating it
– If at least one person read it, it may have helped them or changed their life or perspective in important ways
– You are gaining confidence and experience in your writing
– You are growing as a person and blogger too
I like to think of it like this:
If within the first year of making your blog, you are proud of what you have created and sent out into the world to share with others – that’s all that matters.
Because this is one of the amazing things you have chosen to create and that is a truly wonderful thing.
10. Final Thoughts
Making your own blog is like creating your own space on the internet – perhaps even your own unique world where you and other like minded people can regularly visit.
It’s something beautiful – that is unique to you – built by you – as you choose to share that piece of your heart and soul with others.
And Amazing Space:
• Filled with your thoughts.
• Ideas.
• Personal experiences.
• And imagination.
Something that belongs to you.
So if you are thinking about starting a blog but are unsure.
I have one final piece of advice for you:
Just begin.
Be you.
Be curious.
And enjoy what you do.
You’ve got this.
Jonathan x