blogging
The Next Momosphere
The momosphere is one of the biggest subcultures in the blogosphere (I feel like that should be said with a deep announcer voice and dramatic music). No, but really, have you noticed how many “mommy blogs” there are and how popular they’re getting? Advertisers are picking up on the power of these blogs, moms everywhere are networking, and Christian (and homeschool) moms have a big corner on the market. I love reading mommy blogs because they are like glimpses into a future I hope for. 
And I am inspired by godly women who write them.
But I’m noticing a smaller subculture, especially since I’m part of it! And that is blogs written by single Christian young women, quite a few of us in our late teens/early twenties. Sure, these blogs range in perspective, from stay-at-home daughters to college students to missionary teachers to career women. But there are a growing number in that “single Christian young woman” demographic, and it’s fun to be a part of it.
I want to highlight some of the bloggers in this demographic. I enjoy reading what they write. Some of their blogs I am subscribed to, while some I just stop by occasionally. Some I’ve found because they are frequent commenters here. If you’re a young woman in a similar age category (or perhaps a young man wanting to get know a godly young lady *tee hee*), you should check these blogs out!
FYI: I only included blogs with one author, not compilation blogs. Also, if you are in the same demographic and want me to include your blog on this list, let me know!
Alabaster Box by Kaysie, age 20, stay-at-home daughter
Awesomely His by Ashley, age 17, high school student
Beautiful Grace by Maria Pauline, age 15, high school student
Bloom Where You’re Planted by Julie, age 20, college student
Dare to Be Different by Tori, age 15, high school student
Everlasting Hope by Kelsey, age 16, high school student
Every Thought Captive by Kaylene, age 18, EMT student
Jenna’s Midnight Musings by Jenna, high school student
Journey in Foreign Lands by Jennifer, age 22, seminary student
Girls for Truth by Alli, high school student
How Great Is His Faithfulness! by Ella, high school student
Oh My Seven by Brooke, age 26, work-at-home daughter
Simply Emily by Emily, high school student
Simply Kristin by Kristin, age 19, college student
Simply Sanctified by Sara, age 25, stay-at-home daughter
Thirsty Soul by Stephanie, age 23, stay-at-home daughter and businesswoman
Unfurling Flower by Emily, age 22, online businesswoman
Finding the Reformed Favorites
If you spend any time reading blogs with a Reformed bent, you know that there are certain characterizations that can be made: we like the English Standard Version, the Puritans, John Piper, and complementarianism, among many other (sometimes stereotypical) distinctives.
Lately I’ve been realizing how funny it is that I sort of stumbled upon a lot of these likings without even realizing they were hallmarks of my theological persuasion. I guess that is probably what happened to a lot of us!
The English Standard Version. I’ve detailed my history with this version before. But in brief, I’ll just say that I learned about the ESV in high school. My uncle and aunt tried to convince my family to buy into it.
The Puritans. I knew about Jonathan Edwards because of John Piper’s emphasis on him, but I was never a big fan. In my J-term class this past January, I did a twenty-page review of Puritan literature, a subject I selected because it sounded vaguely interesting. Then I realized how very much I admired the Puritans, and since then have loved reading more about them. I’ve also discovered that a lot of other Reformed people love the Puritans!
John Piper. I think I learned about him from my dad, who liked Desiring God and Don’t Waste Your Life. He read some of Don’t Waste Your Life to us, again, when I was in high school. I love that book. From there I began accessing Desiring God’s online resources, and have been so blessed by them.
Complementarianism. My history with this is kind of complicated, actually. My extended family has a background with it that I can’t really get into. But suffice it to say that from a very young age I have believed in the complementary order - without knowing to call it that, or before I ever heard of CBMW.
It’s been fun finding an online community that shares my affinity for these particular aspects of our faith. More than that, I love challenging and being challenged in the essential elements of the faith - the gospel and the cross, Scripture, the church, etc. Good times are had by all!
How to Start a Blog (Part 3)
Interested in starting or restarting your blog? Want to share your thoughts? Welcome to my mini-tutorial. Also see Part 1 and Part 2. Today I’m discussing blog setup.
Two of the most important elements of starting a blog are…
- Choosing a name.
- Choosing a host.
Choosing a name.
- Pick a name that is long-lasting. In a way, your blog’s name is a brand name. It identifies who you are and what you’re about. If you change it, it’s confusing for you and your readers - not to mention Google. And changing your name usually means that your blog address becomes mixed up too. Don’t make the choice in a hurry; make sure you’ve settled on one you really like.
- Pick a name that is distinctive. If you want to stand out from the crowd, I recommend not including any of these words or phrases in the name: cool, journey, life, ramblings, random, stuff, things, thoughts. Also, try to stay away from using numbers unless they actually make sense; for instance, 85 Places works, but charliebrown348182 does not. Choosing a name for your blog is like choosing a title for a book or movie. It’s got to be pithy and memorable, which brings me to my next point…
- Pick a name that is easy to remember. Even though you want your blog name to stand out, you don’t want it to be so unusual that everyone forgets it. This means that you will want it to be shorter rather than longer. For instance, before this blog was Hope Road, it was There’s Beauty in Not Blending In. That’s way too long. Hope Road is a lot easier to remember.
- Pick a name that is relevant to your blog’s content. This can be difficult if you’re in a popular genre. What if you write about being a stay-at-home mom? The momosphere is quite full of very similar blog names that evoke mommyhood. Somehow, you have to find a name that gives a hint of what your blog is about without being too commonplace.
Some of my favorite names for blogs: 22 Words, Between Two Worlds, Ragamuffin Soul, The Rebelution.
Choosing a host.
- Free hosting, like Blogger or WordPress, is great if you want to write for people you know. It’s also good if you want a smaller, more interactive community and you don’t really care about having a huge audience. But do know that in spite of the more limited options using free hosting, you can still build a big readership. I personally think it’s harder, but there are some very popular blogs that don’t have their own domains; Between Two Worlds is an example.
- Self-hosting is great if you want to stand apart from the crowd and give yourself some credibility. There is also quite a bit more flexibility with having your own domain. The downsides are that 1) it requires some money, 2) it requires a little bit more knowledge, and 3) there are more things that can go wrong. But if you’re willing to spend some money and put a little time and effort into getting things right, self-hosting can be a wonderful way to establish your blog.
Things to remember.
- It’s best to match your blog title and address. I made this mistake last time - the name was Hope Road but the address was annakristine.wordpress.com. Quite a few readers had to search in Google for “Hope Road” because they couldn’t remember the address. Not good. Consistency helps make your blog memorable and easy to find.
- Decide up front what kind of host you want. I just made the switch from free hosting to self-hosting, and it is not the best thing to do. I had already built up a lot of traffic, readership, and especially Google rankings from my old address, and I wasn’t able to redirect all of those old links. Even though my readers followed me to my new blog, I lost some links and I lost Google rankings. So if you can, invest in your own domain at the very beginning if you think you’re going to want it.
Do popular blogs break these “rules” all the time? Yes. Why? Because they’re not rules. They’re guidelines meant to ensure the best success possible when starting a blog, and to avoid having to rectify mistakes later on down the road.
Tomorrow Soon, in part 4, I’ll be discussing the nuts and bolts of setting up your blog, and providing some links for the more intricate elements of it. What are your thoughts on blog names and hosts? I’d love to hear your ideas and experiences.
How to Start a Blog (Part 2)
Interested in starting a blog? Want to give your current blog a fresh start? Have thoughts to share about your own blogging experience? Welcome to my mini-tutorial. Part 1 was yesterday. Today, I’m discussing the first thing to do in starting a blog:
Decide what you want your blog to be. This is important because once you know your goals, you can be much more purposeful and effective in starting your blog. You may not have a perfect idea of how everything will be, of course. Growth and change happen. But giving it some consideration can help immensely. Here are five questions to help you determine your direction.
- Who is my intended audience? I see three main options: a) people who know you, b) a specific, more general audience (e.g. “Episcopalians” or “dads who like to cook”), or c) anyone at all who’s interested.
- What kinds of things do I plan to write about? If you’re writing for people who know you, you may just want to keep them updated on your life. If you’re writing for a specific audience, you’ll want to keep most of your entries targeted to that niche. And in general, but especially if you’re writing for anyone and everyone, you’re going to want your own specific style and subject matter to draw people in and keep them interested.
- How much time will I devote to blogging? There are two angles to this question. The first one relates to how much time you have for blogging. Some people can’t cram in more than half an hour a day. The second angle considers how much time you should spend blogging. Maybe you could easily spend three or four hours a day on it. But is it going to suck you in and waste time you should be devoting to things in the real world? Setting both goals and limits for this aspect of blogging is important from the get-go.
- How much money will I devote to blogging? If you want to do everything for free, you definitely can. If you’re looking to go the more professional route, you’re going to have to sacrifice some cash. The caveats with money are similar to the caveats with time - how much money do you have to spend, and how much money should you spend? Again, goals and limits are important.
- What are some blogs I admire? Now that you know who your intended audience is, and what you want your subject matter to be, you should look for role models. These aren’t people you’re going to just mimic - you need your own stamp of individuality. But you can learn a lot from an enjoyable, successful blog that has an established readership. Some of my blog role models are Beauty from the Heart, FlowerDust.net, Girl Talk, The Purple Cellar, Radical Womanhood, and Unfurling Flower. I learn so much from them besides how to blog, but the way they blog has given me lots of ideas and inspiration, and helped me envision my goals.
If you’re considering starting a blog, or are wondering how to give your blog a boost, it’s great to think about these questions. In part 3 tomorrow, I’ll talk about choosing a name and a host. Feel free to share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas!
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I'm Anna. I'm 22. I love reading and writing. I'm a recent college graduate living at home. And I hope you are blessed by what you read here.