Edited on May 13, 2020 to include two responses to this post: On Blogging and Requiem on Blogging.
I’ve been blogging on various sites more or less continuously since I was in college.
It started after I read a friend’s blog and realized I could do that, too.
Several of the blogs I worked on solo or as part of a group of bloggers no longer exist, but PK Stories is an exception to that.
I was a preacher’s kid growing up and spent a few years sharing amusing stories from that part of my childhood. (Please note that I’ve learned a lot about writing, blogging, and storytelling since that site was last active. It’s pretty old).
Blogging has changed quite a bit over the years. The best practices for it these days are generally thought to include picking one topic and only writing about that.
So why don’t I follow that rule? Well, there are a few reasons for that.
Content Fatigue
Actual footage of my thought processes after a couple of years of writing about the same topic every week.
I’ve learned through trial and error that I experience content fatigue on single-topic blogs after about two or three years.
It’s tricky for me to know where to go next after I’ve covered everything I want to say, especially since I dislike recycling posts or repeating myself.
Rather than building a new site from scratch every other year, I now prefer to stick to the same site and bounce around among a few different topics instead.
Kudos to those of you who can blog about the same thing for years or decades.
I admire your constancy, but my creativity eventually struggles under those circumstances.
Overlapping Interests
There may be some people on this planet whose interests all exist in well-defined bubbles that never intersect with each other, but I’m not one of them.
My fitness posts often reference science fiction or fantasy because I think about topics like Frodo’s long walk to Mordor or what it would really be like to use a Holodeck for my workouts. (Yes, I will actually write that post one of these days).
Sometimes I need to share childhood stories when I talk about the magic of Halloween so my readers will understand why it’s so important to me.
Yoga is both a workout and an exercise in mindfulness. That still blows my mind and may require a few more posts to fully explore.
So why not talk about all of the fascinating things that move between and connect these seemingly-unrelated topics?
Simple Human Curiosity
Look, would I ever tell someone else what to write about on their site? Absolutely not!
But I do quietly love it when bloggers reveal new pieces of their personal lives and interests that may or may not be related to the main topic(s) of their sites.
There’s something delightful and surprising about everyone once you get to know them well enough.
It’s amazing to learn that someone you’ve followed and interacted with for years has this whole other side to them that you’d never would have predicted whether that’s a hobby, interest, or something else entirely.
So one of the other big reasons why I jump between topics is to give my readers a better understanding of who I am as a person. Yes, half or more of my posts are about the science fiction and fantasy genres in any given month because of how passionate I am about them, but those aren’t my only interests by any means.
My hope is that by sharing these parts of myself other bloggers might be encouraged to do the same thing.
How did you all pick the topic(s) for your sites? What made you stick to one topic on your site or include multiple ones on it?
I agree; I’ve never understood the “write about just one thing” advice. The point of a blog, to my mind, is to record one’s thoughts on life as they experience it. Who thinks about just one thing? I have a reputation for being pretty obsessive about some topics, but even I can’t do that.
Also, a Holodeck for workouts would be amazing! I can’t wait for that post! 🙂
Yes, exactly!
And I’ll let you know when that post is finished. 🙂
I continue to learn new things as I read your blog. Keep sharing. Love, Dad
Aww, thanks, Dad. Love you, too.
Content fatigue. Perfect way to say it.
I realized pretty early on in my blogging adventure that I needed a few categories/topics. For me, it’s a little like Goldilocks and the three bears… ONE topic wasn’t enough 10 was too much so I’ve carved out my turf.
Exactly!
I have tried writing about only one thing on my blog, but that didn’t work for me, either. I even tried having two blogs for my different main interests (books and knitting) but I found that I was posting on the wrong site, or posting about both things in the same post, and it got confusing. So I started over, and combined my interests into a larger blog theme.
It’s refreshing to read other sites (like yours) that also don’t have a single specific theme. I do love following a lot of dedicated book bloggers, but I personally would be exhausted trying to write about only books and no other interests. I’m not sure how they do it.
Thank you very much for you kind words, Nicole! They made my day.
And I’m glad you understand the perks of writing about more than one theme.
It is indeed delightful and surprising to unexpectedly learn more about people 🙂
When I first started blogging, it was to gather my creative projects in one place, but it didn’t take long for me to include other interests. When I come across things that interest me, I just want to share it!
I contemplated blogging about just one thing when that’s what all the supposed writer/blogger gurus insisted must be done but that’s not the purpose of my blog 🙂 And the blogs I enjoy most are ones like yours, where I never know what to expect. And that’s a real delight.
Aww, thanks, Joy. Your kind words made my day.
I blog about multiple topics as well! Many say that it’s good to stick to a niche but I went about four months with just books before I realized that I need change and maybe my readers do too. My goal is to have consistent readers to interact with, not be the go-to source for something. It’s okay. I just want conversations 😅
I totally agree with you there!
Oh, I feel this so much! I blog about writing, books, tea, travel, fashion, and whatever else strikes my fancy! I just have too many interests to just write about one topic without boring myself.
So glad you get it. 🙂
Same!
Kristen Lamb has been telling authors for years that they need to brand *themselves*, not just their book. And none of us have only one facet to our personality!
For myself, it takes enough work to build up a site and gain traction on the internet, I wouldn’t have the patience to do all that for multiple sites. Whatever I have on my mind – writing, Jesus, D&D, singleness struggles – it all takes a turn 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome. I’m glad you get it, and sorry I missed this comment until now.
Kristen Lamb sounds like a smart blogger, too.
My blog is my professional platform so there is (and will continue to be), a lot about writing. And I like writing about that stuff and am happy to know I might be helping others. But along with that, I’ve written blogs for the sole purpose of having fun. And it’s a kick.
I love reading your blog because I find it insightful, interesting, and yeah, fun. 🙂
Aww, thanks, J.M. I appreciate that.
And, yes, you absolutely should have fun along the way!