October 3rd, 2012 
Emily 
If you travel a lot, (or your spouse travels a lot and you need a new hobby), then you might be interested in setting up your own blog, just like I have.
I love blogging because it’s a great way to store your memories, photos and stories, and also to share your thoughts, experiences and advice with like-minded folk. If you love nothing more than relaxing on the sofa each evening with your netbook or writing in your diary after a few games of Foxy bingo, then you might also enjoy keeping a blog. Below are a few simple steps to help get you started.
Know your purpose
The first thing you should do is decide why you are writing a blog and who your audience is. There are millions of blogs floating around on the internet so you’ll want to make yours unique. Try and think of something that hasn’t been done before.
Set up a free account
Then, get set up with a free account. I prefer word press, but many bloggers I know love blogger. Either one will give you all the tools you need. If you are more serious about your blog, then you might want to think about self-hosting.
Think of a good name
The more traffic you drive to your site, the better. Once you have set up an account, think of a good website name to attract people’s attention. Try and relate it to the subject of your blog and make sure the name is simple, easy to remember and easy to spell. (One Trailing Spouse- easy so spell, and to remember, right?)
Jazz up your site
Once you’ve written a few posts try adding some widgets so your readers are able to ‘like’ it or tweet it. Also, consider setting up a comments area so your readers can share thoughts with you. Interacting with readers is a lot of fun and helps you build a community.
Photo by: Denise Krebs
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I’d add that you should think about a topic you enjoy that could generate post ideas for at least a year! And I think it’s a good idea to have a posting schedule- so your readers know when to expect you, and you get in the habit of posting consistently. Writers need to learn to live with deadlines!
GREAT advice Julia. I love how on your blog I know to expect the word nerd challenge at the end of the month and twice weekly posts. Having a schedule is great. And it’s so true that you need to think of a topic that you can write posts about for at least a year. Thanks for sharing!
Great advice, Emily! I keep planning to work on a write-up like this thanks to some follows/friends who have asked the question over the past several months … Now I have one more place to send them before I get to it
I also agree about having a posting schedule; my Ed. Calendar is a lifesaver without a doubt! I’d also add that even if a writer/blogger isn’t ready to self-host quite yet, it might not be a bad idea to buy the desired domain name in advance; yet it will mean shelling out a little dough before hand, but at least nobody else will have your beloved title in the meanwhile!
Great post!
You should certainly write a post about blogging. I see your site as a place where people go for expertise and advice, so I bet your readers would appreciate it.
And yes, good advice on buying the domain name early. It’s usually quite cheap (I think mine was $10 for a year, or possibly less).
I just found your blog—I think through a comment you posted elsewhere. I consider myself a “trailing spouse” also, but my trailing consists of tagging along on work trips, an easier undertaking than the one you have embarked on.I won’t fill up your comment space here, but if you want to read the back story for my trailing spousedom, here’s a link:http://www.boomeresque.com/about/about-me/
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for getting in touch, and I look forward to reading more about your experience!