What to Write About and Who to Write For

  Blogs should add value to readers' lives.  Think back to your high school English classes.  Do you want your blog to be entertaining, informative, or persuasive?  Maybe all three? Some blogs are inspirational. Some focus on how-to's and life hacks. Some teach a specific skill, like cooking.  What do you want your blog to...

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Naming Your Blog

Blog names should be: Short. (On the Banks of Squaw Creek is a wee bit long, in my opinion.) Easy to spell. (Because some of us are never going to remember if there are two a’s or two v’s in saavy.  Or is it savvy?) Easy to remember. (Because, duh.) Not too cryptic. (What does it even mean?) Not...

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They don't care how much you know...

I’m a teacher by trade. And one of the most important (although often forgotten) parts of a lesson is the hook. Before anyone can truly learn new information, they have to be emotionally engaged. Teachers do this by getting students excited, trying to explain why the lesson is important, or by tying the lesson back to something the kids already know....

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Dealing with Haters and Internet Trolls

Whenever you write about something controversial, you open yourself up to haters and internet trolls. I want to make it clear, however, that these are two different groups.  Readers who respectfully disagree (we're going to call them "haters" for sake of simplicity) deserve a different response...

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Our Audience

My high school English teacher taught me to consider my audience whenever writing. We need to do the same thing when we are sharing our farm stories. Our audience: - Is not stupid or ignorant. Most people who are skeptical of today’s farming methods are educated. - Is motivated by emotion. And unfortunately...

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