The Metaphor Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

Filed Under Successful Blog, Writing | 77 Comments

We’re All Teachers and Learners

When I traveled to other countries, one thing I didn’t expect was to learn how people add new things, ideas, and groups of people to their culture. Here’s an example of what I mean.

When I first started working with publishers, I noticed something about illustrators that I later realized was also true about writers.

When we have no experience with something, we notice the differences.
When we have a little experience with something, we begin to look for similarities, but we still talk in generalities.
When we really know something we can talk about generalities and specifics. We can point out how it is like and different from other things.

That’s the point at which we can switch from learner to teacher.

The Metaphor Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

Isn’t the same thing happening with blogging? Finally we’re gaining the experience to pull together the pieces into a picture from which to speak. We’re reaching out to explain to nonbloggers in terms they can understand.

Two weeks ago it was Derrick Sorles saying we’re pizza makers. This morning it was Char with this outstanding post.

How Do You Explain Blogging to Your Mom?

Did Char’s metaphor work? Her mom’s question at the end proves the power of a great metaphor.

Let’s find some more.

Group Writing Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

So, what’s your blogging metaphor? I suggest a Group Writing Project.

1. Write a blog post using a metaphor to explain blogging.

2. If you leave a comment with a link to your post, link back to Successful-Blog, or email me, Iâ€™ll know how to feature your post. It’s not necessary, it just helps me track to make sure your work gets seen.

3. If you use Technorati tags, tag the post Blogging Metaphor.

BONUS: Ten contributors will receive an autographed copy of Lorelle’s book “Blogging Tips — What Bloggers Wonâ€™t Tell You About Blogging.”

The more ways, the more metaphors we find to help folks understand, the more businesses will see the value. And imagine our friends and families will understand the power and reason behind what we’re doing.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words. Use soa few hundred to draw a picture that they’ll never forget.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

My Top 5 Successful Bloggers Who Made a Difference

Filed Under Writing | 53 Comments

Gosh, I’ve Been Lucky

If you look in the sidebar of my blog, you’ll see something someone named the “Liz Manifesto.” It says that I want to make one person’s life better.

It’s my experience as a blogger that so many people do that every chance they get. I learn so much from every one of you. I value every relationship. Guess that makes me . . . a relationship blogger.

Bloggers help each other in little and big ways, head on and sideways. It’s what we do. No argument about that.

But five highly successful bloggers made an outstanding difference in my life. I’d like to thank them.

My Top 5 Successful Bloggers Who Made a Difference

When I started blogging two years ago, I was a newbie who knew how to write and who cared a lot. Like the rest of us, I didn’t expect to find a world of communities and people who would become so important to me. I didn’t expect to learn so much in such a short time. I’d like to introduce five people who have taught me the most important things. (They’re in no particular order.)

Darren Rowse I can hardly remember a time that I didn’t know Darren and yet each day I feel I get to know a little more about him. He gave me my first link at Successful Blog. He is a man of his word, who goes deep. More importantly, it was his Blogging Goals writing project that got me to write My Blogging Goal. That document made me think through my future. I jumped with both feet that day. Thank you, Darren.
Paul Scrivens When I first started at Successful Blog I was writer working for Scrivs. He is a busy man, and always has been one. Successful Blog was part of a small network of his called “Fine Fools.” At one point, a blogger wasn’t very nice to me. Paul Scrivens stood up and publicly defended me in what was, then, the Wild, Wild West of Blogging. Paul Scrivens won my heart and my respect that day. A few months later, he gave Successful Blog to me. He also won my gratitude. Scrivs changed my life with his generosity. I’ll never forget where and how I got my start. Thank you, Paul.
Jeremy Wright At time when I didn’t know whether I should keep blogging. I called Jeremy to ask him about my option. We talked a while. He called me back later that Saturday and invited me to be a member of b5 media. Jeremy also became my channel editor. A busy guy, he always had time for me. He gave me perspective and straight talk about how I might handle the business of my uniquely Liz style of blogging. Jeremy changed my life by making a place for me and sharing his experience and his humanity. Thank you, Jeremy.
Seth Godin Last June I went to a Seth Godin seminar with Ann Michael. I usually find plenty of reason not to attend such events. But the combination of those two — Ann and Seth — was unbeatable. I learned so much by going. To this day, I’m still quoting Seth, his clear view of the world got me to see that I had left part of my skillset behind when I decided to leave educational publishing. I went back and got it. Thank you, Seth.
Doc Searls Until this week, I had never talked to Doc Searls, I had only read what he had written. But I long ago called him my Walter Cronkite. He is the blogger I look to for clear thinking on the issues about the Internet. He cares about it for the right reasons. Now that I’ve had a conversation, I can only confirm what I already knew. He has improved my thinking. Thank you, Doc.

Five remarkable bloggers have made a difference in my life — not just my blogging. In their own ways, each one has made me a better person. How could not I take advantage of this chance to tell you about them?

Who are the bloggers who have made a difference in your life?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
My Blogging Goal

The Blogging Goals Project

Filed Under Basics, Branding, Marketing, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

The Writing Project

Darren Rowse suggested a Group Writing Project in which participants considerted and shared their writing goals. I thought is was a worthwhile and timely event. So I did my part, My Father’s Saloon — a Blogging Story, about the place I want blogging to hold in my life. Other folks took other routes. All together there were 130 posts written, if I counted right.

Here are the highlights, most from folks we know. Stop by a few; have a read; leave a kind comment, if you time. I’m sure that everyone would appreciate hearing from you.

Inquisitive minds wanted to know.

James Martin starts everyone out with the crucial question. Why Do Blogs Exist? Meanwhile Yehuda is working on his own question — How I plan to take over the world. While Melly asks Is it True I should have Blog Goals?

Analytical ones were quite focused.

Ann Michael took a Sanity Check! Hock Ng considered Being a Purple Cow. Trisha discussed Blogs, my Goals and Everything. Rod at Wintermute added perspective in Blogging for Myself. Sheila Scarborough was quite clear. She said to Prevent a Midlife Crisis – Blog!

Manly men took up the challenge.

Easton Ellsworth put a prize possession on the line. If I Donâ€™t Keep This Blogging Goal, You Can Have my PEZ Dispenser. Ben Yoskovitz vowed to Get Rich or Die Trying (OK not really, but it sounds cool, No?) Jack, on the other hand, took the opposite approach. 365 days left to kill this blog – this is what I call a killer Blog Goal.

Rugged individuals did their thing.

KimBahLee says Blog less. Kristonia Ink! speakth the 11 Commandments of blogging in the Blog Bible. jason Boog confesses in the latest blockbuster film, “Jason Boog Always Screws Up His Goals.”

In the end it all comes down to a small list of priorities. Mayvelous has hers down in
The Great Determinations of Mayvelous.

Why Do This?

Group projects like this worth are always worth considering. If you have the time to participate — they are often a win-win-win for a small investment. Knowledge shared here is wide and varied, highly useful and fun. Links made here strengthen the web-like connections of the Internet. Connections shared by us — folks in the middle are sharing these links, not A-Listers.

Collaborations like these are also great promotion for every blog involved. It’s branding, letting people know you exist, who you are. Relationships start. New discoveries are made. It’s participating becoming part of the conversation. Imagine commenting on that many blogs in just a few seconds. The impact is exponential and lasts a long as any blog reader who reads your blog, any blog writer that links to yours.

The best part is I’ve already discovered new blogs and new bloggers I really like. Nothing can top that as a reason to participate. This is one more way to be part of the conversation.

How might you carry this home to your blog?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
See the NEW BLOGGER PAGE, if you’re looking for serious.
See the category ZZZ-FUN if you’re not.

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We’re All Teachers and Learners

The Metaphor Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

Group Writing Project: What’s Your Blogging Metaphor?

Gosh, I’ve Been Lucky

My Top 5 Successful Bloggers Who Made a Difference

The Writing Project

Inquisitive minds wanted to know.

Analytical ones were quite focused.

Manly men took up the challenge.

Rugged individuals did their thing.

Why Do This?

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