How to get started writing online

You’re ready to publish your own content online but not sure how to start? If you contact me, this is what you can expect me to say.

Writing Obstacles

You might have a few obstacles (I know I did). Here are a few you don’t need to worry about.

• The final medium is irrelevant. Record audio snippets, write in a bound journal, stencil papyrus sheets; it doesn’t matter. Anything can be moved into digital ink.

• The form isn’t important. Your writing can be shaped into any form imaginable - blog, book, diagram, twitter feed, etc., but the form can wait. The longest writing I’ve ever completed was a 100-page thesis, the shortest was a recent comment of less than twenty characters.

• Let the tools handle the distribution. One of the reasons to write in your own digital space is that you can share it anywhere. Tools exist to share automatically, like posting a blurb on Facebook or a link to Twitter. Or both. And if you don’t like where it’s at today, you can move it tomorrow.

• Don’t stress about perfection. Another reason to write in your own digital space is that you can add/delete anything you want, whenever you want.

• You can also look at the writing reminders I use to keep going.

Find inspiration

One of my 2020 goals was to publish something every month, and it’s been a great help to read other’s writings. You can see where I’ve been helped by reading the thanks for my favorite independent writers here. You may already have this figured out, in which case I’d love to see your list of inspiration!

Pick a domain name

This is where people go to see your site. For example, mine is ‘alexbilson.dev’ for right now because it’s tied to me, but ‘oforderandchaos’ could be another option. I chose my name because the site serves as a digital resume of sorts, but it doesn’t have to be your name. To figure out what’s available, go here and search for a few ideas. A domain name costs ~$15/year.

Select a writing platform

This part is overwhelming because there are infinite options, each with its pros/cons. You don’t need to worry about any of the buzzwords and catchphrases - all you need is a place to put text, and maybe a few pictures, onto a website with some semblance of order. If you’d prefer, I can explain all of your options, in detail, with pros/cons.

No matter where your writing lives, I recommend keeping a final draft of everything you write. Store it in Dropbox or another place that gets backed up. When you’re itching to customize your website beyond what your current software can offer, having easy access to all your original content will smooth the transition.