Definitely a different animal than writing romance.

I was bumbling around my writing life until I started blogging. My daughter was a baby and I had wicked post-partum hormones. I started a lot of stories and hated them all. And then I started blogging.

About 5 posts in, my writing voice clicked. I understood who I was on the page and I started writing more interesting stories. Blogging also gave me that daily writing practice that I'd been lacking before. And because blogging is about having a conversation, I was able to build a writing community at the same time, which was priceless to me as a hormonal-hot-mess new mama.

I truly cannot say enough positive things about blogging for writers. I feel like the process of zeroing in on that single topic and doing it well lifts up so (SO) many other writerly tasks.

Otherwise, I blog about what interests me and how it links to my writing, often as inspiration. As you mention, yes, I share personal experiences to reinforce those points. As a fantasy writer, topics I love to address on a regular basis (besides writing) are mapmaking and worldbuilding. As a human being, I often address mental health, healthy living, and how writing helps me with both those issues. In the nine years I've been blogging, those posts have probably helped me more than anyone.

Personalization really is the key. Twenty people can experience the same event and come away with twenty different points of view, and tell the story in twenty different voices.

I don't think we'll ever run out of writing related topics. The subject is in constant flux. Language changes and evolves, as do reader expectations. There will always be something new to experience and share!

A blog really helps with you online presence, so I can see why publishers encourage you to have one. I tried to maintain my own blog in the beginning, but I don't think I was ready for it. WITS has taught me enough that I might try it again. In the meantime, I'll keep posting here as long as Jenny lets me!