When my cat asked if he could start a blog, I knew it was time to draw the line. Does everybody (and their pet) need a blog? Heck no. And I’ll give you four reasons why . . .

“Everybody’s got a blog.” Uh, no. No, they do not. Not everyone was born to blog. You do not need to add blogging to the long list of things you already feel you should be doing. It’s not as if your mother is harping about how she wants to hear the pitter patter of little blogs before she dies. (But if she is, well, that’s just weird enough to be blog-worthy.)

You’re pointless. It’s my opinion, a blog needs a point of view or theme to give it personality and focus. Don’t have anything you need to say in a blog format? Skip it until you do. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself inventing reasons to post (like the poor sap who has to scrounge for reasons to create yet another inane episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians). Without a perspective, your blog will feel like a chore and sound like a bore-ing thing. Rats. I was going for a rhyme there and it fizzled. Let’s move on.

Blogging = Vulnerability Now, this isn’t true for all bloggers. I have friends with practical blogs brimming with useful publishing info and writing tools or reviews. (Check out Literary Rambles as an example.) Fabulous! And because of their chosen theme, there’s no need to get too personal. It’s mostly outward focused. But choosing to blog about your own struggles or insecurities (like the times I blogged about jealousy or rejection), means being willing to expose yourself to your readers. That’s scary. If you’re a very private person, those kinds of posts probably aren’t for you.

And there’s another way blogging makes you vulnerable–what if you post and nobody cares? Seriously. What if you pour out your heart or offer a cubic ton of carefully researched info and all you hear is a single cricket chirping (and you’re pretty sure you saw him yawn.) This is not good. This is what we define as a painful experience. You will not like it.

Blogs are time gobblers. I said earlier that blogs aren’t like babies, but they do demand your time and attention. Typically, you’ll need to post at least once every week or so (and sure, “or so” is up to your interpretation and timetable, but you’ll want to be consistent). If you’re already stretched and struggling to find writing time, adding yet another line item to your to do list, isn’t a stellar idea. Personally, I find blogging energizes my writing and gives me a place to share things I wouldn’t have otherwise. But then, that’s me, and I’m an odd duck. So, keep that in mind.

If you’ve visited Frog on a Dime before, you know my intention is to encourage and inspire my fellow writers, so it might seem odd for me to be discouraging you from blogging. It’s just that I want you to think things through and not put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Blogging is not a divine calling or a rite of passage; it’s a way to communicate and use words like “mustn’t” just because you want to.

If you’re thinking of starting a blog, but have some questions, message me via my contact page. I’m not an expert, but I’m glad to share my thimbleful of knowledge with you. And if I don’t know the answer, I’m sure my cat will be more than happy to chime in.

Quick decisions are unsafe decisions. ~ Sophocles