Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, I now have a copy of the book I need to follow while learning how to build a better blog in 31 days.
This will teach me, maybe, to peruse such offerings before a month long commitment. The first day’s lesson (I missed it yesterday) was to write an elevator pitch for my blog. You know what an elevator pitch is, right? You’ve got 30 seconds in an elevator with Warren Buffett, and if you impress Mr Buffett enough in those 30 seconds, he’ll invite you to join his board and give you a private jet with three personal “attendants”, and your Buffett Moment could come at any time, so you’d better be prepared. So true. I’ve seen it happen right in front of me.
Of course, I spent my 30 seconds with Mr Buffett between the 15th and 45th floors watching twinkly Christmas lights sparkle on the ceiling and wondering where he buys his shoes.
Today’s exercise is to write a list. An excerpt from the book, which will hereby become known at the fringe as The Book:
Using lists has always been a popular and effective technique among bloggers wanting to write content that spreads from one person to the next. Just look at pages like the front page of Digg, TweetMeme and Delicious and you’ll see that much of the hottest content on the web at any given time is written in this style.
I like lists. I even have a blog tag called look it’s a list! A small secret: I use lists mainly when my brain has died. Digg, here I come:
- I am listening to my husband snore
- which if you think is loud in person
- you should hear on the iPhone
- through Bose in-ear headphones
- amplified like a symphony of elephants
- in Jones Hall
- and I would normally hang up the call
- after he’s fallen asleep on our date
- but I miss him here in bed with me
- so I’m enjoying the concert
- This crossroads we are on
- my kids getting older
- and the baby learning to talk
- and sing
- and better express himself
- makes me happy
- yet wistful at the same time
- I am obsessed with capturing each moment
- on my camera
- even though my heart can never forget
- the sound of a baseball
- landing squarely in Jordan’s glove
- Jon Alex flying through the air
- landing squarely on my bed
- just to say hi
- and to ask me for some $60 video game
- Ehren calling out “Day!” for Jordan
- and something like “And-duh”
- for his older brother
- the whispers of my honeybear as he tells me
- I am the love of his life
Tomorrow’s lesson: promote a blog post. You know, like with The Twittergraph…
I tried to do that last year. I couldn’t get past the elevator pitch. Great stuff, though!
.-= Headless Mom is dying for you to read Easy Rice and Meatballs =-.
I have this terrible habit of following through when I shouldn’t and flaking out when I should follow through. Waiting to see which one this turns out to be.
I have lists collecting dust all over the place. Maybe I’ll gather them up and take a picture and put that on my blog. Wonder if that would do the trick?
But that means I’ll finally have to figure out what gives with my camera card. For the past couple of months, I can’t upload any photos because my card isn’t formatted….or so the bitch of a program says. How is that possible when I have pics on the card? Who knows.
I’ll wait until day 3 or 4 in blog building 101, and see if there’s something else I can do.
.-= Christine is dying for you to read A Pink Week =-.
Haha…jump in at any time. I wish I could help with the camera card. I use my USB…
You’re such a good writer that even your lists are poems.
.-= Motormouth is dying for you to read I bet it hit 90 today =-.
You are complimentary this week in ways I am unsure I deserve. But I shall lap it up because it feels good. Thanks!
I love lists. Yours is economical and lovely.
.-= Voix is dying for you to read still don’t have time to write =-.
Aw, thanks. It was midnight.
1. For some reason I can’t fall asleep when I’m not on the phone with my wife.
2. It might be that when we talk at night I am dreaming she is rubbing my belly in her very soothing way.
3. So when we talk on our dates I am relaxed and I fall right off to sleep.
4. Without her I would for sure be an unloved insomniac.
Your #4 made me smiffle a little. I’m glad you found me. Same time tonight?
Only if by same time you mean when ELH-M gets tired of running around waving his clothes in the air and falls asleep…
.-= Q is dying for you to read my first real post here… =-.
I am soooo glad he’s having fun over there…
I’ll have to be honest – as I started to scan your list, I was thinking “I’m not sure what the common thread is here.” But then I had to keep reading…because it was good! And there IS a common thread, even if it can be succinctly stated. You’re a great writer!
.-= Chris is dying for you to read 6 Truths About Prayer =-.
Chris, welcome to the fringe! Common threads are hard to come by around here. I’m excited you found one. Thanks for the comment and the compliment. Please come back often.
I’m not sure the list form makes sense but I definitely like your style of writting!
Nathalie, welcome to the fringe! I used to drive one of my English professors over the edge because I always did the assignment by not actually doing the assignment. He threatened to fail me several times, yet ended up giving me an A, I suppose for giving him an excuse to keep drinking.
I’m going to enjoy watching you build a better blog in 31 days!
And everyone is right – you are a good writer!! (But I think I told you tha already)
Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s update.
.-= Dave (MisterGoodGuy) is dying for you to read Mona Lisa Tuesday 4th May 2010 =-.
Thanks, Dave. I don’t think I’m guaranteeing the process, but I thought it would be fun to try. You should think about signing up. Not that your blog isn’t already the bomb or anything…
Wow!! I really wish I had known about this too. Would have been interesting to give the lessons a try. I’ll just watch you rock it like you did with your special style of lists.
Always enjoy reading what you share. I’m a semi-lurker and don’t often leave a comment but I’m always here.
.-= Orion is dying for you to read It’s the battle of the “NNOOOOO!!”s =-.
Thanks for the encouragement, faithful lurker! About the project, it’s not too late to join. You’d really like the people involved.
I use a lot of lists around the house – three kids and preggo brain make it necessary. I don’t use them too often in my blog though.
And I have no idea how to use Digg, but now you’ve got me wanting to look!
Visiting from #commenthour.
Lindsey is dying for you to read Wordless Wednesday, sort of.