A guest article by Kim Maureen Datumanong. You too can be part of this great knowledge sharing community. Take a look at our guest blogging guidelines.

Back in the old days when people had diaries and journals where they scribbled secret crushes and backstabbing outbursts, a passion for writing can emerge. For those who love to write, every stroke of a pen on paper is a thread of distress washed from one’s consciousness out through the extremities. Writing is more often a stress reliever; other times, writing brings out creativity you never thought you had in you. From short verses to full-length poems and novels, everyone who made a name for themselves started with scribbles.

Back then, people who were serious in writing had to put a lot of effort in creating an excellent masterpiece and having the work published. These days, writers have it easy; anyone can be a self-published writer. If you have the ideas and the blog where you will post your works, you will gradually gain a number of avid readers the world over. So before you bury the days long gone, here is to the notebook who has faithfully kept every joyous moment and every sorrowful tear.

Paper

As you say goodbye to your old notebook, take a moment to feel its edges and smooth surface. Think back on how much it has served its purpose. No need to be emotional; just flip a few pages to look back on how life has treated you. If you think about it, you will be saving Mother Nature by not using notebooks for journals.

Pen and Ink

Feel the grasp of the pen in your hand and remember how much thought and feeling you poured over the leaves through it. Without a notebook, you will not need any pen either. You will save yourself from costs on pens and ink refills, however small the amount. Just think of the other things you can spend money on and you can easily let go.

Hiding Places

One of the fun things about having a notebook for a diary or journal is the many hiding places you can come up with. Some people let it lie under the bed, in a corner of a room, or in a hidden stack in a cabinet. Some even go to greater measures as under loose wooden flooring or a tin box buried by a special old tree in the backyard. Think of how fun it was to strategize on where to keep something memorable.

say bye bye to journals Goodbye, Notebook; Hello, Blog!

Say Bye Bye to Journals - Start Blogging Instead!

As you bid farewell to your trusty journal, it is time you embrace the new way of keeping one. Most diary keepers often write about personal experiences and less on topics that can be shared with the world. Start on a personal or private entry for a softer transition. As you feel the creative juices flow, let your thoughts speak for itself on your very first public post. Here are some of things to welcome as you begin the journey of a self-published writer.

Themes

This is not just about themes per se; this is about the whole design of your blog. With an online journal, you have a lot of options on creating your blog’s design and overall look. Let your personality come out through the designs you choose or create for your page. Blogs show your personality not only through the content, but also the way you choose to present your site.

Readers

Becoming a self-published writer with works on online blogs means that you get to have readers from anywhere. Do not expect to gain readers right from the start, though. It will take time and a little search engine optimization if you intend on having everyone read it. And when they do, they can leave comments on your posts if you like. You can also reply to them, and you get to connect with people.

Income

Now, this is something you most definitely will not get from the old journal (unless you published your works from that). If you did publish and sell some of the work you have written before, that will earn you money. When it comes to online journals, you can also earn on the side. You can choose to host sensible ads on your site to earn a few bucks. This works very well when you have a lot of visitors and readers on your blog—every click on the ads can help you earn.

So there you have it: the things you lose and gain as you face the transition from a personal notebook to a public blog. Of course, you do not have to let go of the old notebook completely. Besides, you can only use your blog with a computer and an internet connection. If you are anywhere without these, you can always depend on your trusty notebook and pen.