Everyone wants to vent at times. However, if you are going to tell stories about where you work in a public forum like Facebook, Twitter or your own personal blog one should consider a few simple things.
Be clever and witty, not bitter and contrite in your writing. When I wrote all my Barn Yard blogs I found some of my favorite things to write about. Working at the Barn had it’s up and it’s downs but I always look for the upside. The humor I saw in while working with Cameron Drape and customers like her was the inspiration for so much of my writing. Cameron Drape is a lady who loves shopping at the Barn so much but has a quirky personality. So quirky she proclaims keeping her Barn receipt in her underwear drawer. There’s not much funnier things than that! If I complained about Cameron or her contrary shopping style no one would want to read a negative blog. If people wanted to read cranky blogs they would simply read political blogs.
Be smart with what you write. I love writing and when I write I like to find things that can inspire me to be creative. Blogging is about conveying thoughts, feelings, emotions, and stories about life. In addition to all that it is about showing some smarts behind your writing. I can’t spell and sometimes my vocabulary is not the best. But improving my skills as a writer and expanding my vocabulary is a goal of mine while blogging. Writing is an art form. Texting and posting on social media has eroded our sentence structure and spelling. If you want to have an enjoyable smart blog, reclaim the English language. I am always trying to make Elizabeth Sarcone, PhD, my English Comp Professor at Delta State, proud of my writing.
Have buy in from your co-workers. While writing about the Barn many staff knew and read my blogs. I had buy in from the people I worked with, because those people were very important to me and to the success of the overall blog. Blogging shouldn’t just be a platform to vent about stuff, but also be about bringing people together with common interest. Everyone who has a personal blog has a tendency to make it all about them. I am no different. However, what I really love to writing about is the people I am around. And the people I work with at camp and the people I worked with at the Barn are important to me. When writing about my work place, I wanted to make my co-workers proud, just like Dr. Sarcone.
Consider your words carefully! Even as I write this blog, I am considering my words very carefully. So often people think writing a blog is like writing in your journey which is locked in an air tight box in a super secret location. But it is not. People see your thoughts and feeling spread over the internet. Those people talk about your words and your words can either give you credibility for the future or lessen your character. I was once told I shouldn’t teach, because I couldn’t spell well. I failed the writing portion of the Praxis exam the first time. So I don’t write to draw attention to myself or throw bitter words toward the people I sweat with. I don’t write to be heard. I write to improve my writing skills and share some of my favorite stories. Hopefully, it is sent and received with positive feelings! These are the things I have considered while writing my blogs and especially the ones where I write about work.