I'm six years old. I'm standing in front of the blazing fire with it in my hand. Problem is, I can't do it till the fire goes down a bit.
My daddy gives me a smile.
'Are you ready love?'
I nod, eyes wide.
As the flames die down a bit, he says it's OK, and I gently toss it into the fire and watch it disappear up the chimney. My letter to Santa has gone.
So many emotions are tied up with Christmas. And they can all help us to be Better Bloggers.
1. Better Bloggers need a sackful of hope.
I always wrote a letter to Santa. It was the only way he'd know what I wanted. I knew he couldn't possibly bring everything on the list because that would be greedy, mum said. But I wrote with hope that the letter would float up the chimney and be read.
When we write our posts we send them out into the ether with hope. We hope they will find readers who will appreciate what we have to say. We try not to be greedy but we hope we're doing something right.
2. Better Bloggers should feel excitement.
Who can forget the excitement of Christmas Eve as a child? Did he get the letter? Would he fill our pillowcase or stocking? Would we hear those reindeer on the roof?
It's magical the way we can communicate with people world wide, through our blogs. It's exciting knowing someone may be reading our words while we're sleeping. We need to write with the same excitement, the same enthusiasm, the same care, that we wrote our letter to Santa. We must write each post the best way we can, excited that it can be read by people all over this globe.
3. Better Bloggers need a vivid imagination.
As a child I could easily imagine what Santa looked like. I could hear his voice, I could see his smile, hear his 'Ho,ho,ho!' booming around the hallway as he came up the stairs. Older children might try to tell me it wasn't true but I knew better. I knew he was real.
When I write my posts I try to tell a story, or paint a picture for my reader. I want them to empathise with what I'm saying, to follow my thinking, to imagine with me. This works for instructional blogs too - you try to put yourself in the mind of your reader. You try to imagine their problem or situation so you can help.
4. Better Bloggers must develop an unshakeable belief.
There was never a doubt in my mind that Santa would arrive. His sleigh was real, it would land on our roof, he'd be wearing a red suit, have a snowy white beard and black boots. He was unique and very special.
When we're on this blogging journey we must believe that we have something unique to offer. We need to believe that we can bring an intriguing approach within an often crowded niche. We have to believe that people will choose to read what we write. We have to learn how to grab their attention and keep it. We can never stop improving.
5. Better Bloggers must keep on writing.
Once Christmas is over it seems such a long time to wait until Santa comes again. Almost interminable when you're only six years old. But you know, if you're 'good', he'll land on the roof again next year.
It's not easy to keep on writing. Sometimes I wonder if what I write is serving a purpose, causing someone to think, making someone smile. I get despondent, sigh a lot, grumble to myself. But the next day my excitement returns, I can't wait to switch on my lap top and all is well once more.
Can you feel it?
That blogging excitement? The hope? The belief? The imagination?
I think you can. And it will carry you through until Santa comes once more.
What do you find hard about blogging?
Do share it with us. Remember, you're not on your own!
5 Reasons Why Better Bloggers Must Believe In Santa is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2010. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.