Well, I can't help but feel a little awkward. I pop back in to CC after more than three years away (as fun as they are, the AFOL Facebook groups just don't have the same charm as the old forums), and the first thing I do is resurrect a post that last saw action in 2014.
In my defense, though, it is stickied. Good to be back.
As part of my game of catch-up, I'll go through this list more attentively and follow blogs that are still active. In the meantime, I'll just go ahead and add my own blog to the mix:
1) What is your blog?
[url=http
://sly-pig.blogspot.com]Sly Pig: the Blog of Nathan Cunningham[/url]
2) What is the general theme of your blog, or do you have a general philosophy that drives your blogging?
I appreciate niche blogs and wish I were better at them, but as a blogger I've never been able to keep going with one myself. So my theme with this one is relatively aimless: if I think it, I write it. I wouldn't say my blog is necessarily a Lego blog, but Lego comes up fairly often as a subject in my posts. When I do write about Lego, I tend to focus less on MOCs and more on things like the specific ways Lego inspires me and why, as an adult, I choose it over other forms of expression. My most popular post, [url=http
://sly-pig.blogspot.com/2016/12/6-unset ... ve-in.html]6 Unsettling Reasons Not to Live in Lego City[/url], made the rounds on social media a while ago. I'd say if you like a more literary approach to the hobby, you'd enjoy my blog.
3) Why did you start or join this blog?
I started my blog as a way to build readership and develop my personal brand while I work on larger writing projects, like a novel. Having a weekly or bi-weekly publishing goal also keeps me accountable and helps me stick to a writing routine to achieve my long-term goals.
On top of that, blogging is just a lot of fun. I like having the freedom to break free from my big projects and write something completely different every now and then.
4) How do you go about blogging?
I blog often enough to keep things alive, but not so often I run out of steam. I keep a list of post ideas that I update whenever I get a spark of something. Ideas usually come when I'm not thinking about writing, so it helps to keep myself busy with other stuff. At the start of a new week, I pick a topic from my list and chisel away at it--usually about half an hour per day--until I have something to publish on Thursday or Friday.
5) What is your biggest challenge with regards to blogging?
Time management can be a doozy--making sure I give myself enough time to publish a blog post every week or two
and make progress toward my long-term writing goals, on top of other real-life responsibilities. A quick glance at my blog will show you I'm still learning how to overcome that challenge, but I'll get there someday.
6) Do you have any advice for others who are considering starting a LEGO themed blog?
Be yourself. Magnify what makes you different--even (especially) if you're doing something that's been done before. And have fun! You'll be surprised at which posts get the most views and which posts go unnoticed. Learn as much as you can from this, but don't get so caught up in it you lose the fun. Readers can tell when you're not having fun.