Merlin Mann is one of my favorite bloggers. He had me hooked years ago with 43 Folders, when I was obsessed (along with the rest of my geek circle) with Getting Things Done. Today, I found this talk — How To Blog — on Kung Fu Grippe, his personal blog, and the slide shown above. It may be the best advice on blogging I’ve seen:
Find your obsession.
Every day, explain it to one person you respect.
Edit everything, skip shortcuts, and try not to be a dick.
Get better.
Pretty simple advice, but it sets the bar very high. I have it printed out and taped to my desk where I’ll see it every day. Only time will tell if I get better.
And “Starting a blog to generate traffic is like learning ventriloquism to meet girls.” is the second-best advice I’ve heard in a long time.
Damn. I knew that Mortimer Snerd doll was a waste of money.
Develop an act: You eat Jell-O while the dummy makes snarky comments.