Welcome to my blog. Or not.

Writers dread coming up with the first couple of sentences. The "lead" of an article (book, whatever) sometimes writes itself, but most of the time the damn thing has to be dug out of the cold hard ground.

So what to make of the beginning of a blog. Articles come and go, but weblogs last forever, or at least until the blogger wanders off.

You'd figure the initial post -- the hello, world! part -- would be among the most important assignments you give yourself. You'd be wrong.

The first half dozen or so posts aren't seen by many people you don't know. And out of that sixpack, the introductory piece will have the shortest shelf life. Once you start adjusting the focus of the blog, it might even start to smell funny.

Most first-time posters welcome the readers, who already know they're more than welcome. (Be original. Tell them to go away.)

Then it's on to some mission statements, typically described as a journey to be shared between blogger and reader. A call to community. It's all heffer dust. You know it; readers know it.

Why would anyone want to read about what bloggers intend to do, once they are doing it. Then there's the duplication in the form of that necessary evil, the About page.

The first blog I built for myself still carries around a massive Glenn Abel "biography" that no one ever reads. You won't either. Now I'm all about minimalism.

Do this instead:

• Write an About page that runs no more than three or four paragraphs. Crisp and clear, keep it short. Include a contact me link.


• Write a tight intro for the home page's sidebar(s). Maybe two sentences of pure pith. Include a photo or avatar, a link to the About page and a contact me link.


• Write a brilliant on-topic post that welcomes no one and explains nothing about the blog's goals. Repeat. Forever.