Half of Rob.

Welcome to Behind the Blogs where we take a moment to get to know the blogger behind the keyboard.  Today’s interview is with Rob Anderson who writes for the My Only Kidding blog.  Rob is an aspiring writer and sketch comedian…let’s get to know a bit more.

Hi Rob,

1) Why did you start blogging?

I began in August of 2008 as a part of my study abroad trip to Australia.  While many of my friends studied abroad they would send large, bulky emails about what they were up to.  I decided to create a blog so I could easily share my experiences that didn’t strain the eye with ‘unaesthetic email formatting.’  My blog topics began to diversify, and when I left Australia I decided to continue writing (mostly humorous) posts about a range of subjects.

2) How do you continue to find inspiration and ideas for blog posts?

Most of the time things just come to me.  Sometimes they deal with events in my life, like a game night with friends or a class I am taking.  Other times I come across an odd product or sector of the internet that baffles me.  The best topics come naturally.  Once I began to get over 500 hits a day and people would talk about My Only Kidding in actual conversation, I found myself hustling to deliver quality bits. Though this mindset is encouraging, it also made a few posts seem a tad desperate.  Now if I find myself stuck or digging for material, I stop myself from pushing too hard because the humor can become stale.  I try to approach my blog at different angles or attempt a little variety (once I did a satirical flowchart).

3) How has blogging helped you in your life/career?

I am pursuing a career in writing and performing sketch comedy, and my blog has been incredibly helpful.  First, it keeps me sharp in my observations and vocabulary.  I didn’t realize how one dimensional my point of view was until I had to post continuously.  Second, it helps me package myself.  A blog is much more than just writing, its self-branding.  Its a start in creating an image.

4) What do you have in stock for the future of your blog?

I have just moved to Chicago, so living in a new place always brings fresh stories, inspiration, and views. Though I have reoccurring themes and subjects like my family or ’100 awful things,’ I have wanted to introduce different segments that readers would recognize.  For example, I would like to develop a segment called ‘Bad Film Reviews,’ where I would watch a popular film and illuminate its faults and absurdities.  My thought was that every few weeks I could publish a review, so readers could not only identify, but possibly even look forward to it.

5) Have you ever written anything on your blog and then regret it afterwards?

God yes.  There are always the little things like spelling and grammar errors.  You will notice them even up to a few weeks after and feel embarrassed and unprofessional.  My biggest regret occurred last year when a friend of mine wrote a satirical article about christmas gifts.  Though it was a great article, I told him that I could make it better by re-writing it and sending him the link.  I did not properly link the first article in my blog post, and though my friend knew the situation, many people claimed it was unoriginal and plagiarized material- one even threatening to submit an opinion article to the college paper.  I immediately removed the content, and though it was a misunderstanding, my blog had lost some credibility.  I now carefully preface, link, and give credit to anything I may reference or gather inspiration from.

5) What advice would you provide for people looking to start a blog?

You have to start simple then build on it.  Its common to want to start BIG, but its not the right attitude.  People want immediate followers and subscribers before they even settle into what suits them best.  I would suggest starting with a topic that you enjoy writing about, rather than what you perceive to be popular.  There is nothing more interesting or entertaining when the blogger enjoys themselves.  Some people are better at specific topics like food or sports, and others (like myself) find their strengths in variety.  Also, commitment is key.  Though you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, its important to stay committed to the blog.  When you care about your blog, readers will reciprocate that.

6) One unique fact that your readers don’t know about you?

In middle school I wanted to be like Dawson from Dawson’s creek so I parted my hair down the middle and gave myself highlights by putting flour in my hair.  I told my friends it was a new hair product called ‘blizz’

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rob.

If you know of a blogger/author that would be interesting to interview for the Behind the Blogs series, or YOU are that blogger, send me an email at DavidSpinks@Scribnia.com