Avis as blog expert

I got an interesting telephone call earlier today. Tally, 42, who lives in Atlanta, the mother of two 'tweens, is interested in starting a blog and she wanted me to give her some information and advice about how to pursue it. Poor thing.

Tally wants to blog to brand herself. After taking several years off to raise her children, she is now interested in working outside her home. "I haven't worked for anyone else, except my children and husband, since I was 28 years old," she said. "I am not sure how to go about it. I've been reading online about blogging and I thought that would be a good way to establish some sort of identity for myself, to brand myself as they say."

I asked her why she contacted me. With all the bloggers out there and all the experts on branding, blogging and all things related to writing on the Web, there are folks much more informed about this new medium of expression, I told her.

"I called you because I like the way you write," she said.

At that point, I heard the angels sing. Someone remembered that I am a writer, not a blogger, but a writer. Halleluah.

I told Tally about the sources that I had turned to when I started to blog and how I still try to read at least two new blogs a day, just to see what's out there. I also shared with her my concern that blogging has led to a proliferation of not-so-expert experts, people who, because they have access to a computer, have put themselves out there to be sources on topics they hardly know. I told her how scary it is to me that bloggers have replaced people who are genuinely qualified in their fields, who have valuable insight that resulted from years of study and evaluation.

"But how do you pick your topics each day?" she asked, uninterested in my moral dilemma. "How do you get people to talk to you. How do you write so that it is interesting. Sometimes you are pretty funny. How do you do that?"

I was taken aback by her lack of interest in my opinion about blogging. I told her that I write well because I have practiced my craft for more than 25 years, 20 at one of the best newspapers in the world. People will talk to me largely because I call from The Washington Post and it is prestigious to have your name associated with it, at least in most cases. I don't know that I am always interesting, although I try. I write funny because life and circumstances sometimes are.

She seemed satisfied. She asked if she could call me back in a week or so to talk to me again. She asked if I would be willing to read a sample of what she plans to put out there. I told her I'd be happy to read it, but I won't judge her work or offer suggestions on what she should do.

After all, I'm no expert on blogging.

I am, however, on Facebook and Twitter. Check me out between blogs.