From Tracie: Amy Duncan Taught Me Important Things About Blogging

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Amy Duncan Taught Me Important Things About Blogging

When I was watching the Good Luck Charlie season finale on Sunday...

Because Katarina likes it. Okay, and I like it, too.
Don't judge - I know I wasn't the only mom watching it!
If you don't have a kid, let me tell you that Good Luck Charlie is the funniest show you are not watching, and you are missing out.

Amy Duncan, the mom played by Leigh-Allyn Baker, started a blog.

There were some important tips in that episode that bloggers can use, and I'm going to share them with you today.

Important Blogging Tips From Good Luck Charlie

1. Blogging is not a competition. There are bloggers out there who treat it that way, but that really isn't what it is all about.

2. Spell check is your friend. Use it every time you post.

3. Unlike Amy, you will not be invited on a tv show to talk about your blog after the first week of blogging. (you also shouldn't plan on making enough money to quit your job that first week - if ever)

4. There is such a thing as being too cutesy. Even though you have a theme for your blog that involves a nest of birds, you do not have to constantly refer to yourself as "mama bird". The cutesy gets old fast. Stop it now.

5. "Half A Dozen Duncans" is a great name for a blog, but you really can not use it if you only have five kids.

6. Skippy Marie is not a great name for your made up 8 year old. (yes, she did this in the show)

7. Don't make up fake children for your blog. It is never a good idea.

Good Luck Charlie is a comedy, so of course they exaggerate situations to maximize the humor. I would hope that there aren't any bloggers out there with made up children, but sadly, I'm sure that is wrong. Scary.

The Rules Of Blogging

The most important blogging rule: Be Yourself.
As long as you remember that one, you will be awesome, and so will your blog.

35 comments:

  1. Being myself is the hard part for me. I have posted so much upbeat stuff that when I don't feel upbeat, I find it hard to write and harder to hit publish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am the opposite. I wrote almost every day as I chronicled my journey through cancer. I took a picture of myself every day and told the raw truth about treatments, procedures, and doctor visits. I told the world (okay, all 6 readers of my blog) when I was down and I shared my good days.

      Weirdly enough I can't seem to find a way to give voice to my life post cancer. Go figure.

      Delete
    2. It seems like once you get a writing style going, it is hard to switch gears and move into writing differently or writing about different things.

      Or if you start to feel like your blog has one focus, it is hard to deviate from it - even if you didn't set out to have that focus in the beginning.

      Delete
  2. I love this and I do love Good Luck Charlie. It is a close to a real family as Disney has been able to get. Obviously not everything is based in a real life situation, like this episode. I haven't watched this episode yet but now I need to. I always love when shows have a Blogger on it that actually blogs full time and makes money off of it. That is such a rare case.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She isn't making money off of it (yet? I'm kind of hoping they will continue with this blogging storyline in the next season!), but she did get on television. And we all know how much Amy Duncan LOVES being on television! lol.

      It really is a great show. My favorite kid show on tv (well, tied with Phineas and Ferb).

      Delete
  3. Okay, you're the second person who's told me this show is worth watching. We'll have to give it a try. Excellent blogging advice, too. From you, that is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You SO have to try it! I think your kids are the right ages to appreciate it, but honestly, I have watched at least one episode of it without my kid around.

      Delete
  4. Lord I don't know how to be anyone but me. I can't handle my 3 kids let alone make up new ones lol. I used to watch the show but haven't for a while,it is a good show.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? I don't have time in my life for made up children.

      Delete
  5. Never seen Good Luck Charlie but I like this post and I LOVE the author who wrote it! =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOVE you too!!

      I think your kids are a bit past the target age audience for this show ;-)

      Delete
  6. This sort of breaks my heart to say but I don't think I am having fun blogging anymore. This just came to me as I started to type my reply here. I'll have to spend some time thinking about this sudden new revelation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh CA. That makes me sad!

      I wonder if you just need a break...or maybe you need a new space. It might be that your blog as it is now is so tied with your cancer journey, that you can't seem to break away from it in that space. But maybe setting up something new would give you that feeling of freedom?

      Delete
  7. Be yourself and write from your heart. Important tips. Found you on SITS.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by.

      Those really are the best tips I could ever give.

      Delete
  8. We watch Good Luck, charlie. You are not alone. Although we have to watch it on Hulu. lol

    You are my favorite blogger ever, and not just because you are you. your blog rocks my world, and I would be reading it even if you were not my interwebs friend. =D You know how to rock a blog. And thank you for not being cutesy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Luck Charlie is worth watching on Hulu. It is that good.

      You are so sweet and awesome. :) Thank you for all of your encouragement, it really means a lot to me!

      Delete
  9. ROFL, I've never seen this but this post made me laugh! :D :D Love it!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your kids are probably a little young to really appreciate it, but you have to watch an episode! lol.

      Delete
  10. Great advice. I love this post and wish I would've seen that show. It's always funny to see TV portray a blogger. Hoping I can check it out on HULU. Happy SITS Sharefest! May our blogging get better with time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is funny when they have bloggers on tv shows. You can always tell if the writers really know how blogging works or not by how it all goes down.

      May our blogging get better with time. Yes. :)

      Delete
  11. I already have four kids - making up more, NOT HAPPENING! LOL Visiting from SITS! Happy Day to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right? Who has time for that nonsense. lol.

      Delete
  12. Haven't had a chance to watch that Good Luck Charlie yet, although my daughter did tell me all about it! :) Love this post!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Don't make up fake kids? Well I should just stop blogging now. j/k.
    love this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! I know I burst all your blogging plans with that one ;-)

      Delete
  14. Oh, I love this post. And I LOVE Good Luck Charlie. My kids are 16 and 13, but we sit there and crack up. Amy is hilarious. I watched this episode -- yes, I'll admit it. And yes, I was quite incensed that she got a TV gig after ONE WEEK of blogging -- only in sitcoms, right?! :)

    Visiting from SITS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love so much that your kids and you are still watching it. It is a great family show. Amy is my favorite. I find myself quoting her randomly in everyday life.

      Right? I'm still waiting for that tv gig to come my way, and I've been blogging for six years!

      Delete
  15. Oh lawd, that is all bad news for me. Here I thought it was a competition (I better quit with those blog challenges), too cutesey? thats a FAIL for me (I just can't help myself), and don't create make believe children? Now there's an idea!

    Popped in from SITS Girls best post of the week.

    thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm happy I could help you with that. Make sure to come up with great names for those make believe children ;-)

      Delete
  16. I wish I could see the show - sounds cute in the "what not to do" sort of way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was. But, you get to live in France, and that is a pretty good trade off for missing great tv. (although y'all probably have some great tv over there, too, right?)

      Delete
  17. I'm still waiting for my invite to a TV show.
    Also, an interview with Anderson Cooper, or something. ;)
    Great advice, Tracie!
    I always tell this to new bloggers - write what you know. Don't write stuff just to get attention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too! I've been doing this for almost six years now. Maybe my invitation was lost in the mail?

      Writing for attention means that you have to keep coming up with more and more fantastical stuff to top the last post. That is a level of stress that no one needs.

      Delete