Starting a Game Blog 101
(Photo by Welcometoalville)
I still remember the night, about a year and a half ago. Zach and I huddled at my laptop. My first 600 words or so of games writing, honed through draft after draft after draft and adorned with a pic I grabbed off Google Images, sat ready to go live. I just had to hit the button marked “Publish.”
“Do it, Rach,” Zach urged, hand on my shoulder. “Put it out there.”
I hesitated - pinky on Enter, mouse finger shaking.
“C’mon Rach! The world needs this!”
“Well I doubt that,” I laughed. But I knew I needed it. So I hit the button.
Well, the world didn’t beat a path to my door - not right away. But I had started my blog, and it’s been nothing but win ever since.
Naturally, the first few months were slow. I checked my daily traffic every, oh, ten minutes, and shrieked when my hits went from 11 to 12.
But then I started to mingle. There’s something you should know about the game blogging community: it’s awesome. Truly awesome. The minute I put my blog out there, people embraced it. Edithero Simon Carless at GameSetWatch threw me a link. Writers like Daniel Purvis, L. B. Jeffries, Matthew Wasteland, and Michael Abbott pulled me into brainy debates on the games of the day.
You can see my fave blogs over to the right, or browse through this list, the essential guide to the “Brainysphere” - a term we use (kinda) ironically to describe us wonks who have as much fun writing about games as playing them. (Much of that crew groupblogs at Critical Distance, your one-stop source for smart game crit.) These aren’t the industry blogs, or the enthusiast press blogs. We don’t spread rumors and we don’t run press releases. Most of these folks aren’t even professional journos. They’re just smart folks with quick wits who love to share ideas.
And oh, the times we’ve had. When the Great Avalanche of 2008 hit - the wall-to-wall barrage of must-play games that led all the way to the holiday - we were all in it together, critiquing Fable II, defending Far Cry 2, sharing horrors from Left4Dead and swapping “well, it’s all right“’s about Mirror’s Edge. Late nights struggling with a dud like Fracture, I didn’t feel alone - ’cause I knew other bloggers were out there too, suffering, crying. And when I finally made it to the Game Developers Conference this spring, it felt like I’d landed at ground zero of a community that otherwise belonged exclusively to the ether.
PixelVixen707.com was meant to be a blog about games, not a blog about me. But the gaming community was there for me a few times - like last November, when Zach was pursuing the Martin Grace case, and I was thinking about pursuing therapy. Sure, it wasn’t always cake and smiles. We’ve had our ups and downs, our arguments and our misunderstandings. But the whole time, I knew I belonged. Zach, Lucas, my close meatspace friends are my main tribe. But this is my tribe too.
Why start a game blog? I already stumbled on the answer: writing about games is as much fun as playing them - probably more. In fact, the writing is the game. We swap links and post comments like soccer players scoring assists. The best points score a goal. And everyone’s on the same team - which maybe breaks the analogy, but, no worries. I’m just glad to share bandwidth with some of the best bloggers on the globe. And a year and a half after kickstarting this gig, I wanted to take a sec and say: Hey. Thanks.
09/06/2009 at 9:57 am Permalink
I’m glad you found the courage to hit the publish button. I know how hard that can be. It doesn’t seem to get easier with practice either. I don’t own a game system (unless an iPod Touch counts) but I like reading your reviews. I’ve enjoyed the links you post to Indie games, especially liked Glumbuster. Keep up the good work.
09/06/2009 at 1:57 pm Permalink
Your name is not Rachel. You do not have a boyfriend named Zach. This entire thing is totally made up.
http://www.magicalwasteland.com/2009/05/reality_as_it_is_today.htm#more
09/06/2009 at 5:35 pm Permalink
Nara - thank you! And I owe you a special thanks for helping me out - more than once - last month, when I was trying to win that stupid bet with my dad. It’s been a real pleasure getting to know you and really, working alongside you here. (And btw, iPod Touch totally counts - Rolando is tops.)
Not so much … - Not sure what you’re talking about, ’cause that link doesn’t work for me. But you’re starting to sound like The Matrix. And if taking the red pill is going to stick me in a cave in the naked body of Keanu Reeves, I’ll stick with the blue, kthx.
09/06/2009 at 6:52 pm Permalink
Rachel, I know I’m pleased that you decided to hit enter. I’m even more happy that your blog gets traffic, though - for me anyway - putting thoughts out there is worth my hosting fee.
WP
10/06/2009 at 4:22 pm Permalink
Thanks to you too, whoever you are
13/06/2009 at 8:54 am Permalink
Yep the walk is step by step. I wish I could put my thoughts together to make sense outside a review like you can. Just keep to what you love, turn it into a skill to work at. But by bit eventually steps become a walk, and a walk becomes a path. I hope eventually I become as skilled in the art of word thought as you are.
18/06/2009 at 5:00 am Permalink
Thanks for the tip on Rolando. I tried it and love it.
29/06/2009 at 3:54 pm Permalink
This is feeling like I am jumping off into a world of ether without a net or a bungee. Blammo! Rockit!
06/02/2010 at 3:55 am Permalink
I’ve personally discovered that writing gaming blogs can not only be a ton of fun, but also you do meet some awesomely talented people, be it writers or artistic types. It is very motivating to me and makes me want to improve on my writing skills.
Keep up the good stuff.