There is a conference that I've attended for the past few years called WordCamp. The sessions cover a wide variety of topics but they are tied together by the common thread of "everything WordPress." This year I am stepping off the sidelines and into the game. I will be one of the speakers!

Bio for Chris Ames

Chris is the product midwife for a startup in Atlanta, GA named 8BIT which, somewhat ironically, makes WordPress products and not video games. His writing endeavors include chronicling his company’s escapades on the blog, creating technical documentation, and copywriting for product sites, newsletters, and web marketing initiatives.

In fact, the entire 8BIT team will be joining in, sharing expertise, learning from others, and building relationships within the super-awesome WordPress community.

Wrestling The Writing Muse Down To The Dusty Earth

My session will be around writing, content generation, and strategy. I'm really passionate about online publishing, and I write a good bit, but I don't write here on my personal blog as much as I would like.

As part of my talk I want to explore ways to become a better writer and online publisher. A lot has been said on this subject and I aim to bring my audience with me as I test some of the prevailing theories.

This Is One Such Test

One of the tenets of good writing that I have experienced, but not tested thoroughly, is that writing begets writing. Good writers don't merely think about writing, they actually write. Usually on a schedule. The concept is that writing is like a muscle and we can choose to exercise it, and experience growth, or ignore it and let it atrophy.

I've been doing this more and more lately on the 8BIT blog, but that's not enough. I want to push myself. Actually, committing to writing 5 times a week on the 8BIT blog is pushing myself so why not double it?

As part of my experimentation and preparation for the talk I will give I am setting the goal of writing 5 days per week on my personal blog as well!

*gulp*

Writing Gives Away

I still believe in the spirit of my blog here as stated on my about page, "This will be a place to document [my family's] epic victories and stunning defeats so that [our children] can learn about us and I can grow from the reflective process inherent in writing."

Writing is an expression that "gives away." When I write, especially online, I am able to share with others, share with a future version of my children, and share with my present day self. I get to grow from the reflective process inherent in writing and that pays dividends to my family and myself for years to come.

It's worth the investment.