I started this story awhile ago, but haven’t continued it because of the novel I’m writing. If I get some likes, I may continue. The fate of Frank Massey rests in your hands world. Do as you want.

The night was cold, misty, and he hunkered down in his car. It was an old clunker, all he could afford thanks to child support, which he paid willing, and alimony, which he also paid willingly. He’d messed up, he’d admitted that to himself a long time ago. Promiscuity, and alcoholism, had made a shoddy father, and poor husband, out of him, and the latter had gotten him thrown off the force. He went to meetings regularly now, if to do nothing more than make it up to his wife and kid.

He was a P.I. now, working mostly cases of cheating spouses; he almost choked on the irony, and the occasional pity bunco case thrown his way by members of the force he hadn’t managed to piss off, or shame.

That’s when, and why, he saw the kid, a tall, lanky blond who looked all of about fifteen in beat up canvas sneakers, old jeans, and a threadbare tee shirt, that looked like it been handed down to him by an older brother twice his size. He was working the late night crowd for a couple of bucks, and maybe some cigarettes. Frank knew few and far between prostitutes, male or female, that didn’t smoke.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.