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becomewings · 3 years

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BTS Universe Timeline

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INTRODUCTION

The goal of this guide is to chronologically map the major plot points of BTS Universe (BU), a fictional transmedia narrative centered on the lives of seven young men who share names with the members portraying them. The complexity of the timeline is magnified by the time loops that begin and reset on 11 April Year 22, so careful attention will be given to tracing how the loops diverge from one another after that date. The guide will be published over multiple posts.

Most of the information in the timeline is drawn from the official English-version publications of The Notes: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 1 and The Notes: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life 2 (hereafter shortened to Notes 1 and Notes 2). Other resources are referenced as necessary, including the Notes released with certain physical albums, the Save Me webtoon, the official BU content in the BTS Universe Story mobile game, and BU music videos/short films. Summaries from the album Notes are based on translations by twitter user @/origamifirefly. Character names are abbreviated in parentheses next to the print sources to indicate the perspective from which the original entries are written.

Dates are presented as they appear in the texts. The single or double-digit year number most likely corresponds with SeokJin’s age rather than a calendar year. (In Korea’s age-calculating system, everyone’s age increases by one year on January 1st regardless of when their birthday falls in the calendar.) There are enough clues scattered throughout the text to suggest that the characters’ ages reflect the real-life age differences of the members. For example, JungKook is five years younger than SeokJin; they overlap in high school because SeokJin is held back a grade after returning from the American school system. Ages that are explicitly stated in official sources will be included in the timeline whenever possible.

BTS Universe deals with many difficult and potentially triggering themes, so please read the content warning in the Timeline Guide before proceeding. The Guide section will be included on all future posts for quick reference.

TIMELINE GUIDE

Content warning: contains references to death, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, domestic violence, blood, homicide, depression, trauma, PTSD

This guide contains major spoilers from all BU media

Revisions and additions will be made as necessary, so please visit the original post for the most up-to-date version (update log is included at bottom of post)

All names are provided as fully as known

Bracketed dates are inferred or calculated from references in the text

While the timeline is presented here as objectively as possible, I acknowledge that there is a level of subjectivity in choosing which information is significant enough for inclusion and in certain connections drawn between entries

Please inform me of any suspected errors; I will investigate and correct them

Do not repost, copy, or quote without permission

Shadows of Our Childhoods

- Beginning through Year 18 -

[Year 9]

Jung HoSeok (age 7) is abandoned by his mother at an amusement park and moves into an orphanage. His age is referenced in his 31 May Year 22 entry from Notes: Her.

The earliest entry of the Notes published so far is HoSeok’s 30 August Year 9 (Notes: 7). Some older boys wake him up at night, and he reluctantly sneaks up to the rooftop with them. Fireworks explode in the sky. HoSeok is shocked at first and then entranced. The older boys tease him for crying, but he can’t stop the tears.

Note: It’s reasonable to assume that this unidentified rooftop location is the orphanage HoSeok grows up in. Therefore, his mother left him sometime before 30 August—possibly that summer, due to his unexplained tears.

10 October Year 9 Notes 1 (SJ)

Kim SeokJin (age 9) runs away from school with a friend to protect him from men who want to use him as leverage to get money from his father, Mr. Choi, who disappeared after his company shut down. SeokJin tries to hide the friend in his room at home, but his father, Kim ChangJun, arrives with one of the men and allows him to take the boy away. ChangJun tells SeokJin to be a “good kid.” The friend never returns to school.

Note: SeokJin’s age is specified in BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.3.

28 February Year 10 Notes: 7 (TH)

Kim TaeHyung encounters an older boy feeding the dog that he frequently plays with outside of the supermarket. He tells the boy that when his father earns a lot of money and moves their family into a big house, he can take the dog and raise him. After TaeHyung presses him a second time, the boy reveals that his name is Kim SeokJin.

23 July Year 10 Notes 1 (HS)

While counting in front of his class, HoSeok recalls the day at the amusement park when his mother handed him a chocolate bar and told him to close his eyes and count to ten. He feels like she will never come looking for him if he finishes counting to ten, and then he collapses.

Note: His mother abandoned him at the amusement park when he was seven (Year 9).

29 December Year 10 Notes 1 (TH)

TaeHyung’s father returns home drunk and disheveled after an absence and abuses him for the first time.

6 April Year 11 Related post: The Arboretum Notes 1 (JM)

Park JiMin (age 8) visits the Grass Flower Arboretum on a school picnic day. While his classmates are all accompanied by their mothers, his own parents are too busy to make it. At the end of the trip, he ignores his teacher’s call to wait and tries to walk home alone. With only his backpack in hand, he is caught in a torrential downpour and seeks shelter in a small warehouse near the back gate. JiMin wakes up in a hospital after he is found unconscious in the arboretum with no memory of what happened. He develops seizures as a result of this unnamed trauma and is frequently hospitalized as he grows up.

Note: This day is also referenced in his entries for 11 May, 19 May, and 4 July of Year 22; the lattermost specifies his age.

Notes 2 (JM)

JiMin reflects on what really transpired at the arboretum in his 12 August Year 22 entry, which also reveals that his memory returned due to a chance encounter on 15 September Year 20. Inside the dark and cluttered warehouse, young JiMin falls asleep and is awoken by an iron door clanging shut and the sound of someone breathing. He discovers an interior room and creeps closer. A small, pale hand appears on the other side, startling him. Someone whistles outside and opens the warehouse door. He hides under a desk and watches a man enter the interior room. Through the man’s legs, JiMin can see a small boy lying on the floor with bruised arms and legs and scars on his wrists from being tied up too long. Their eyes briefly meet. JiMin senses that he is asking for help. The man turns around, and the boy stabs his thigh with a boxcutter before he notices JiMin hiding. The man disarms the boy and slams the door shut. JiMin escapes the warehouse under the cover of the violent noises within. No one is around to help. He runs through the pouring rain and mud, frequently falling and scraping his knees. He collapses at the back gate with an image of the boy’s bleeding hand in his mind. He wakes up at the hospital surrounded by his parents, a doctor, and a nurse. They question him about what happened, but JiMin does not remember.

Note: In the same 12 August Year 22 entry, JiMin explains that he conducted research online into the incident. He learned that the boy’s family name is Choi, he was five at the time, and he was discovered near Hwayong Mountain on April 10 suffering from temporary amnesia caused by shock. JiMin could not find any follow-up articles on the police investigation. Additionally, he reveals the real cause of his seizure at the bus stop on 15 September Year 20: he saw the same boy in the window of the Grass Flower Arboretum shuttle bus. “His empty eyes no longer spoke” to JiMin.

21 July Year 12 Notes 1 (SJ)

After his mother’s death, SeokJin is sent by his father to live with his maternal grandmother in the U.S. (The city is specified as Los Angeles in his 1 February Year 22 entry from Notes: 7.) His father breaks his promise to see him off at the airport.

30 September Year 12 Notes: 7 (JK)

Jeon JungKook (age 7) slips through a crowd of people surrounding a massive sinkhole, wanting to see what’s inside of it. Dirt crumbles beneath his sneaker and he almost loses his balance at the edge. When he steps back, he sees something that is both like a light and another hole inside the hole.

Note: Compare to his Notes 2 Epilogue, XX XX Year XX, when he sees a bottomless hole below and the moon (or “a big hole in the sky”) above where he floats.

[Winter Year 12] Notes 1 (JK)

JungKook (age 7) overhears his father telling his mother that the world “was too heavy for him to bear” and that “there’s nothing he can do for JungKook.” He leaves their family forever.

Note: I calculated this season/year from his 11 September Year 17 entry, in which JungKook has waited ten days to receive a birthday card from his father; he has four cards saved in a drawer. (This also matches his real-life age difference with Jin.) He reflects on his father leaving him during the winter when he was 7 years old. He believes: “I was the world that was too heavy for him to bear—that world that he gave up on. A child who can never be the reason to endure it all. That was me.”

21 May Year 15 Notes: 7 (NJ)

Kim NamJoon returns home late from playing with his friends. The house is unusually dark and empty, giving him a chilling sense of foreboding. The phone rings and he senses that if he answers it, his life will forever change.

Note: It is likely that this is one of the times, if not the first time, his father is hospitalized due to a serious illness. About a year later, in his 21 June Year 16 entry of Notes 1, NamJoon describes how he coaxed his boss to hire a middle school student to post flyers. His family struggles financially with his father’s hospital bills and their overdue utilities.

19 September Year 16 Notes 1 (YG)

Min YoonGi arrives home and finds it devoured by flames. Frozen, he thinks of his mom and watches the house collapse. A neighbor asks him if his mom is inside, and he answers “no” without thinking. YoonGi’s mother dies in the fire.

Note: Some people suspect that YoonGi’s mother set the fire deliberately. In episode 6 of the Save Me webtoon, YoonGi recalls his father warning him against pursuing music unless he wants to “go crazy and kill [himself] like [his] mom did.”

2 May Year 18 Notes: Persona (NJ)

NamJoon and his father return home from the hospital to see the family’s belongings piled outside. They were evicted after his younger brother NamHyeon got in a fight with the landlord’s son who came to collect their overdue rent. The owner of the local supermarket allows them to move into its storage room. Exhausted, NamJoon snaps when his mother frets and asks where his brother is. The supermarket owner gives him a can of beer. In a later Notes 2 entry, he reflects that he was probably 16 at the time.

Note: On 18 June Year 22 in the Notes 2 timeline, NamJoon recounts this story to SeokJin at a street pub as a preface to asking when SeokJin drank alcohol for the first time, testing his memory.

----------------------------------------------------------

Update Log

Posted January 13, 2021

Linked to next part added May 5, 2021

Do not repost.

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artificialqueens · 5 years

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game of survival, chapter nine (branjie) - holtzmanns

Summary: Brooke reaches for the coat rack behind her and pulls off a bucket hat that can only be described as memorable. It glows a fluorescent green, pink text across the front designating the hat wearer as a ‘#1 Dad’.

It’s hideous. Vanessa loves it. She can’t help but grab for the hat with a wicked grin, impulse control of a 3 year old toddler shining through. “Gimme that.”

The bucket hat is so big that it falls over her eyes, leaving her gazing at obnoxiously neon fabric. She puts her hands on her hips with a flair, leans slightly to the side. “Thoughts? Would you consider me to be a ‘number one dad’?”

Brooke’s peal of laughter makes her grin, too, and look up at the other woman when she snatches the hat from Vanessa’s head. “Parent of the year. Though I don’t think that hat’s going to help much with any efforts to go incognito.”

AN: Tw in this chapter for mentions of guns and violence. Thank you writ and bean for betaing and for providing A+ commentary while doing so (favourite one: ‘BROOKE IS A SWORD LESBIAN’).

“You got disguises or anything for our little jaunt?”

Brooke lets out a snort at Vanessa’s question. “What do I look like, a spy?”

“Don’t you have to be able to sneak around and shit as a hitwoman?” Hitwoman. Brooke, smiling in front of her, braiding her long blonde hair into a plait out of her face, a hitwoman.

It’s hard to reconcile the two versions of Brooke in her head, sometimes. The cold killer who had slaughtered men in front of Vanessa on her apartment floor, versus the woman with a twinkle in her eyes who peppered kisses all over Vanessa’s face to make her laugh this morning.

“I’m usually pretty good at going undetected.” Brooke says it with an air of pride, satisfaction in her voice as she pulls on her jacket. “Blending into the background when I need to.”

“Hey, don’t think I’ve forgotten that one time I fuckin’ saw you on the street and you ran away from my ass so fast-”

“Ugh.” Brooke covers her face in her hands. “Don’t even start.”

Vanessa tries to move Brooke’s hands away, smirking when Brooke makes a face. “‘Undetected’, my ass.”

Vanessa’s laugh turns into a screech when Brooke brings her hands down, tickles her sides. “No playing dirty, you cheat.”

Bringing up the rather insane way that they interacted with each other the first few times is the type of dark humour that Vanessa finds she really fucking enjoys. How else are they supposed to deal, anyway?

Brooke reaches for the coat rack behind her and pulls off a bucket hat that can only be described as memorable. It glows a fluorescent green, pink text across the front designating the hat wearer as a ’#1 Dad’.

It’s hideous. Vanessa loves it. She can’t help but grab for the hat with a wicked grin, impulse control of a 3 year old toddler shining through. “Gimme that.”

Vanessa gives her a fake pout (and if she notices the way Brooke’s eyes soften, she says nothing, no ma’am). “If you say so, master of all spies.”

“C’mon, you.” Brooke tugs on her arm, pulling her out the door and outside for the first time in days. “Time for us to venture back out into the world.”

The vibrant trees that surround the cabin look like they’re straight out of a Disney movie. It’s a contrast from the night that they got here, when the shadows and fog had cast grey tones over everything, making the forest seem haunted and untouched by anyone before them. Now, sunlight streams in between the leaves, and birds chirp at each other high up in the branches. Vanessa swears she sees a butterfly float by. It feels deceiving, though. An aura of calm that’s hiding something much more sinister.

Perhaps it’s what makes her squeeze Brooke’s hand extra tight during the ten steps or so to the SUV, glance around the surrounding forest looking for signs of movement, of anyone hidden. It may be early in the afternoon, but she’s allowed to worry about who might be lurking, waiting to take her out.

It’s fine.

Brooke gives her hand a reassuring squeeze in response, so that’s something.

The sunlight makes her squint and wish that she had her sunglasses. Maybe she can pick up a cheap pair during their grocery run.

Brooke tugs her to the back of the SUV and pops open the trunk. The sight makes Vanessa’s eyes widen as she lets out a low whistle.

Weapons. Tons of them. Long cases that Vanessa can only assume carry rifles arranged neatly to one side, a variety of pistols beside them. A bunch of complex looking equipment on the other side that Vanessa would have no idea what to do with were they ever to be in her hands. Knives lining the side wall. And is that-

“A sword?”

“What? Oh. Not a real sword. From an old Halloween costume, actually.” Brooke shrugs, upturn of her lip. “Figured it would help add some dramatic flair.”

“Of course you did.” As if a trunk full of already lethal weapons wasn’t quite enough.

Vanessa reaches a hand out tentatively, brushes it over some of the equipment. “How the hell do you even choose what to use?”

Brooke’s eyebrows raise in surprise, as if no one’s asked her that question before. Considering her field, no one’s probably stayed alive long enough around her when she’s on the job to do so.

“Well.” Brooke reaches for one of the long cases, unzips it at the corner and shifts over so that Vanessa can peek inside. A sniper rifle indeed, looking straight out of a military base. “These are better for long range shots. Ones that are too risky to pull off up close, where you’re more likely to get caught and instead still have a chance of making the shot from further away.”

Her fingers brush the sleek barrel of the rifle. “A personal favourite.”

Brooke has a favourite gun. Goddamn.

If Brooke sees the slight ‘o’ forming on Vanessa’s lips she ignores it, instead gesturing to the handguns. “These are for closer range. Different ones work depending on the expected distance, loudness, accuracy, and recoil for a given job.”

She tries to picture Brooke with a handgun, and her brain can only conjure up an image of cop Brooke with a police-issued firearm. It’s kinda hot.

Brooke then shifts her attention to the pile of equipment beside the handguns. “Laser rangefinder, binoculars, some scopes, and stockpiles of extra ammunition.”

Vanessa has no idea what half of the items that Brooke points to are even for, but her eyes are too busy darting over the contents of the trunk to ask.

“Anyway. Solid career path. Would recommend to any young professional.” Brooke’s dry humour makes Vanessa bark out a laugh.

“The wildest show and tell I’ve ever fucking seen.” She pauses. “Can I keep one on me when we head out?”

The thought has been running through her mind the entire time that Brooke’s been showing her the trunk. It’s not because she wants to feel like a badass with a gun (okay, partially) but she wants to be…safer. Right now, as heart flips over in her chest while she feels like there’s a target painted on her back, she wants all the protection she can get. She needs it.

Brooke’s head whips up sharply, eyes piercing. “Why?”

“I know how to handle a gun, I have one. Remember?” She does, at home. Something Brooke should remember better than anyone else, after taking it from her that night in the alley and delivering it to her office the next morning. It feels as if ages have passed since that time, not mere weeks.

“That’s not a reason.”

Vanessa huffs. Brooke’s right, but still. Saying it out loud feels so…stupid. “I just wanna feel safer, that’s all.”

“Will it make you feel safer?” Brooke’s gaze at her is unreadable.

“Something to defend myself with? Honestly yeah, it will.” She can’t help that she wants every safety mechanism in place possible.

“Have you ever used yours? Actually used it?” The question sounds like a challenge, but Brooke’s voice is soft when she asks it.

Still, it doesn’t stop Vanessa from bristling. “At a shooting range when I got my license. Why does it matter?”

“It’s one thing to hold it, possess one. Another feeling entirely once you pull the trigger out of that setting. It takes a toll, Ness.” Vanessa’s eyebrows raise at the nickname. Brooke doesn’t seem to realize that she’s even said it, continuing on. “You don’t realize the gravity of it until someone is bleeding out on the ground, and it’s because of you.”

Vanessa shivers, remembering the way that Brooke had killed the two men in her apartment, the hardness in her eyes. The lack of remorse. A sharp contrast from what she’s describing right now.

Brooke seems to read her mind, lets out a bitter laugh. “Until you get desensitized to it, and seeing dead bodies does nothing to you anymore. Not a good place to be, either.”

Brooke bites a lip then, eyes flitting between her and the handguns in the trunk. “Though an extra layer of protection may not be a bad idea. Just in case.”

She grabs for a small pistol, silver and sleek and light in Vanessa’s hands when Brooke passes it to her. It’s smaller than her own at home, but the weight feels familiar when she holds it up, sees it glint in the sunlight.

“Just…” Brooke trails off, and Vanessa can see the gears turning in her brain as she tries to figure out how to phrase her next statement. “Don’t aim for the head, or the upper torso, okay? If it comes down to it. Not that I’ll let it. But still. Go for less lethal areas if you absolutely have to, a shoulder or a leg, hell, even the junk. Enough to stop a person but not enough to kill them. You don’t want something like that on your conscience.”

“Good enough for me.” She’d rather not kill anyone either, thank you very much.

“Besides,” Brooke’s eyes are lighter now, a small smile on her face, “Wouldn’t that be a public scandal for your campaign.”

“God. Imagine trying to explain that. ” What a press conference Ra’jah would have for that one.

“He ran into my bullets. He ran into my bullets, ten times.” Brooke winks at her.

Vanessa can’t hold back a noise of delight, nudging Brooke with her elbow. “Not a Chicago reference.”

Brooke helps Vanessa check the safety on the gun, gives her a holster so that she can tuck the gun inside her jacket. The weight feels grounding, pulling her down.

They’re just going to the grocery store, for crying out loud. Not on some sort of mission. And yet, she doesn’t want to have to take it off later. Is she ever going to feel completely safe again, in her life?

Brooke reaches up to close the trunk, and Vanessa spares one final look at all of the weapons that are so neatly organized.

She pauses on her words when the question inevitably floats into her mind, one that she’s not sure if she should ask. She’s surprised it’s taken so long to pop up, really. “What…what were you going to use on me?”

Was it a sniper rifle? One of the smaller handguns?

Would Vanessa have seen it coming?

Brooke chokes slightly, turns it into a convincing cough. She avoids eye contact with her, hand running through her hair. “That - well-”

Vanessa takes pity on her. “I’m messing with you, Mami. I know it was the sword.”

The out that she gives her makes Brooke scoff out a laugh, though Vanessa can see her shoulders visibly relax. “You got me.”

Maybe Vanessa doesn’t want to know.

Nonetheless, she wonders if a death by Brooke’s hand would have felt like a reckoning.

Brooke rifles around in the glovebox once they get into the front seats of the SUV, muttering under her breath until she finds what she’s looking for. “Want these?”

She’s holding out a pair of sunglasses, black and square rimmed. “You were squinting, earlier.”

Vanessa takes them with a growing flush on her face over the fact that Brooke had even noticed. She slips them on, and Brooke gives her an appreciative once-over.

“They suit you. Keep them.”

Again. A cold killer who is simultaneously one of the most thoughtful people that Vanessa has grown to know. What a juxtaposition she is.

The first time that they had bought food was on their journey to the cabin after escaping from Vanessa’s apartment. Neither of them had really spoken in the supermarket that they had stopped at a couple of hours into their drive, picking up items as fast as they could and keeping their heads down so that they could get back on the road. Vanessa had been on the verge of a heart attack.

This time is different. Brooke isn’t a terrifying, confusing concept to her anymore, not someone who’s just killed two people without blinking an eye. Instead, Vanessa looks at her and sees a woman who has a strange affection for nectarines (‘We gotta get some, I love them’) and enjoys debating over the right type of bread to buy.

Sure, Vanessa is still scared. Scared of whatever the fuck’s going to happen, of the people still looking for her. But she’s not scared of Brooke anymore, compared to last time.

It makes all the difference.

They leave the store with their arms laden in shopping bags, covering the weapons in the trunk of the SUV with the groceries. Vanessa grabs a bag of trail mix and brings it with her to the front, putting it in between her and Brooke so that they can snack on the drive back.

“Remind me to call Yvie for updates once we get back.” Brooke drives with one hand as she reaches into the bag of trail mix. “I feel like we’re missing something.”

“Yeah?” Vanessa looks up at her, answer muffled as she chews. “Like what?”

“That’s just it - I don’t know. I feel like we should have had a few more leads by now. Gotten a bit closer to figuring out who else is coming after you.”

It makes sense. God, she wishes she knew, so she could take them down first. She hates feeling like a moving target that’s being hunted for sport.

“I can call Silky too, see how the team’s doing.” Vanessa takes another handful of trailmix, thinking back to their last conversation over a burner phone the night before. “I know they were thinking about running some political attacks on the congressman that hired you, though they haven’t done anything yet. Not sure if it would even be a good idea to provoke him more, honestly. Though we can’t just go and expose him instead, either.”

“Why not?” Brooke looks at her with a genuine curiosity that would crack her up if she couldn’t tell that Brooke was being completely serious. Has she truly not realized?

“Brooke. If we exposed him, it would expose you. Cause he hired you. Specifically to kill me.” Vanessa watches as understanding dawns on Brooke’s face, her eyes widening.

“Right. Forgot about that.” Brooke’s voice is uncharacteristically small as she bites her lip. “I mean, considering the amount of people I’ve gotten rid of-”

Vanessa cuts her off. “Don’t even start. Not an option.” It’s not. There’s no way she wants anything to happen to Brooke, even if would take the congressman out of the picture. Who knows how many years she could go away for if all of her hits are exposed?

She can’t lose Brooke - she just can’t. Not when she just got her in her life, this wonderful strange woman whom she wants to keep around after this is all over, know every part of.

“It’s not like I don’t deserve it.” Brooke’s laugh is humourless. “But, okay. For now. Though we’re keeping that option there, if push comes to shove.”

“We’re not going to even touch it. We’ll figure something out together, okay? Where we’re both fine and get through this in one piece and also alive.”

Vanessa holds her hand out and Brooke doesn’t hesitate to entangle her fingers with hers. Her grip is tight and Vanessa gives it a squeeze in reassurance, rubs her thumb over the outside. Brooke looks away from the road for a second towards her, and Vanessa gives her a small smile. She wants to reach and smooth out the worried crease between her eyebrows.

There has to be some way that it can work out.

Brooke parks the SUV when the cabin is still at least a hundred meters or so away from them, small like a doll’s house. Vanessa looks at her in question. “Why’d you stop so far?”

“Figured it would be better to approach the cabin on foot, at least have an element of stealth if needed.” Brooke looks at Vanessa’s face, which is no doubt displaying the look of alarm that she’s feeling inside. “Not that we necessarily need it. Just in case. Better to do the ambushing than to be ambushed, y’know?”

Nonetheless, the uneasy feeling in Vanessa’s chest ruminates, grows. What if someone really is waiting for them there? It’s strange to think about, after the cabin has been their safe house for the last several days. The fact that leaving it has made it potentially dangerous is unsettling, their one safe place no longer a sanctuary.

“It has the same amount of danger as it does when we’re staying there.” Brooke’s hand is soothing hers now, tracing her palm. “Nothing’s changed. Just like to be careful, that’s all. Keep us both safe.”

Fair enough. Better to be vigilant at all times than to let their guards down at the wrong moment. She can accept that.

“That makes sense.” Her hand goes to open the door. “Shall we start hauling these groceries in, or what?”

Brooke reaches out a hand to stop her. “Let me go in first, scope it out. Just to be sure, before calling you in.”

Brooke isn’t her security guard, though she sure is doing better than anyone that Vanessa’s team has hired in the past. Vanessa shrugs, leans back against her seat. “If you say so.”

Brooke leans over and kisses her forehead before getting out of the SUV. Vanessa watches as she opens the trunk, grabs a few grocery bags to bring along with her. Efficient.

She watches through the window as Brooke disappears inside the cabin, swinging the door closed. She feels sweat rolling down her neck, the afternoon sun turning the car into a greenhouse. She fans herself, and props open the car door when her hand motions don’t do much to alleviate the heat.

Time feels as if it’s passing excruciatingly slowly, waiting for Brooke to come back. It hasn’t been more than a minute or two from the way that the second hand ticks along on her watch, but it feels like hours, like being apart from Brooke this long stretches out time somehow.

How long is it taking for the bitch to put some of the fruit in the fridge?

Vanessa starts counting in her head to make the time pass faster. It’s only when she reaches 357 seconds when little tendrils of doubt begin to creep in, take over the focus in her brain. It’s been a little too long, she’s waited a little too much. Sure, she’s impatient, a little dramatic at times, but she also knows Brooke.

Brooke should be here by now.

The thought hits her like a train, makes her stomach roll. Was there really someone waiting for them, for Brooke, in the cabin?

She needs to get there now.

Her hand brushes over the holster on her waist, grabbing for the gun. Her grip is shaky as she creeps closer and closer, every step towards the cabin making the blood pump in her ears just a little bit louder.

The door in front of her is closed, but unlocked. She presses her ear to it, tries to listen for any sound on the other side of the wall, inside the cabin. Nothing.

She heaves it open, winces at the loudness of the creak that follows.

“Brooke?”

She’s barely around the door when she hears-

“Vanessa, no!”

Brooke. On her knees, hands in the air, guns pointed at her head. Men that Vanessa’s never seen before, swivelling around wildly to face her.

She freezes. Sees Brooke’s eyes wide, her mouth wordlessly pleading her to run.

When Vanessa hears one of the men with a gun still pointed at Brooke click off the safety of his weapon, she does just that. Just not in the direction that Brooke wants her to go.

Vanessa ducks from a pair of hands attempting to grab her, hurls herself towards Brooke. Pushes her down, body on top of hers. The boom registers in her ears a second too late, makes her ears ring as she shields her body.

“Brooke? Brooke.”

Red on her hands. A gasping breath from Brooke, the wisps of her braid framing her face as she looks up at Vanessa.

Sirens in the background. Vanessa barely hears them because no, no, no, she’s not hurt so it’s not her blood and there’s a stain spreading on Brooke’s shirt and-

Yelling, as the men run out the door, footsteps thudding on the ground when the sirens get louder. A relieved sigh from Brooke’s lips as her glassy eyes search Vanessa’s, registers that she’s okay, before they close.

No, no, no-

The words that leave Brooke’s lips are soft, barely heard under the yelling of “Police!”

“Thank God.”

No.

#rpdr fanfiction #branjie #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #lesbian au #game of survival #holtzmanns #tw guns #tw blood #submission

33 notes · View notes

wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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8 Essential Bottles to Stock Your Home Bar for Fall

For those who didn’t join this summer’s class of newly minted home bartenders, there’s still plenty of time to hone your craft. In fact, fall is arguably the best time of year to start mixing and sipping cocktails. Spirit-forward drinks warm from the inside out, and their high alcohol content guarantees bang for buck — perfect with the holiday season and all its gifting fast approaching.

Assembling a well-stocked, versatile home bar needn’t break the bank, either. Armed with some fresh citrus, ingredients to make basic syrups, and a bottle of all-important Angostura bitters, this list of eight bottles yields more than 25 different cocktails. That’s enough to try two new drinks every week between now and year’s end. So what are you waiting for?

Here are eight essential bottles to build your home bar this fall.

1. LONDON DRY GIN

Gin crops up in countless classic cocktail recipes and has been a focal point for bartenders for years — specifically the London Dry style. G&Ts are perhaps the most well-known gin cocktail but the Martini is the spirit’s true calling. It’s also a surprisingly natural fit for fall. Unlike a Margarita, the Martini is not a cocktail you batch in advance and take to the park — nor can it be fully appreciated sipped from a plastic cup. This drink demands to be savored over time from some fine, well-chilled glassware.

Play around with the proportions of gin and dry vermouth (its other component) and watch the drink’s profile shift significantly. Introduce orange bitters for a citrus-spiced seasoning, and select a garnish fitting your mood: Go for a lemon twist if you’re feeling fresh; an olive or three if you’re salty; or add a cocktail onion (perhaps homemade?) for a miniature meal in a glass when hunger strikes.

All this talk of Martinis should not distract from another great gin-based fall cocktail, the Negroni. Like fall itself, the mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth has one foot each in summer and winter. Sweet citrus notes recall those warmer months, while decadent baking spices cry out for a roaring fire (or a night in front of Netflix, at the very least).

Cocktails:

Martini, Negroni

Recommended Bottles:

Beefeater, Tanqueray, Sipsmith, Highclere Castle

2. PEATED SCOTCH

Not all Scotch is smoky. Only the country’s peated whiskies, which often come from the Scottish island of Islay, carry the distinctive notes of earth and fire. If you don’t know and love that flavor profile, cocktails are an ideal way to become acquainted. Opting for a bottle that’s not overly peated only makes that journey of discovery more accessible (see the suggestions below).

Start with classic cocktails that already contain Scotch. A lightly smoked Hot Toddy will keep you warm and may help fend off pesky colds. For a path less trodden, try the Penicillin, a “modern classic” cocktail made from blended whiskey, ginger syrup, and lemon juice, which is topped with a peated Scotch float. Using a lightly peated Scotch in place of blended whisky keeps things simple, and gets rid of the added float step.

For low-ABV long drinks, turn to the Whisky Highball. Mix Scotch and soda (with a lemon wedge), Scotch and ginger beer (with lime), or even Scotch and cola. The latter’s sweet vanilla and caramel notes help tame the wild whisky. Plus, you’re drinking this at home, so no one will judge.

Last but certainly not least, the Smoky Martini. Once you’ve settled upon your preferred ratio of gin and vermouth, rinse a splash of whisky in an ice-cold coupe, then discard before adding the stirred cocktail. Finish with a plump Castelvetrano olive and enjoy a Martini like no other.

Cocktails:

Hot Toddy, Penicillin, Whisky Highball, Smoky Martini

Recommended Bottles:

Talisker 10, BenRiach 10 Year Old Curiositas, Amrut Fusion

3. BOURBON

Bourbon’s majority-corn mash bill and new-oak aging create a sweet, mellow profile, which is easy-sipping and ideal for mixing cocktails.

Channel your inner Don Draper (or Ryan Gosling) via one of America’s oldest cocktails, the aptly named Old Fashioned. Or, put the shaker tin to good use by whipping up a Whiskey Sour, another timeless classic. Fix up a Gold Rush for a contemporary twist, by shaking 2 ounces bourbon, ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice, and ¾ ounce honey syrup (2 parts honey, 1 part water). The honey syrup boosts the spirit’s richness, while the lemon juice keeps things lively.

While traditionalists opt only for rye, don’t be afraid to use bourbon in a Manhattan. A bottle with a high-rye mashbill (such as Old Grand-Dad Bonded or Four Roses Small Batch) allows you to enjoy the best of both whiskey worlds.

Cocktails:

Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Gold Rush, Manhattan

Recommended Bottles:

Old Grand-Dad Bonded, Four Roses Small Batch, Evan Williams Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve

4. AGED RUM

White rum is as refreshing as any liquor during spring and summer, especially mixed in drinks like the Mojito and Daiquiri. But when the leaves start to fall, it’s the warming richness of dark spirits we crave. Swapping in a fine aged rum as the base spirit in these and almost all classic rum cocktails brings sweet baking spices to the party and toasted oak from the spirit’s time in barrel. Honestly, Piña Coladas have never tasted so good.

Aged rum also takes us on our first steps of Tiki exploration, via the effortless Grog. Shake 2 ounces aged rum with ½ ounce each fresh lime juice and simple syrup (2 parts white sugar, 1 part water), and a few drops of spicy Angostura bitters.

For a weekend cocktail project, prepare a simple oleo saccharum with fresh citrus peel and sugar. The citrusy syrup is the perfect sweetener for an aged rum Old Fashioned, and a few dashes of Angostura bitters will once again liven things up. For a twist on a contemporary classic, fix up an aged rum Gold Rush, swapping in fresh lime juice for the original’s lemon. This riff builds on the richness of the traditional version with added zest and spice.

Cocktails:

Daiquiri, Mojito, Piña Colada, Grog, Old Fashioned, Gold Rush

Recommended Bottles:

Cruzan Estate Single Barrel Rum, Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 8-Year-Old, Ten to One Caribbean Dark Rum

5. BLANCO TEQUILA

With a healthy selection of aged spirits now lining the bar cart, let’s add another white liquor. Even if it is below freezing outside, some occasions call for a lighter, more refreshing cocktail, and tequila is a timeless option. What’s more, the spirit’s vegetal spice will be sure to keep you warm inside.

The most famous tequila cocktail, the Margarita, is evergreen with endless riffs. While the classic recipe requires the additional purchase of orange liqueur, opt instead for agave syrup and a Tommy’s Margarita. Mix instead with grapefruit soda for an even lighter cocktail, the Paloma, or liven up brunch with a Bloody Maria. For an evening sip, and something with a little more body, swap tequila for gin in a Negroni. This only adds to the cocktail’s complexity.

Cocktails:

Tommy’s Margarita, Paloma, Bloody Maria, Negroni

Recommended Bottles:

Arette Blanco, Elvelo Blanco, El Tesoro Blanco, Código 1530 Blanco, Fortaleza Blanco

6. CAMPARI

While there are alternatives out there, Campari is essentially a one-brand category of its own. The bitter red liqueur is synonymous with classic cocktail cousins, the Negroni and Boulevardier, both of which make good use of those newly acquired bottles of gin and bourbon whiskey.

The Old Pal, another well-worn riff on the equal parts formula, mixes bourbon (traditionally rye), Campari, and dry vermouth. Unlike the Negroni and Boulevardier, this cocktail should be served “up” (no ice) with a lemon twist. To dial down the ABV content of Campari cocktails, omit the base spirit altogether. Stir equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth for a classic Milano-Torino, and add a glug of soda for the lighter Americano.

Cocktails:

Negroni, Boulevardier, Old Pal, Milano-Torino, Americano

Recommended Bottles:

Campari

7 & 8. DRY & SWEET VERMOUTH

Vermouth is an aromatic fortified wine. infused with herbs, roots, bark, and flowers, and strengthened by a neutral grape spirit (think: unaged brandy). Dry, or white, vermouth is traditionally associated with France, while sweet (red) vermouth originally hails from Italy.

Essential to many of the cocktails listed above, there are a few points of note on dry and sweet vermouth. The first is that one can’t be substituted for the other because their flavor profiles are so drastically different — though some cocktail recipes may call for both, including the Bronx, a citrusy, stirred Martini riff that mixes 2 ounces gin, ½ ounce each sweet and dry vermouth, and 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice.

Secondly, the quality of vermouth cannot be overstated. The aromatized wine is supposed to play the supporting actor to the spirit’s starring role. There’s no point buying a fancy gin or bourbon, therefore, and pairing it with bottom-shelf vermouth. This doesn’t even require spending a fortune — a few extra dollars make a lot of difference in the vermouth department.

Finally, freshness is key. Unlike spirits, vermouth must be stored in the fridge after opening and, ideally, they should be consumed within two months. The good thing is, many liquor stores sell 375-milliliter half-bottles. With keen cocktail exploration, the vermouth bottle will be empty long before its contents deteriorate.

Cocktails:

Martini, Negroni, Manhattan, Bronx

Recommended Brands:

Dolin (dry and sweet), Carpano Antica (sweet), Cocchi (sweet)

The article 8 Essential Bottles to Stock Your Home Bar for Fall appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/8-best-bottles-home-bar-2020/

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samuelfields · 4 years

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How to Start a Blog

Key Takeaways

Find a niche and post consistently to see the best results.

Focus on quality, longer-length posts.

Use your content to build authority and monetize services.

If you’ve been daydreaming about creating a blog during yet another endless conference call, an excellent place to start is right here.

In case you haven’t heard, content is king. And there are plenty of full-time bloggers who prove it and make a living writing about hobbies, recipes, or workouts.

Writing with authority on a topic provides serious value in an internet landscape, often filled with subpar information.

With that said, starting up a blog doesn’t mean you can put in your two weeks as soon as you press “Publish” on your first blog post. Monetizing your blog and turning a profit takes hard work and dedication.

Like almost everything else in life, you get what you put in.

A great blog involves research, content strategy, and a fresh perspective.

So, if you have a story to tell or a niche to fill, it’s time to learn how to start a blog and unleash your creativity.

Step 1: Pick Your Blog Niche

Although you can simply start a blog based on broad topics, it’s smarter to narrow your focus. A unique point of view and a distinct voice are essential to building an audience.

There are two main questions you should ask yourself when setting up your blog and choosing your focus. The first is, “Do I enjoy learning about this subject?”

Good writing is infused with the passion of the author. If you’re writing something with thought and care, you’re more likely to benefit from actively engaged, inspired readers while building authority. On the flip side, if you don’t particularly like a topic, it’ll quickly surface in your writing and potentially turn readers off.

It’s important to be intellectually curious about the topic – otherwise, your creativity and ideas for new content might run dry.

Still not sure? Think about what your close friends and family come to you to discuss.

Do you know the best secret hiking spots in your state? Do your vegan recipes on Instagram get the most engagement? Let these answers guide your blog focus.

The second question you should ask is, “Does this already exist?”

You might think that a blog centered around crocheting crafts out of found materials is unique. Lo-and-behold, after a little Googling, you find a blog floating around focused on that exact niche.Although your blog will share space with similar blogs, it needs to be different enough for an audience to seek you out. You need to provide value – especially if you want to monetize your blog down the road.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has you worried about money, check out my free guide on Coronavirus-Proofing your Finances with the CEO approach

Step 2: Choose a Blog Name

Finding a name for your blog might seem intimidating at first, but don’t overthink it. Here are some tips to remember when you’re brainstorming your blog name:

Choose words related to your niche

Keep it simple and stick to one or two words

Don’t pick overly general terms like “travel”

Dotcom domains are preferred

Avoid hyphens or numbers

For a personal blog or branding, consider using a variation of your name

You can keep your domain name as long as you continue to pay your annual fees, which typically run $10 to $15 per year.

Step 3: Choose Your Web Host

So, you’ve chosen a niche around perfecting the art of macramé on a budget and named it. Now, what? The next step is to select your web host.

Web hosting is a service that makes your blog accessible through the web – it has a significant impact on your site’s overall functionality and its performance.

There’s a vast array of web hosts to choose from at all price points, from a few dollars to thousands. Above all, a good web host will walk you through setting up and launching your blog.

Hosted vs. Self-Hosted

You have two options here: hosted (Blogger, WordPress.com) and self-hosted (WordPress.org). “Hosted” blogging platforms, like Wix or Squarespace, offer a hands-off approach to your blog. You deal with one company, and all of your content and files live on the blog platform’s servers. These platforms manage data and web hosting, so you don’t have to.

Unfortunately, hosted platforms can be limiting and slow down the growth of your blog. Some might even put restrictions on how much money you can make from your content. Or you might be prohibited from monetizing at all.

“Self-hosted” platforms require you to install blogging software on your own web server.

Self-hosted platforms like WordPress.org allow you to set up and maintain your blog with a unique domain and web hosting. If you want to sell products, sell a service, or run ads, this is the right choice.

You’ve probably heard of WordPress’s blogging platform already, and there’s a reason for that – it’s easy to use and powerful. WordPress also delivers tons of free plugins you can leverage to customize and optimize your blog.

Step 4: Protect and Secure Your Blog

New bloggers may not realize they should protect their blog by doing some basic security housekeeping tasks.

Backup Your Blog

Backing up your blog should be one of the first things you do after setting up your blog. While it’s rare that a web host will lose or delete your site, it can still happen.

But your site suddenly disappearing isn’t the biggest threat to your blog — hackers are.

Hackers and other cybercriminals can infect your site with malicious code.

If the worst-case scenario occurs, but you have a backup of your blog available, you can restore a clean version of your website.

Be Careful With Copyrights

Copyrights need to be respected, especially when it comes to the visual elements of your blog.

Small-time bloggers are often the victims of what is called “Copyright Trolls.” Well-meaning bloggers might accidentally use copyrighted images to add visual interest to their content.

Copyright lawyers can sue you for damages based on the use of a copyrighted image, even if the lawyer doesn’t own the copyright or represent the entity with the copyright. As a result, bloggers can be bilked out of money.

How do you avoid this? Never use copyrighted images for your blog posts. If you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry and choose an image you’re confident that you can use.

It’s actually very easy to find images available for free through the public domain or free stock photo sites. And on that note, it’s good practice to credit the website or artist (or both), however. A step above using free images you find on the internet is to use your own graphics. Smartphones offer basic but helpful editing tools, and you can get surprisingly high-quality photos. Websites like Canva offer free tools you can use to create blog header graphics and other visual elements you can insert into your text to make your posts look more attractive.

Opt for Domain Privacy

Besides securing your blog, you should also take steps to protect your personal identity. Your web host should offer a domain privacy service that keeps your personal information private.

Besides domain privacy, avoid sharing identifying details in your blog like where you live, your schedule, names, and other similar details.

Use Hard-to-Guess Passwords for Your Blog Login

Although this might seem like a no-brainer, there’s evidence that millions of people still using passwords like “password,” “abc123,” and other easily-guessed combos.

Here are some basic password tips to keep in mind:

Use 12 characters minimum

Include numbers, capital letters, lower-case letters, and symbols

Don’t use dictionary words

You can use a password manager like Keeper if you’re concerned about forgetting a complex password.

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Step 5: Design and Customize Your Blog

Now for the fun stuff. Installing a theme for your blog is a straightforward task, but it can take time to accomplish since there are thousands of free themes to explore. While it’s essential to ensure that your blog is attractive and user-friendly, it’s equally important that it complements your blog content. If you’re working on a WordPress site, look for themes that say “SEO optimized”, “responsive” or “fast loading” themes. Many free themes can make sites look odd when viewed on a mobile device, or make for increased page speed (aka the time it takes a page to properly load). For users on sites like squarespace or Wix, you shouldn’t have to worry about these potential issues.

For example, if you’re starting an urban photography blog, a theme emphasizing visuals is preferable to text-oriented themes.

To get more relevant results, you can apply filters while searching for themes like designs based around your blog subject, for instance.

Step 6: Add Basic Blog Pages

Before you start posting regularly, it’s smart to add a few basic, standard pages to your blog to boost your website’s credibility.

Create an “About Me” Page

Your “About Me” page should explain who you are and the focus of your blog. Spend time making it interesting and fun.

Readers are often interested in getting to know you and how you started your industry or niche. You don’t have to write an entire autobiography, just describe how you got to the point you’re at now. Over everything else, be relatable.

For example, show your readers that you’re a credible source. Why should they listen to you? What experience do you have that makes you knowledgeable on this specific topic? If you’re writing a finance blog, are you a CPA? If you’re sharing recipes, what do you bring to the table that will make your audience want to listen to you? A coupon-cutter, perhaps? Tell your readers how long you’ve been doing it, how much money you save, and why they can benefit from the information you’re sharing.

Add a Privacy, Disclosure, and Comment Policy Page

If you want to monetize your blog, you’ll need to make sure you comply with all laws regarding data collection, privacy, and advertising. Adding standard disclosure language is an essential step if you want to make money.

You should also note your commenting policy. For example, do you allow anyone to comment? Do you ever delete comments? Are there commenting rules?

Craft a Simple Contact Page

It’s important to make it easy for readers and businesses to contact you. Set up a dedicated page with an embedded contact form or just list out your email — speaking of which…

Step 7: Set Up a Custom Blog Email Address

Another step you should take during the initial phases of your blog set up is registering a customized blog email address. At the outset, this may not seem all that important to you.

But details matter — especially to your readership and people who might reach out to you for partnerships, content writing services, and other reasons.

A professional email that matches your blog looks professional, credible, and helps build up your brand’s authority. An email from an email address with tons of numbers and a mishmash of letters can look spammy. If you’re unlucky enough, any email sent from a suspicious-looking email can be automatically filed to the “junk” category of your recipient’s mailbox.

As a professional blog owner, you don’t want to be confused with a Nigerian prince who needs a one-time investment to set up a new school playground. An email that’s simply [email protected] lends polish to your brand and can help you monetize your blog later. Nobody wants to do business with [email protected].

Step 8: Register Social Media Accounts for Your Blog

When you’ve done all the hard parts on your actual blog, it’s time to branch out to the world of social media. Social media is another channel you can use to alert followers to new posts and attract new visitors and more traffic.

Many social media platforms also allow you to set up ads that you can use to extend your blog’s reach.

Have a post on your blog that is performing well? You may want to consider targeting ads for it to get even more people on the page. Or, maybe you have an underperforming post you revamped — you might consider sending more traffic to that post with social media ads.

Below are some basic social media tips and which platforms to target.

Twitter

Set up a Twitter profile for your blog. Add a Tweet button to all blog posts you publish on your blog so followers can easily retweet them.

Follow other big names within your niche and interact with people in the industry already. Tweet out alerts for new posts.

Facebook

Set up a Facebook page for your blog. Share your content on Facebook, schedule posts, and invite friends and families to like your page.

Instagram

Set up an Instagram page. Find compelling images and use tools that allow for longer, evenly spaced captions to publish snippets of full-length blog posts or even exclusive “mini-blogs.”

Although this is a platform for building a professional network, almost any blog can still be relevant to a professional audience. Obviously, a blog about marketing is going to be more relevant to a wider group of people on LinkedIn, but don’t write it off if your blog is more niche.

LinkedIn provides the ability to connect with other bloggers and thought leaders within your industry.

Bonus: Having more than one stream of income can help you through tough economic times. Learn how to start earning money on the side with my FREE Ultimate Guide to Making Money

Step 9: Optimize Your Blog

SEO or search engine optimization is crucial, especially if you want to monetize your blog. SEO helps improve your site’s chances of appearing high on Google’s rankings for relevant search queries.

Although SEO can be intimidating at the outset, WordPress actually makes it pretty simple – even for beginners.

One of the best ways to get started on your blog’s SEO journey is by downloading a plugin called Yoast SEO. Yoast can give you readability ratings, keyword density, and point out pages on your blog that need a little SEO boost.

If you want to do a deeper dive into SEO, you can also conduct some keyword research. In most cases, you’ll naturally be using keywords as a result of providing valuable content around a particular subject.

But SEO tools like SEMrush, for example, can suggest alternate keywords to incorporate. Just don’t get too hung up on keywords and stuff too many in your posts, because Google can penalize your blog for doing so.

Once you have the keywords you want to target, use them in your title, title tags, first sentence, heading, subheadings, and any anchor text you use (the text you link to related pages on your website).

You can also optimize your images for SEO. When you upload images to your blog, use keywords in the file name, and use the alternate text space to write a keyword-rich description.

Step 10: Choose a Posting Schedule and Write Posts to Build an Audience

In most cases, it’ll take a few years to build an audience. Yes, years.

Here are a few blog tips to help nurture a loyal blog following and audience:

Stay Consistent: Try to post at least once a week and try to avoid skipping weeks. You can write a few posts ahead of time and schedule them out if you wish. In an ideal world, you should aim to post two to three times a week.

Focus on Quality: For every post you write, push for quality. Google tends to rank longer blog posts higher on their results pages, but if you’re writing fluff — that doesn’t help anyone.

Observe Your Competition: What is the focus of other similar blogs? Can you do it better or answer a query more comprehensively?

To Thine Own Self Be True: Find your unique voice – are you funny, heartfelt, honest? Build your brand. Write as if you’re talking to a close friend if you’re unsure of the right tone to adopt.

Get Active in Related Communities: Facebook groups, subreddits, podcast interviews, and speaking engagements can be lucrative opportunities for publicizing your blog.

Tips for Keeping a Strong Content Flow

Not every blog post you write will be award-winning. There might even come a time where you feel like you’ve run out of ideas. To avoid frustration and creative dead ends, consider brainstorming smart blog post content ahead of time.

If inspiration for a new post doesn’t pop into your head and you’re stuck fighting through a severe case of writer’s block, you can choose from that list of vetted topics you’ve created.

Okay, but what if you’re out of topics, and now you need to create new ones from scratch?

Read Books, Forums, and Comments: Reading books about your niche or people within your industry. Forums and your own blog comments can also be useful sources of potential inspiration.

Leverage Google: You can mine Google’s “People Also Ask” sections or query suggestions that pop up when you type in a keyword for blog post ideas.

Travel: Some bloggers also find success in coming up with new ideas by traveling somewhere and getting a fresh perspective. A new physical environment might just open up your brain.

Interview Industry Leaders: Can you reach out to other people who can provide insight on a topic? Or maybe you can join a friend in the industry for a cup of coffee and talk shop.

Crowdsource Topics: Use your readership for new ideas. Ask what your readers would like to see with polls on your social media platforms.

Step 11: Promote Your Blog

So, you’re posting regularly, and everything’s set up. Now, how do you encourage people to visit and read your blog?

Create social media posts immediately after publishing a new post.

Since you’ve already taken the first step of setting up your social media sites, it’s now time to leverage them as the fantastic promotional tools they are.

By publishing immediate social posts promoting your new blog content, you can get immediate follows, shares, likes, and retweets that can build momentum, so your post to go farther.

It’s important to remember that your audience is likely to follow you on a few different social media accounts.

That means you need to customize each snippet or preview text you use when promoting a blog post.

What you don’t want to do is copy and paste the same verbiage repeatedly for each of your accounts — it comes off spammy and uninteresting. Optimize your messaging for each social stream and audience.

Re-promote Successful Content

Did you hit virtual gold with a blog post that went viral? Don’t be shy about promoting it again after some time passes.

Re-promoting content that didn’t do well in the first place might not be the best strategy, but posts that have strong stats initially can do well again in the future.

It’s a good idea to focus your efforts on creating evergreen content that stays relevant over time.

“Evergreen” is just a term that internet marketers use to refer to posts considered timeless. This type of content stays useful years after the initial publication because it tackles a core problem or subject. An evergreen post might be “How to Clean Your Bike Chain.” A non-evergreen post would be “How to Clean Your Bike Chain During a Pandemic.”

Spice Up Your Blog Post Descriptions

Are you only sharing a blog post’s headline through your social media channels and calling it a day? Well, that gets boring very fast. To keep the interest in your blog higher, change up the messaging, and get inspiration from your own content.

State the Main Takeaways: Was there a “moral to the story” that sums up your post? Use that to give potential readers a basic, exciting summary.

Reuse Your Meta Description: Your meta description is the preview snippet that shows up in Google search results. (Yoast, that plugin we talked about earlier, will prompt you to customize yours – if you don’t customize it, Google will simply pull the first line or two from your blog.) Reuse your meta description to sell your blog post.

Use Your Subheadings: Your subheadings help readers navigate through your blog post. You can mine these subheadings for copy that you think might attract traffic to your website.

Pull Interesting Quotes: Did an industry leader, influencer, or celebrity give you a quote in your post? Pull out any interesting, odd, or thoughtful quotes and tag the person who said it in your social promotion post.

Use Images: Posts with visual elements get much more engagement than those without visual elements. Don’t just rely on boring stock images. Overlay images with text, create your own memes or use GIFs to demand attention.

Use Hashtags: For Twitter, you can use trending hashtags to see what people are already talking about or focus on hashtags relevant to your industry. For Instagram and Facebook, you can take advantage of pertinent hashtags to your blog. Don’t be afraid to get super specific with your hashtags.

Use Social Media Regularly: Post at least once a week, engage with commenters, and answer messages.

Guest Post

Guest posting is a way to promote your blog by contributing to another blog within your industry. By providing a guest post to another blogger, you can help build your own website’s credibility.

Guest blogging can accomplish three different goals for your blog: showing others you’re an expert, pushing traffic to your blog, and building backlinks.

Quick Explainer on Backlinks: Backlinks serve as a “vote” for your site. But not all backlinks are created equally. Links from relevant, trusted websites pointing to your website can your site move up in Google’s rankings. But, if spammy websites are giving you backlinks, that’s a red flag that may result in a ranking drop.

To pursue guest blogging, you’ll need to find places to submit a guest post. If your blog is about bikes, you’ll want to search for similar blogs focused on your bikes and make sure the blog owner is active with an engaged audience.

You can also use a simple Google search to find blogs accepting guest posts. Just use a keyword relevant to your niche plus “submit a guest post” or “guest post guidelines” and other similar search terms.

Once you’ve found blogs to guest post for, you’ll need to pitch a few content ideas. Make sure you do your due diligence and research the blog’s tone of voice, type of audience, and other information you need to know. Pay attention to guidelines like the required word count.

Some guest post bloggers allow you to post links to your blog in the content itself, while others will enable you to post your blog link in your byline. Each guest blogging site operates differently.

Step 12: Monetize Your Blog

There are many ways you can monetize your blog, but the two you can most easily leverage are affiliate links and services.

Affiliate programs work through pushing links to products relevant to your audience. When your audience clicks through the link to that recommendation, they get a unique tracking code. If they end up purchasing, you’ll get a portion of the sale.

Another way to monetize your blog is to offer services or intensive information related to your topics of expertise or industry.

Depending on your blog’s focus, you can provide live workshops, one-on-one consulting sessions, or comprehensive online courses. Your blog serves as the jumping-off point, but your audience will only convert into customers if you’ve demonstrated authority and knowledge. Neither of which happens overnight.

Takeaways: Building a Blog, Step by Step

Creating a blog requires patience, strategy, and the desire to develop quality content. You don’t have to be a professional writer to create a successful blog. Plenty of everyday people have created a blog out stemming from a genuine interest that exploded into a successful brand. If you’re ready to try something new, blogging is a great way to flex your creative muscle and potentially earn some money.

FAQs: How to Start a Blog as a Beginner

Still, have a few remaining questions about starting a blog? Get answers to your blogging FAQs below.

Can I Start a Blog for Free?

While it’s true that you can, if your end goal is to monetize your blog and transform it into a lucrative side hustle, it makes more sense to pay to host your blog on your own server with your own domain name. Not only will this make your blog more “legit” from the outset, but it also gives you much more flexibility for monetizing down the line.

Is it Difficult to Start a Blog?

Yes and no. While starting a blog is a reasonably straightforward process, the key to creating a successful one is consistency. Consistency and developing a strong content strategy are going to be the most difficult parts of maintaining your blog, especially if you have other responsibilities demanding your attention like a day job, kids, or other obligations.

With that said, writing regularly for your blog is easy once it’s a habit, and you have a running list of future blog post ideas from which to choose.

How Much Money Can I Realistically Make Blogging?

It’s not unrealistic to make a range from just one cent to ten cents per page view through ads. If you get around 1,000-page views each month, you can earn $10-$100! And depending on the success of your blog, it can go up from there. Not everyone will be able to live off their blog income full-time, but there’s still the potential to make a good chunk of change.

Do People Still Read Blogs Anymore?

Yes! Blogs are still critical in the internet landscape. There are a few things to note about how people read blogs that have changed over time. For example, people are much less likely to read a blog post from beginning to end.

Instead, people tend to skim a post for the information most relevant to them. Keep that information in mind as you’re writing your initial blog posts.

Well-structured blog posts should utilize headings and subheadings so that information is organized efficiently, and readers can find what they need.

How Do I Make My Blog Stand Out?

Ultimately, you’ll need to provide value. Good information on a particular subject is the best way to set your blog apart from others. But a difficult-to-use site with a lot of great information is unlikely to garner much attention. First impressions matter, in real life and in virtual life.

Your site should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and easy to skim. And don’t forget to integrate enough negative space to give your readers somewhere to “rest.”

Focus on making a site that even an older relative could navigate.

How Do I Stop Spam Comments?

If you allow comments, you need to be prepared for spammers and trolls. One way to deal with this issue is by turning off commenting altogether. Or you can also moderate the comments yourself or install plugins that can help reduce the frequency of spam.

How Do Successful Bloggers Monetize Their Blogs?

Bloggers may use their blogs to increase their authority within a certain niche or industry, sell things like memberships, sell digital products like e-books or courses, use affiliate links, or monetize with CPC or CPM ads.

FYI: CPC and CPM stand for “cost-per-click” and “cost-per-thousand-impressions,” respectively.

What Kind of Blogs Make the Most Money?

Before you get your answer, it needs to be said: don’t let the list of blog types inform the choice of your blog alone.

Why? Well, if you want to start a blog about newborns because that’s a niche that’s historically made money, you can only do so confidently if you’ve had a baby yourself or work with babies.

If you’re an 18-year-old single college student without a kid, it doesn’t make sense to start a blog about newborns. Keep that concept in mind before pursuing a subject simply because it historically makes money in the blogging world.

Top Blogging Niches:

Crafting

Parenting or newborn

Health

Lifestyle or family life

Budgeting

Interior Design or home decor

If your blog doesn’t fall under one of these umbrella categories, don’t panic. Ultimately, these are just basic categories that won’t make or break the success of your blog. Stay authentic to what you’re actually passionate about.

How Can I Better Analyze My Website Traffic For Free?

If you want to know what types of people visit your site, you have a few free tools you can leverage. Two of the best are Google Console and Google Analytics.

Both of these tools are easy to install and offer training so you can learn to use them. GC and GA can reveal interesting insights into visitor behavior, backlinks to your site, and other pertinent information about your site’s ranking for particular keywords.

How Long Should My Blog Posts Be?

While there isn’t a hard and fast rule about content length, if you’re trying to get ranked on Google, longer is better. Blog posts between 1500 and 2000 words seem to be ideal. Again, your posts shouldn’t be full of fluff for the sake of reaching those word count goals. Instead, try to create comprehensive posts that cover a particular subject in rich detail.

Will I Make Money Off My Blog Right Away?

While instantaneous success isn’t unheard of, you will probably need to blog for a few months or closer to a year before you see any revenue. Your initial year operating the blog should focus on analyzing what’s working and what isn’t working. Here are some questions you should ask (and know the answer to!) after your first few months to a year of blogging.

What are the most popular posts? The least popular?

What are the demographics of my blog visitors?

How long are people staying on my page?

Is traffic trending up, down, or is it steady?

Starting a blog isn’t going to be an overnight project, but with time and patience, you can turn it into a real side hustle.

How to Start a Blog is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-to-start-a-blog/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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andrewdburton · 4 years

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How to Start a Blog

Key Takeaways

Find a niche and post consistently to see the best results.

Focus on quality, longer-length posts.

Use your content to build authority and monetize services.

If you’ve been daydreaming about creating a blog during yet another endless conference call, an excellent place to start is right here.

In case you haven’t heard, content is king. And there are plenty of full-time bloggers who prove it and make a living writing about hobbies, recipes, or workouts.

Writing with authority on a topic provides serious value in an internet landscape, often filled with subpar information.

Like almost everything else in life, you get what you put in.

A great blog involves research, content strategy, and a fresh perspective.

So, if you have a story to tell or a niche to fill, it’s time to learn how to start a blog and unleash your creativity.

Step 1: Pick Your Blog Niche