An Invitation To Blog On The Clinton Patch

Beginning next month, the Clinton Patch will be making room for local bloggers on the site. A special blog column will be called "Local Voices" and will be available every day on the website.

To get started, we're looking for bloggers who can write about various topics, share their personality and engage our readers in discussions. This is an invitation to fun and fellowship!

Given the wide interest in a variety of subjects in town: history, arts, antiques, sports, business, music, politics, schools, boating, technology, volunteers, the beach, religion, food and family events - there's a ton of stuff to blog about!

So let's start the conversation!

The Clinton Patch is more than a news site, it's an online conversation about your community. To borrow on another editor's description of her Patch, it's a "town-wide water cooler" for news, information and much more.

• Are you passionate about Clinton's core issues?
• Are you into historical homes, the environment, birds, do-it-yourself projects, high-tech, photography, art, cooking, entertaining, gardening, etc.?
• Do you have strong opinions about local government?
• Can you just make us all laugh?
• Can you write compellingly?

Then, we want to hear from you.

This isn't a reporting job. It's blogging. You write what you want to say when you want to say it. You do it on your schedule, whether that's posting multiple entries per day or a couple times a month. You can add photos and videos, if you desire. You do not get paid.

Patch won't own what you post, so you can repost your entries to your other blogs. Patch is providing local bloggers an online platform to have their words seen by a larger audience.

Be interesting. Be provocative. Be yourself.

My role as editor will be to review blog entries submitted to the Clinton Patch to ensure quality and make your blog shine. I will not edit your blog.

As always, any offensive writing will not be allowed and will be removed.

Not exactly sure what a blog is?  You are not alone!  Here's a description and some examples.

A blog is a blend of the terms "web" (for world wide web) and "log" which is a reverse chronological display of comments found on a website.

Blogs are usually written and posted by individuals who write regular commentaries on a subject in which they have expertise or an interest. Your name is attached to your blog.

Subjects can include just about anything imaginable: celebrities, politics, cooking, gardening, shopping, boating, travel, investing, cars, health, business, collecting, parenting, dating - you name it!

What blogging is not: some anonymous townie ranting and raving about some issue. Boring and not considered blogging!

What blogging is: an entertaining and informative conversation from a real person who may be an expert in, or definitely has an interest in, a particular subject.  You look forward to their next blog! A really good blogger has a huge following!

Here are a few examples of recent blogs from the Huffington Post:

Eliot Van Buskirk on music.

Marlo Thomas on reinventing yourself.

Meg Cabot on books and reading.

This is an invitation-only blog. If you'd like to chat about the opportunity to share your unique voice with our readers, let me know by emailing me at fay.abrahamsson@patch.com or by calling me at 860-876-0233.