Harry Potter, eat your heart out. Blogging’s where the magic’s at. The alchemy of words and readers, stories and reactions, pictures and beholders. A magical world awaits when you take the leap of faith on (WordPress) platform 9 ¾ and embark on your first year at Blogwarts.
What Is Blogwarts?
It may not be an actual giant castle surrounded by an enchanted lake, but the blogging community is a fantastical place to be, where pictures speak to you, doors open onto unimagined experiences and there is magic in the virtual air.
Gotta Love Those Muggles
Do your friends read your blog? Does your partner? Does any non-blogger? Muggles – we love ’em dearly, but they just don’t understand us. I know – I used to be one. The Muggles could quite happily remain unaware that Blogwarts even exists. But ain’t they adorable?
Who Is Dumbledore?
Everyone has their own Professor Dumbledore – that revered pinnacle of wisdom and magic, who understands the private struggles of the Blogwarts students, for s/he was one once, but has the big picture and the highest power at the tip of his or her wand. Someone to respect, to admire and to emulate as much as one is able.
Are you a Harry, a Hermione or a Ron?
Some bloggers are so clued-up, it’s breathtaking. For the Hermiones, the acquisition of knowledge is a pleasure not a technological nightmare – the rest of us can only admire their brilliant endeavours. And try to copy their every move. Then you have the Rons who bumble and wisecrack their way through their Blogwarts adventures, offering some light relief from the main action. I count myself among these affable jokers. And of course, then there are the Harrys. Heroic, brave, funny in parts, effortlessly brilliant at everything but totally self-deprecating. Just pure magic.
Or a Neville?
Some bloggers are incredibly brave and magical, but are completely unassuming. Like Neville Longbottom, they surprise us and themselves with their own abilities and can be relied on to save the day when Harry’s off showboating.
He Who Shall Not Be Named
Who is your Voldemort? Trolls are the obvious answer, and to them I say: EXPELLIARMUS! But I’d also add self-doubt – the bloggers’ main enemy. But you must believe in your own magic – or take a few nights off watching Celebrity Masterchef till the spark comes back.
Are You A Gryffindor or a Slytherin?
The Sorting Hat of Blogwarts is a marvellous thing. Unlike at its namesake, Hogwarts, you are not immediately placed into a house. After a few months, you find blogs you enjoy and value and your blog finds a place in a mini-community. But the beauty of Blogwarts is that nothing is set in stone – you can flit between the house common rooms with a click of your wand.
Chasing The Golden Snitch
Why do we blog? What is our Golden Snitch? It is something that appears out of nowhere in the midst of the blogging game and just as suddenly disappears. Others beat us to it, or knock us off our brooms as we seek it. It changes every day. For your first post, it might be one pageview, other than your own, checking it’s really there, live on the web. Then it flickers and transmogrifies: the Snitch could become receiving a nice comment, being featured on one of the networks, going viral on Facebook, being retweeted by a minor celebrity, hitting 700 Twitter followers, winning an award, being shared by a blogger you admire. For me, and just call me Mother Theresa here, the Golden Snitch has gone through all these (aspirational) phases and more, but at the end of my first year, I conclude that it is just this: finishing a piece and being pleased with it. The Quidditch match can be just as fun and exciting when the Snitch is nowhere to be seen, whether you’re playing or watching from the stands.
Here’s To Hagrid
Every blogger needs a Hagrid, someone who gives them virtual tea when they’re down, fills in the back story when they’re confused and gives them a share when no one else has read their post. Without Hagrid, the story would lose its big heart.
What’s your experience of Blogwarts?
What’s it like in the upper years?
Are you a Harry or a Hagrid?
What’s your Golden Snitch?
Picture sources: Universal Studios, Wikipedia
This is absolutely brilliant, great post! I guess the Celebrity Masterchef break was good 🙂
Thank you! Yes, love a bit of food voyeurism!
Brilliant Jess, I’m actually not a potter fan but i still really enjoyed your analogies 🙂
I would have to agree with your golden snitch too, its so satisfying to be pleased with a post when its finished. Although i would have to add that some of the posts that i am unsure of and almost don’t publish are the ones that seem to get the best response. What do i know hey! x
I know, same here! I have no idea if a post will be well received but I don’t publish anything I’m not happy with. x
I LOVE this! I think anyone who blogs and has even the vaguest understanding of HP will.
Thank you Carin! It’s nice to hear that my impressions of the blogging world are not unique.
Brilliant, brilliant post. As if by magic, you’ve seem to have exactly described my feelings over the last week – Voldemort’s self-doubt has been slowly poisoning my mind! Reading this has not only cheered me up at my desk, but has reminded me why I started Blogwarts in the first place. Butter Beers soon? x
Thanks Ting, what a lovely comment! Butter Beers for sure! x
Ha ha thi is great. We are big Potter fans in our house. I reckon that I am definitely a Ron. And truth be told I fancy Ron a bit (when he is older obvs.) so that’s all cool. Not sure what my golden snitch is, probably when I see people in real life and they say “Oooh you make me laugh” I like that. And you are so right – The Muggles haven’t a bloody clue!! xxx 🙂
Yes, that is what I like best, when a real life person says they laughed at something I wrote. In a good way. I wouldn’t mind a bit of Weasley either!xxx
Fantastic 🙂
Thank you!
heehee x I am definitely no hermione, but I do have a golden snatch. I mean snitch. *sniggers* :))) x
Ha ha I knew I could rely on you to pick up on that gag! It took all my strength not to make it myself ;)x
*tuts*
Brilliant post! I’m not sure who I would be… maybe Ginny, always pining in the background for a little bit more attention? (haha)
Ah yes, I like that! Poor old Ginny. She did manage to bag the hero in the end though, so that’s no bad analogy! x
I love this! I’m a H Potter nut! Yep I fancy myself as a bit of a ‘Ron’! Am no Hermione – I wish! I want to board the train to Blogwarts…when do we go?!
This is brilliant. I am just trying to grow my blog and it does feel like the first term at Blogwart’s. I’m currently entering Snape’s Dungeon for my first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson and I’m filled with fear and excitement in equal measure. xx
I love that – enjoy your time at Blogwarts and hope you don’t come across too many Dark Arts in your blogging journey!x
Fantastic post again Jess! So funny and very clever. We’ve recently got into Harry Potter so at last I’m understanding all of your analogies. I think we all know who Dumbledore is in the parent blogging community!
Thanks Suzanne! I do love an analogy. I like the Harry Potter films, though the latter ones are a little scary for me!
THIS IS JUST GENIUS….. so, so clever; your ideas for posts are just brilliant….. Have a wonderful summer you clever clever girl. I am taking a two month break now. I will pop in now and again, and will be fully back in September. X
Thanks Sarah, you are too kind. Have a lovely summer off, look forward to seeing you back in September!x
You really have a way with the analogies Mrs! I love a bit of Hogwarts (and a bit of Blogwarts!) There really is magic out there in the blogosphere… X
Ha, yes I do like an analogy! It puts real life at a distance somewhat 😉 x
A brilliant post Jess. I love the analogy with Harry Potter and would guess that I’m definitely a Ron as I’m fond of bumbling my way through blogging and wise-cracking when it all goes horribly wrong!
Thanks Izzie! I’m sure you never go horribly wrong in the blogging world! Glad to know you are a fellow Ron.
You are such a clever lady! So, tell us, who is your Dumbledore? So, so true about the Muggles. I thought my family and friends would be my most trusty readers (well, the only ones), but I doubt any of them goes anywhere near the blog… They are just Muggles!!! As I was thinking of myself as a blogger, I thought I might be a Ron but then decided I just had not made it to the main cast, haha! x
Defo feeling like a bit of a Neville Longbottom today but then my gym membership did expire quite a while ago! Great post, really inspiring.
Just love this. Just brilliant. Def a Ron though ;’)
Hey Jess, have only just been catching up on alot of posts as personal stuff’s taken over. What a great post! Sums up the whole weirdy world of blogging that just elicits blank stares from the the non-blogging muggles. Think you should have won the ‘Laughs’ for this alone. Would love to be a Harry or Hermione one day rather than a Ron or a second rate Luna Lovegood. Really like the idea of a Sorting Hat of Blogwarts and finding our own mini communities too. Excellent! XJo
I absolutely love this Jess so great and so true!!! You are always so creative with words. I hope you enjoy your time off and I will be impatiently waiting your return to make me laugh, keep me entertained and see what you all have been up to!!! xo
This is awesome. So bang on. I’m sat here in my Harry Potter pjs loving this post! Have you seen/are you involved in/set up the blogwarts facebook group?