It's that time again. It sure comes around fast. Which is a quote from... me! That's the kind of self-indulgent thing you can get away with if you have your own blog, which is why you should have one. And you! And you... yes, you, over there, lurking at the back...
Have you ever thought about it? Starting a blog? You have, haven't you? Or do you already have one but wish more people knew about it? We all do, those of us who blog but also those of us who only read other people, rambling on about nothing much which, let's face it, is what you're doing right now. Reading, that is, not rambling. I'm the one doing that.
Except for once I do actually have something of significance to say, which is that Blaugust is Back! (Do you get the almost irrestible urge to add "Baby!" to the end of that sentence? I did but as you can see I resisted. Almost.)
You can sign up here. Go on! You know you want to!
Oh, you want to know what you're signing up for first? Picky! Okay, so, what is Blaugust anyway? I'm glad I asked me that!
Let me direct you to Krikket's Introductory Blaugust Post, where all is explained. Krikket is standing in this year for Belghast, the regular ringmaster and guiding light of Blaugust, who has had to take a step back for personal reasons but who will still be with us both in spirit and the background. Here's how he explained the event last year:
"Blaugust is a month-long event that takes place each August which focuses on blogging primarily and has started to include other forms of serialized content over the last several years. The goal is to stoke the fires of creativity and allow bloggers and other content creators to mingle in a shared community while pushing each other to post more regularly. Above all the goal of Blaugust has always been to prove to folks that they can in fact sit down every day and create something fresh and then share it with the world. "
That's it in a nutshell. It's a month-long showcase, store window and talking shop, where bloggers of all stripes come together to share what they've done and encourage each other to do more of it.
The core of the event has long been a challenge to post every day for the thirty-one days of August. There are some longstanding awards for hitting certain specific post targets:
- Newbie Blogger Award – You did it! You joined Blaugust for the very first time and we are extremely happy to welcome you into this raucous community. As a result, we are going to recognize your efforts just for signing up.
- Bronze Award – You made at least 5 posts during the month of August 2025.
- Silver Award – You made at least 15 posts during the month of August 2025.
- Gold Award – You made at least 25 posts during the month of August 2025.
- Rainbow Diamond Award – You beat the original challenge and posted 31 times or more during the month of August 2025.
Over the years and most likely because this all began as a very gaming-blog specific event, Blaugust has become very gamified. Gamers tend to like that sort of thing. If you don't please don't let it put you off.
It's very important to stress that ALL of these targets and goals are ENTIRELY OPTIONAL. It's very much not a competition. There are no winners.
Or rather, there are winners and the winners are everyone who signs up and manages even one post. You are the winner because you started a blog! Or you dusted off that old blog you almost forgot you had and made your first post for years. Go on! You know you want to! Oh yeah, I said that already...
A little personal testimony: I blog all the time and I generally have no problems pumping out five long-form posts every week of the year but thirty-one days without a break is a lot. I've been doing Blaugust for a while and I've had to develop strategies to hit those thirty-one posts. I've come up with themes for myself, I've invented series, I've written posts in advance so I had a cushion to fall back on if I couldn't post for some reason on a particular day...
Honestly, I shouldn't be doing that. Maybe you should because those are all proven strategies that lots of people swear by but for me it's too much. You really have to find your own path here.
I enjoy Blaugust or I wouldn't do it but it can still be stressful. Mrs Bhagpuss knows nothing about blogging and cares less but she knows perfectly well what Blaugust is - it's that time of the year when I get irritable and stressed out for a month. Blaugust is not supposed to be stressful so don't let it!
Last year it got to me enough that I was considering opting out and letting things lie fallow for a year. I mean, Glastonbury does it... But as you can see, here I am again, because Blaugust is way too much fun to miss.
And that's the key takeaway: Blaugust is Fun. Or it should be. And Blaugust will shape itself according to your needs. It's not a one-size festival. It fits everyone.
If hitting those targets and getting those awards is your kind of fun then go for it! Post every day. Post twice a day! (Done that, don't recommend it...) But if it's not fun or if it was fun but not any more then stop. Take a break. Skip a day. Break the streak.
And that doesn't mean you have to drop out of Blaugust, either. Blaugust these days is more than just writing a daily post. There's a whole community built around it, one that persists throughout the year. Sign up, post once, you're a member. A Blaugustian. Forever.
There's a lively Discord channel you can and probably should join. You can link your posts there so everyone sees them, you can chat about the process, ask for advice, even meet up with other Blaugustians for gaming sessions. (I really should stop saying "Blaugustians". It sounds weird...)
And of course, since gamers made this thing, even the Community has awards and achievements:
- Have a post count that gives you at least the Silver Award.
- Of those posts, at least 5 should be directly inspired by a post by another Blaugust participant. Make sure you provide a link back to the post in question.
- Engage with other Blaugust participants at least once per week. Read posts, leave comments, join discussions in the Blaugust Discord and share posts written by others on social media.
- Guest post on another Blaugust participant’s blog – or have someone else guest post on yours!
- Create or join in a group project – choose a topic, find some other bloggers, and each post your own take on that topic on the same day.
To which all the same advice I gave earlier applies. If it's your kind of thing, go nuts with it. If not, just let it lie. Everyone wants you to do well in whatever challenges you choose to set yourself but no-one expects you to do anything more than you're comfortable with. And above all, everyone wants everyone else to have fun. The goal is to get to the end of Blaugust and be able to say "That was great! Can't wait to do it again next year!" Not "Thank god it's over. Never again."
I think that about covers it. Oh, you do have to SIGN UP to be included in the official count so don't forget to do that. Although if even that's a step too far, don't worry, you can still play. Every year there are a few people who shadow Blaugust, posting and commenting and being part of the whole thing without the formalities. If you'd be more comfortable as a fellow traveler rather than a party member, just tag along.
And that, I think, just about covers the essentials. There's lots more but we'll get to it when we get to it. More commentary, opinion and information is already available from the followng experienced Blaugustians and I'm sure many more will chip in before the whole bandwagon starts to roll on August the First. Be there or... well, just be there!
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