There are two things every blogger must do when starting a new blog: pick a subject and then pick a name.
It turns out that picking a subject is pretty easy: simply reflect on what you’re interested in and passionate about… and hopefully know a thing or two about. Picking a name? Not so easy.
Anyone who has gone through the process of naming a new song, deciding what to call a new band — or trying to think up a cool domain name or blogspot to register — inevitably runs into an invisible wall. This wall has a not-so-invisible sign tacked to it that reads “Sorry, but yer a little late and all the good names are already taken.”
Even though this imaginary wall is just an illusion, it can sure feel real enough until that happy moment arrives when you finally land on a name that 1) you like and 2) that’s actually available.
Picking a suitable name is kind of a big deal. It’s how people remember the thing behind the name. It’s also how you search for stuff, pass word to others or make snap decisions about if you’re even interested in the topic.
I originally wanted to call this blog “A Story and a Song” but, alas, that name was already taken by a dance company. Bummer. Then I thought of “Songscapes,” “SongSphere” and a bunch of other cool names that other folks had already thought of first.
Yet I pressed on, undeterred by the mirage of a pesky wall I don’t even believe in. After all, how many times have I played a game of Boggle and marveled at how many obvious words other players found that I totally overlooked? Good names are always out there, if we can but think of them and snatch ‘em out of the ether.
This new blog is on songwriting. Hey, why not do a quick Google search for the obvious? “On Songwriting.” Sometimes the obvious answer = the best choice. In this case, the name was actually available. Booyah! Quick, snag it before somebody else thinks of it… and so a new blog begins.
With the name thing settled, all that’s left is to think up something interesting to write on the topic of songwriting. No shortage there. Uh-oh, is that another wall I see through the mist on the next horizon?
I LOVE that you a) are doing this, b) that you’re such a good writer, and c) that in your very first post, you managed to work in both “Boggle” and “Booyah!”
BOOYAH!!!