Advice on making an Ask Blog?

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

Hey everyone! I have been thinking of making an ask blog with my OC ponies, it looks like a fun thing to do, and also could help flesh them out a bit more. I've read a few tips and hints, but I thought it wouldn't harm to ask too, so, does anyone have any advice on making/running one?

 

Also, a question, I've seen many blogs with avatars that have a red speech bubble with a white number in it. What is that bubble?

[Lunar Echo 10,335]

Keep it Work Friendly and take your time

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

Alright~ And I will definitely keep it SFW

[Lucky Shot 232]

When you make an ask blog, there's a skill you need, and a skill you probably don't but it would be extremely helpful.

 

Obviously you need to be a good character writer, but the blog will be a lot more successful if you can also draw, ideally in a simplistic style akin to the show.

Also, expect many questions from NSFW blogs when your traffic picks up... it's probably best to just delete those and focus on good content.

 

Also, a question, I've seen many blogs with avatars that have a red speech bubble with a white number in it. What is that bubble?

 

That's how many times the account has posted since you last checked your Dashboard.

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

Alright, writing and drawing, as to be expected...I got the latter down, so I suppose I should better read a tutorial on two on the basics of writing before I get started.

 

 

That's how many times the account has posted since you last checked your Dashboard.

 

 

Ah, that sounds useful. Can I enable it in any options/settings menu? I don't see it when I try to change my avatar.

[Plume 922]

Also, a question, I've seen many blogs with avatars that have a red speech bubble with a white number in it. What is that bubble?

 

If you're talking about the avatar of another blog, the general reason for that red speech bubble is to show that it's an ask blog - that's to make it quickly identifiable as such. Oftentimes it has a question mark or a 1 in it c:

Edited September 16, 2015 by MiniKirby123

[DND 2,355]

Alrighty, I've made quite a few ask blogs and have been involved in the community I'm assuming you're referring to (tumblr) for perhaps five years now? Eh, I don't keep track. I was initially really skeptical I would get the jist of horse ask blogs and ask blog in general but after doing quite a bit of browsing, It's helped me get myself out there successfully with digital art.

 

So first, a few things you should think of:

• What type of ask blog am I aiming to run?
• Do I have the time for it?
• What can I work with? What can I create?

Ask blogs shouldn't take up too much effort. Most ask blog runners make it leisure and ask as many questions they feel comfortable with. As long as you have the work ethic to get a few panels done fairly regularly and you don't have to worry about how much you pander and reply to your audience. Ask blogs can be something easier to manage. Taking too much time without a notice relating to your terms of service ( in other words generally describing why you run the blog that way or even having a page/infobox for it at your audience's disposal) may cause some rifts with your blog's status and how your blog is running.

 

Here's some types of ask blogs:

• Simple text ask blogs: exactly how it sounds. /example . Don't get discouraged, these blogs can be quite popular as well. This specific Luna blog has got to be the oldest one out there that I know of and It's still running pretty okay. Great if you feel your art in't adequate enough.
• Original art ask blogs: most commonly used, most advised especially if it involves art. For inspired ask blogs aiming to have a larger follower base.
• RP blogs: this is in a gray-ish area, but RP blogs are sometimes runned through asks. /example .
• Story-driven ask blogs: Some ask blogs are run through an immediate prior-established but interactive base plot. /example .
• Shenanigan ask blogs: this is generally the most common and popular themed ask blog type. You have no real story but you have staples that make how you run and reply to answers to your blog unique. Sub-plots are mostly included through requests (also commonly referred to as: ' Magic Anon ' ). /who doesn't follow this blog .

Ask blogs and RP blogs have many comparable and shared aspects. I would highly advise getting familiar with RP terms.

 

Regarding your art style, I'd pick something not overly time-consuming, easily recognizable, and something not too tedious to work with. Aim to make your art style and character design different and appealing. This also includes canon characters. There are a lot of ask blogs out there with their own take on canon characters. c:

 

Hope this helps you out! Ask blogs are a load of fun so I hope you manage to have smooth-sailing with yours and your own experiences. As for fleshing out your character, I would look into to character tutorials, critiques/general character advice, and references. Those really help out. (ppsst! Go to deviantART and look up some character sheets if you feel a bit lost with resources)

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

@, Gah, really sorry for the late reply! I wasn't really too active at the time you posted and I missed it, and you wrote up a lot of advice too...I must've looked like a jerk. Anywho...

 

Out of those blogs types, the one I'd like to make would be the shenanigans one. That kind is my favorite one, and it'd make sense to do what I like most~ That and, well, don't really have any specific story to tell or am much of a storyteller, so, I think cute and/or funny shenanigans is what I'd like to go for. Could throw in some arcs here and there though, those sound fun~
 

As for the artstyle, I was thinking something similar to my avatar or this, I think it fits the criteria you mentioned, and it doesn't really take much time either~ Speaking of time, that was also one of my concerns, but right now I think I'm just worrying too much. It's supposed to be fun after all! I could use some practice in 'speed' too, heh.

 

Anywho, thank you very much for the advice! I think I will start it out some time later this year, just want to touch up on the characters a little bit and take care of some other things first! And again, really sorry for not seeing your post earlier...d'oh.