By Clair McLafferty
Every Game of Thrones nerd knows that the Mother of Dragons is a respected leader. Not everyone knows, however, that she sets a good example for woman bloggers. Here are some lessons to take away from that violet-eyed badass.
Free the slaves. The Khaleesi cultivates loyalty by freeing the slaves of the peoples she conquers. Though the blog-o-sphere isn’t a place of servitude, freeing your mind and body of negative thoughts and habits provides more mental space for you to focus on writing.
Never underestimate the power of language. The Mother of Dragons’s skill with language wins her the first part of her army. On the Internet, being fluent in SEO and Google Analytics can help build your online brand. However, don’t sacrifice good writing for the sake of keywords. Strong content with a meaningful message is ultimately what will keep your readers engaged.
Draw strength from your past. Overcoming abuse, lack of experience or diminished inspiration is a big challenge for leaders and bloggers alike. Your past experiences shape who are now, but they don’t define you. Draw on your past victories as a source of strength and wisdom.
Keep fighting. Even when it seems that you’re facing insurmountable odds, keep going. Write about your struggles and open up about them to your close friends. It isn’t necessary to broadcast them to the world, but having someone share your burdens can considerably lighten them.
Listen to your advisors, but follow your moral compass. Daenerys Stormborn’s advisers come from a different cultural background than she. As a result, their advice doesn’t always mesh with her morals and standards. Though mentoring is important in the blogging world, take some recommendations with a grain of salt. Don’t compromise your morals or standards just to follow someone else’s path.
Be wary of big promises. The Khaleesi is promised many things because of her beauty and gender. Some of those making the promises betray her and many more simply don’t follow through. As the old saw goes, plan for the worst, but expect the best.
Learned any lessons from the Mother of Dragons? Share them below in the comments!
Clair McLafferty is the author of our geek girl culture column Talk Nerdy To Me. When she isn’t writing, Clair can usually be found nerding out on programming, cocktails, physics, comics and movies. Some of these interests spill over into her writing at clairmclafferty.com and on to her Twitter feed @see_clair_write.
Great post, Clair! I actually love all of these points, and I like the analogy between a leader and a blogger 🙂
Khaleesi’s shoulders went from round to square after Kal Drogo and leadership entered her life. Posture (literally and rhetorically) is tantamount to a blogger’s success. Great piece!