About this time last year, Patch rolled out a new platform for members of the community to be heard. Now, we're making it even easier to get involved in Middletown Patch's Local Voices.

How easy is it?

At Patch, we're devoted to finding ways to make your life as ridiculously easy as possible. So we've changed the way blogging works to make it easier for you to start blogging right away.

All you have to do to get started is visit our blogging page and click "Post on Patch." From there, let your typing fingers run rampant (but coherently, please) and when you're done writing and have saved your work, hit submit!

Why should I blog?

Patch is more than a news site. It is a free place to post upcoming events. It's an online conversation about the community. But to keep the conversation going, we need your voice!

You may be asking yourself, "What would I even write about?"

Well, the answer is, anything! A blog offers the opportunity to share your thoughts, concerns, advice, and tips, get your name out to the community, get info about your local group out to the community, and so much more.

My neighbors are blogging? What are they saying?

• Dawn Gardner of the Newport County YMCA shares upcoming initiatives at the center and health and wellness tips with the community.
• Laura Clark of Body-Wise Therapeutics shares her massage therapy expertise. She operates her own blog on her business website, but shares her posts on Patch as well. 
• Ken Read, skipper for PUMA Ocean Racing, recently shared his team's adventure in the Volvo Ocean Race.
• Matt Plumb, Owner of Brick Alley Pub, shares posts from his Brick Blog about life in Newport and his personal experiences in buying and farming locally.
• Libby Kirwin has her own blog outside of Patch, but uses Local Voices to share her real estate and interior design knowledge.

Is blogging on Patch right for me?

Blogging on Patch is perfect for anyone who has ties to the community. More specifically, you may be perfect for blogging if you can answer yes to any of the following questions:

• Do you have a passion for everything local, from supporting downtown businesses to promoting community events?
• Are you passionate about issues in Middletown?
• Are you a craftsman, artist, business owner or hobbyist who can share do-it-yourself tips?
• Do you have strong opinions about local government or are the first one to stand up for what you think is right in our school system?
• Can you just make us all laugh?

Even if you answered no to any of the above questions and you just want a platform to have your voice heard, Middletown Patch's Local Voices platform is the place for you!

Ready to take the leap? Get started with blogging on Patch! Still want more information? Email Middletown@patch.com!

Note: You write what you want to say when you want to say it. Do it on your schedule, whether that's posting multiple entries per day or a couple times a month. And Patch won't own what you post, so you can repost your entries to your other blogs!