So, you have a topic about which you're incredibly passionate and that youk now, with the right amount of networking and steady output, you can build enough interest to put together at least a core of people who will regularly read your writing.
You have a topic about which there are lots of people interested and have jumped through the hoops of setting up some sort of advertising accounts that will have subject-related ads to whatever it is you're writing.
All that it takes now is waiting for the money to roll in, right? Ah, if only.
As easy as it might be to start a blog, the process of monetizing takes a certain amount of effort and knowledge aside from the actual process of writing.
First, you have to be able to view blogging as a business.
This has been among the toughest issues for me as a writer; yes, I want to make money from blogging, but I don't understand some of the specific internet technologies that will help me in building the business within the already saturated blogosphere.
With that in mind, self-help entrepreneurs like Steve Pavlina and professional bloggers like Darren Rowse have dedicated significant portions of their blogs to educating aspirant bloggers on the technologies they use to increase revenue and traffic.
While Pavlina's style is a little abrasive for those of you turned off by egomania, his lists on some of the technologies of which you should be aware while building your business are among the most comprehensive on the web.
Rowse's site has a running commentary on the evolution of the blogosphere and the tricks added to the trade almost as soon as they surface.
You can also check into more writing-specific sites like Deb Ng's About Freelance Writing to see whether their lively discussions (and her constantly changing testaments to coffee) help at all with strategies for monetizing the blog you've already spent so much time building up.