It may have taken us a while (well two years in fact) but the Been there blog is about to get a new lease of life. Written by travellers, for travellers it's going to be a great way of 'being there' without actually, erm, being there. As long as everyone gets involved, that is.

Do you know a particular city intimately? Perhaps you already have a blog about the quirkiest cafes within sight of a beach or an epic roadtrip you've enjoyed. Maybe you have experienced a fantastic home-cooked meal as you travelled far away from your actual home. Let the Been there community know!

First you have to register on the Been there site. Although not hard, this process can test the patience of a saint at times (we promise you we are working on it) so hang in there and get it done. Then, along with your new username, send us around 400 original words on an aspect of your travels and if you have your own blog pop a link for that into it too. Be original, be informative and give everyone a taste of what it's like to be you in your world and on your travels. Email your musings to: been.there@guardian.co.uk

Check out recent entries about London and Manchester for inspiration.

Remember that the essence of the blog is to give readers a sense of 'being there.' Include detail and links and if you have a picture even better.

While we would never dream of telling anyone how to write a blog, here are some ideas for those of you who are newbies to the blogging sphere:

1. Ideally blogs should be around 300 - 400 words long. There's a lot to be said for the short and sweet blogpost. A post that's just four lines long saying hey, look at this, it's interesting can be just as useful as a long considered piece on tide times on Bondi beach.

2. Don't leave getting to the point to the last paragraph.

3. Links are key to good blogging. Make sure you pepper your blogposts with them as a way of providing readers with context and background. When you mention a place try to link to its website or one about it. It's better to write links like this: I read a really fascinating comment piece... than like this: There's a really good piece here ...

4. Pictures can be vital to some posts. If you have a particular pic in mind, write a note on the top of your blog telling us what it is and where to find it.

What could you possibly be waiting for? been.there@guardian.co.uk