This is the first post on WaddingtonWrites — a personal blog built from scratch with a custom Node.js build pipeline. No frameworks, no bloat, just Markdown, HTML, and CSS.

Why Build From Scratch?

There are dozens of static site generators out there — Hugo, Eleventy, Astro, Jekyll — so why roll your own? Because sometimes the best way to understand something is to build it yourself.

The entire build script fits in a single build.js file. It reads Markdown, parses frontmatter, and spits out HTML. That's it. Here's the core idea:

const posts = loadPosts(sections);
generatePostPages(posts, sections);
generateSectionPages(posts, sections);
generateHomepage(sections);

No magic. No hidden abstractions. If something breaks, there's exactly one place to look.

What's Next

This blog is organised into sections — The Athlete, The Tourist, and The Technologist — each one a different lens on the same life. More sections can be added any time.

The best way to learn is to build. The best way to share is to write.

Stay tuned.