I've been having some blurry thoughts about blogging in the last few weeks and months. I feel all conflicted about it, and perhaps unnecessarily so. But still, I have so many questions and vague ideas and I want to make sure I'm doing this right. Often I feel like an impostor.
I've decided a few things about blogging:
I love it. I do. Genuinely. I love that it forces me to write, and I love that I get to talk to all of you guys.
It feels obsolete. In some ways, it really does feel like blogging has gone the way of payphones. Maybe a few people still use them, but you gotta kind a look at them a little suspiciously, and wonder why. People post funny GIFS and videos all the time, but I don't know the last time someone on my Facebook or someone even IRL was talking about a blog post they'd read.
It still feels necessary. So, even though blogging isn't The Thing anymore, and even though its not going to sell books or make me wildly popular, I'm still very glad I have it, and am definitely not giving it up. To me blogging is sort of like a dictionary for any given writer. The dictionary itself isn't going to be the glitz and glam that gets the career going (probably not, anyway) but its important to just have it there, so people can come back to check it every once in a while.
The Chuck Wendig vs. Anne R. Allen philosophies. Chuck and Anne are two of my all-time favorite bloggers, but for completely different reasons. I actively look forward to Anne's weekly posts because they are by far the most informative of pretty much any blog out there. She goes in depth, and makes sure every topic and angle is well covered. Its a master class in being a writer. Chuck, on the other hand, posts irregularly and his content is widely varied. He posts his own photography, or flash fiction contests. His blog you can pop in whenevs, get some laughs, have a good time, and head out. In my ideal blogging world, I want to have both sides. I dunno if its possible, but I'd like to.
I don't like giving writing advice. Both Chuck and Anne give great advice, but I've noticed something: its less about how to write and more about how to be a writer. The business and lifestyle side of things. That makes sense to me, because I don't know if I like sort of anonymous writing advice. A person improves there writing by learning from people and mentors in real life, and especially by having other people read their actual writing.
So with all that in mind, I'm trying to figure out what I really want to do with this here blog. I want to do some exciting cool things with it. I know I couldn't be another Anne or Chuck. I'm not as funny as Chuck, and not nearly as smart and wise as Anne. So I'm trying to figure out me as a blogger, especially given that I haven't published yet. (Still working on that. I'll be working on that till the day I die).
So here's my question: What are your favorite blog topics? And who are your most regularly checked, consistently favorite bloggers?
I'll take all the ideas I can get :)
Write on!
Sarah Allen
There's only one Anne, so you'll have to be you.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you blog about, make sure it's something you're passionate about. That's what has keep it exciting for me after over six years.
sorry, I've no idea for you. I like to read various blogs but anything that has humor gets me to come back but as you said, anne & chuck's blogs are definitely the types I would visit, but I think my taste depends on the day or my mood. I think most readers are just glad to be reading any blog, I know I would. & I agreed with you that blogs are a little bit that an old practice and as most people have moved onto twitter or instagram, I still stick to blogs because I think it's the type of platform that is easy and you can do it your way.
ReplyDeleteanyway, hope you have a lovely day.
Believe it or not, your blog is my favorite one. It's one of only about 3 that I read regularly (and the other two are written by people I know IRL. I think that what I love about your blog is that I feel like I can relate to what you're saying, even if you're just reflecting about something you've recently learned about writing or if you're questioning some part of yourself that you thought you had figured out, but maybe realized you hadn't. I'm interested in developing a career as a writer (though I'm rarely sure about what I'm doing or whether I'm on the right track). I also have great appreciation for Benedict Cumberbatch, Pride & Prejudice, Colin Firth, and Frasier. So anyway, I feel like I learn a lot from you as you report your journey and I always take your recommendations for tv and movies very seriously. :)
ReplyDeleteSarah, you write, so you're a writer, and a delightful one at that. I enjoy all your blog posts - and blogs are definitely not gone. You can still choose a blog on just about any subject and follow it.
ReplyDeleteSarah I like your blog and this post in particular spoke to me. Like you, I'm unpublished as yet and starting to have that 'will it ever happen?' feeling. I find blogs helpful for writing advice, links to competitions and places to submit work, but also for mutual encouragement. Funnily enough, it was starting my writer's blog that helped me to see myself as a writer, and to 'come out' as such to the wider world - and that made all the difference to my attitude and ambition. I have just given up my day job to spend more time writing. Scary and challenging, but blogs like yours keep me going.
ReplyDeleteSarah! I always rave about your blog. It's hard to get published and I've never thought that that's what makes a writer a writer- it's someone who writes. Publishing is so often about what's marketable at the time, and has little to do with talent or skill. I find your blog incredibly useful as an aspiring author, and the fact that you're actively trying to be published is relatable. Just thought I'd throw out how much I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI started blogging to record my path towards publication - the fact other people read it, is a bonus. I love your blog, by the way, just as it is.
ReplyDeleteI've change a lot with my blogging over the years (coming up on 9 years) so I couldn't even begin to offer any kind of tangible advice for topics. I know I originally started blogging to both practice my writing and avoid censorship issues (except for when I censor myself). As for reading, it still varies a lot, but it always leans towards blog written by writers. Whether new, established or somewhere in between, all are fascinating to read.
ReplyDeleteFather Nature's Corner