What do you people want from me?
by William Womack, October 5th, 2008
You know you’ve been away from blogging too long when you get a login prompt on your own admin control panel. I actually had to squint at the ceiling for a minute before I remembered my own username and password. Now that I’m back in, I think I’m about ready to start posting again. Deciding to resume blogging is the easy part, but what to say?
Blogging ought to be easier than this. For the first few months, I did okay with book reviews, tips and tricks, odd bits of writing inspiration. Then the well went dry. Over the summer, I kept writing on my novel and reading like a fiend, but organizing my thoughts about writing into bite-size, bloggable chunks got a helluva lot harder. It’s not that I didn’t have things to say exactly, I just grew unsure of what tone to take, and whether anyone really wants to hear this nonsense. Now that I’m re-launching the blog, I thought I’d take a look at the various genres of blog that I read, and maybe find a niche that I fit into.
Instructional
I’ve got a tweed jacket with elbow patches, and I’m not afraid to use it. Thing is, do you really want to read a blog on parts of speech? I suppose I could go on ad nauseum about story arcs and character development, maybe hit you with a pop quiz from time to time. But dig it: I don’t actually know enough to maintain that charade for long. And what I do know about storytelling I mostly got from a handful of how-to books and a couple of overpriced conferences. Do you really want a guy who plays by ear putting out his shingle as a piano teacher?
Funny
Everybody loves a laugh. Sometimes, people even laugh at with me. Hell, I admit it: the first blogs I read every morning are the funny ones. Lately I haven’t been in a very funny mood, though. Call it electionitis, or whatthefuckhappenedtomyincome, but things have taken a turn for the decidedly un-funny around these parts lately. If you live in the USA, you know what I’m talking about. So yeah, maybe I could pepper a little levity into my posts, but it’s hard to imagine doing it regularly. Besides which, have you ever watched the writing credits for a comedy TV show? It takes like eleventyhundred people to write a few tepid jokes on a weekly basis. Weekly, people! Oy, I’d need a bigger staff. You just smirked. Don’t lie.
Slice of Life (aka Cat Blog)
So I’m walking my dogs the other day, and a squirrel ran across the road right in front of us. I’m all like hey dogs, don’t run after that thing or you’ll get hit. They didn’t. Then we went home and I switched on the computer and got to work.
Riveting.
Seriously, how do so many bloggers have so many adventures every single day? They must not be writers. The writer’s life seems to consist of creaking out of bed every morning, putting on a pot of coffee, and sitting in front of a monitor tapping out wild and hairy tales of the life we’d be living if we didn’t spend every day making up stories about it. I guarantee you—a couple of real-life posts about my typical day, and you’d be running into traffic, too.
Here’s something funny: in the time it took me to bitch about all the things I couldn’t write about and that you don’t want to hear, I thought up several new topics for blog entries. It’s almost like the act of slapping the keys is enough to loosen the idea mill all on its own. Who knew? Ooh, I gotta write this stuff down quick before I forget.
While I’m jotting down notes, tell me; is there anything I’ve written here that you’d like to see more of? Anything I’ve missed that you thought a writer’s blog should cover? Want me to just write some damn thing and shut up about it already? That’s what the comment box below is for, man. Use it.
all the above, please. just keep writing!
also, chekhov might be useful here: “If you want to work on your art, work on your life.”
Thanks, gl. That’s Chekhov? Somehow I thought it was Sulu.
I know it.
It’s so hard to come up with a blog topic every. single. day.
Sometimes I just sit there and I’m all “I’ve got nothing to say today. Not one thing. Oh hell. I’ll just complain about my husband again.”
People seem to like it.
Dear William,
No need to fret. It’s not up to you!
Step away from your keyboard.
Put on some classical music (I prefer Debussy), lean back in that big Herman Miller chair of yours, and close your eyes.
Meditate, pray to your Creator, or whatever you go to in time of need, and find your center. Your core. Your real writing selfhood.
This does take some practice, but not to worry. It is at this critical juncture where we all find what we have been looking for. Without fail.
As I like to say, William:
“BE what you wish to see!”
All is well.
Regards,
Wayne C. Long
http://www.LongShortStories.com
It’s good to have you back! I enjoy those slice of life posts, especially when they’re tied in to writing. Kind of like, “I’m walking my dogs the other day, and a squirrel ran across the road right in front of us - and I immediately envisioned a new character for a story I’ve been writing…” Looking forward to more Words for Writers
I’m a fan of show’n'tell. Make something, then show it to us and talk about it.
You’re writing a novel — but that novel has no existence here on the blog. Excerpt a few paragraphs that you’ve written this morning, and talk about the meta-level… What you’re wrestling with in terms of composition, plot, and what it all *means.*
So long as you’re writing your novel, you’ve got material to talk about. It’s a sustainable blogging model.
It breaks a taboo, though. Painters, filmmakers, and writers I’ve talked to often don’t want to show anyone a work in progress… Why?
Perfectionism? Not wanting to show incomplete art that will make people think you’re human? Pfeh. Seeing a work in progress helps people invest in you.
Not wanting to give away the surprises? Pick your surprises and keep them — but the bulk of an artwork isn’t particularly surprising. Heck, if I’m reading little snippets of the book for months, that makes me MORE likely to buy it — not less.
Contractual obligations? Oh, well there you’ve got me.
Anyway, this is one of my little crusades: to get people to share their art on their blogs as they’re making it.
Do that, and you don’t have to worry much about what mask to put on in the morning — you get to be more yourself. And hey, if you’ve got deep, philosophical, professorial insights about what you’re making, you can share those too.
It’s an easy formula: pick something that you can actually show us… A photo, a snippet of text, a link, a book — then discuss that thing.
Show.
Then tell.
@Crissy - You just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working really well for you. For my part, I’ll keep reading.
@Wayne - Thanks for the words of encouragement. I spent the day tearing the house up, trying to find that Herman Miller chair. All that I found was this piece of crap Office Depot special by my desk. I guess that’ll have to do.
@Melissa - Gotcha. One slice of life with a side of lit, coming up. Hey, I decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. Look for a buddy request soon.
@Sven - You’re gonna make me drag my novel into this? You’re a glutton for punishment, sir. I’m not some shrinking violet that doesn’t want anyone to read his work, but usually I’m so into what I’m writing that the problems I’m trying to solve don’t occur to me until much later. You make a good point. I’ll try.