Samuel Johnson (1709–84), author
Writing personal thoughts rather than just snarky posts about news items is very difficult and more time consuming. I find that Jack over at Jack’s Shack does it quite well
when he does it. Also Lorianne at Hoarded Ordinaries is excellent (that is not hyperbole) in all her writing, but I find the more personal posts about her previous marriage engrossing. I have a very hard time with such writing. I wrote about the “An Overlooked Casualty of Divorce,” but that is about as personal I can get. From time to time, I have some ideas but it’s rare that I will actually write about it. I can’t even keep a journal because I find it awkward to write my thoughts in that.As blogging fades as a craze and readers and bloggers fade away, I keep coming very close to hanging it up and saying that I have been there and done that. Unfortunately for my limited free time, I keep finding something to post about.
I think writing is a good exercise and even if the only visitors are those looking for why Hopper Rolls Over in his Grave or a Bjork video, I try to think as Cormac McCarthy when he told Oprah, I don’t care if anyone reads my books. He means it too. The man lived in poverty for many years. I enjoy people coming by, but the few people who stop by it also means less self-imposed pressure and I can write for myself.
In any case, this was a personal thought shared. Whether I keep blogging or not, I have no idea, it’s a day-to-day proposition, but I suspect I will, having hung up blogging regularly back in October of 2005, I have no desire to resume that pace. This casual pace of writing as I feel like it is not too bad.
6 comments:
Don't be silly. When you choose to write you are a fine writer.
On the Mark says: I always enjoy reading your posts and seeing your graphics that accompany them. I'd like to start picking it up again. I enjoyed writing my pit bull post, although it was difficult to re-live the attack.
Thanks Jack, but my point is that writing about my grandparents as you do about yours would be very difficult for me. Sharing deep personal feelings does not come easily to me.
On The Mark, Thanks, if I didn't spend time hunting for the pictures and finding quotes, posting might not be so time consuming.
Your comments on the earthquake have me nervous as hell, even though I have been hearing about that for years. I hope I keep only hearing about for years to come.
FWIW,
It is very hard for me to write these sorts of posts. It is not the kind of thing that I talk about.
In fact, if you asked most of my family/friends they'd tell you that you aren't ever going to hear this kind of stuff from me.
The blog has been an outlet, forced at times, but an outlet in which to vent.
One of the things I like best about blogging (as both a blogger & a reader of blogs) is the way each writer can decide exactly what the genre includes. Some folks blog snarky bits, some blog politics & current events, and others blog more personal stuff. I don't think any one of these categories is better or more "real" than the others...they just represent a few of the many options available to bloggers.
It would be a shame if Stephen King hung up his pen because he's not writing the same kind of thing that Danielle Steele writes. Just as there are many different genres within the category of "books," there are many different genres within the category of "blogs." A blog is merely a publication medium. The content is entirely up to each writer to determine.
Hey, don't dare stop.. I love the stuff that makes the cut and gets posted here.
I think we all think those thoughts sometimes, but thankfully, the less talented listen to them, I think that's because we aren't normal, and thank God for that. ;-) I'd miss you if you stopped.
I said a similar thing to Pia at Courting Destiny the other day, even a #1 blogger like her gets the blues and the self-doubt.
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