I’ve been tracking our survey for this blog (you can take it here) and “Writing”, as a topic for me to focus on, has pulled even further ahead, with “Reading” and “Publishing” tied for a respectable second focus.
{ For those bothered by the punctuation in the title of this post, I admit to maverick grammar :-}
As far as that dictum to write every day, go ahead and put write+every+day into Google and you’ll find thousands of reasons.
Naturally, as with most things writerly (and with due attention paid to the incredible diversity of temperaments in the writing-fold) there are good reasons, in many cases, for not writing every day. However, laziness or fear or lack of self-esteem are not viable reasons. In fact, those are quite powerful reasons to kick oneself in the butt and make the effort to write every day…
Can blogging fulfill this potent habit?
Let’s say you’re a genre-writer and you’re quite focused on staying in the groove of your genre as you work on your writing. And, further, let’s say you’re having a devil of a time getting around to writing every day.
Let’s further assume you believe in the dictum of writing every day but various damn good reasons (like needing the extraordinarily important time to mull things over so your unconscious mind can give you fresh inspiration) are imposing restrictions on daily writing…
O.K. So, could blogging be used to let you continue to write even though your blog may not be a “genre” blog?
Hmmm… As I finished writing that last sentence, I wondered about “genre blogs”–blogs that stay within the conventions of a genre–that convey bloggy-type info delivered in the style of the genre… Hmmm…
Even committed genre-writers have said it’s good to stretch one’s writing boundaries from time to time. So, when the genre-genii are busy with deep musing, why not post to a blog, even if, or especially if, you write like most bloggers do–topical or newsy or tip-filled or pontifical or inspirational posting?
Sure, if you want to use a blog as part of generating an author’s platform, you need to post at least three times a week. And, it’s absolutely true that blogging shouldn’t replace your writerly-writing, but…
Even if you only blog on the days your “normal” writer’s-mind is engaged in other activities, you can give yourself some wonderful writerly exercise. {o.k., I’ll stop using “writerly” now :-}
I started this blog to help me erect my author’s platform. I’ve done enough blogging in the past that I knew a committment to posting six times a week would be maximally beneficial.
The wonderful part is that the blog has become much more than a way to meet folks and let them form opinions of me, which might lead to them wanting to check out my books. It’s now my daily devotion–my exercise in wordsmithing–my easily accepted challenge to let my creativity flow, wide-open, full-out…
And, in spite of all my hullabaloo, I actually have a conflict (positive, energy-generating conflict) that my recent inclusion of writer-interviews on this blog has cut into the time I have to just be me on this blog. Truthfully, though, the days I only introduce another writer and turn the space over to them are creating lots more steam to power the days I get to hog the platform :-)
Have I given you enough to think about?
Are you in a position to start a blog?
Do you think it can help build your writing muscles?
If you’re already blogging, are you inspired to do a little more of it?
Has this post confused you?
Have I asked enough questions to encourage some of you shy folks to leave your comment?? :-)
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