Originally, I started this blog because I was preached at about the importance of developing a writer’s platform and all that. Everyone within a 5-degrees-of-separation radius of me already knows I’m not the writer’s advice following, “tell about your morning in chronological order using each first letter in the musical scale” exercise writing, all-forms-of-annoying-social-network plugging (where no one remembers their login name in six months)-type person. No really, it’s true. That, and maybe I’m a tad too critical of the above advice in the first place.
“Which is it going to be? Me or that blog garbage?”
Hulk (Photo credit: Pablo SSt.)
But I like blogging. I mean, I really like it. So, I’ve had to find a balance between blogging and storytelling the way I think it should work ideally. Sometimes I spend too much time with my blogger-side and neglect my story-writing side. When this happens, I suffer a sort of separation anxiety. It’s like living life in shallow breaths. The currents of unrest seethe until I turn into the writer-withdrawal version of The Hulk and roar my ireful frustration to the world–or to someone unlucky enough to be nearby. That’s just how it is. My fiction-writing side rocks off its axis when I’m not lost in my plots regularly. Plus, my stories get lonely. They need to spend time with me.
I think I understand why many authors chose to release their work posthumously. It wasn’t because they were afraid to connect. They were trying to prioritize their time. They were the ones who worked without the platform, so they didn’t have the accolades and critiques of their peers ringing in their ears to tempt them into neglecting their work. In some ways, I think they were smart.
But they are dead.
Balance is, oh, so difficult. I’m trying to tell myself that it is okay to write part of a blog post and finish it when I’m ready, and in the meantime I can write “fun stuff” or things that are never meant to be published, and do those important adult things like the dishes. Surely if I wrote a paragraph or two a day, I could have a blog post once every week or two. Maybe? I’m not sure if my thoughts work that way, but it might be worth giving it a try to see if I can restructure my working process.
I jot down bits and pieces of blog thoughts when they come to me and keep them in an idea file. It’s like they are marinating and aren’t viewable until they’re ready, usually in essay form. This takes forever, and that’s what I did when I first started blogging. Now I’m giving myself monthly assignments. “Just for this month,” I persuade. Psyching myself out is the only way I can get myself to cooperate.
Boy, can I ever relate to this post of yours. I started a blog because I was told I needed it as an author. I can’t stand social networking, but blogging completely addicted me! I rarely use the other outlets (but will need to eventually). A year ago, I wrote a blog post about how this media hooked me. Thanks for posting this. Glad to know I’m in good company.
http://loreezlane.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/confession-from-a-novice-blogger/
I don’t mind social networking that is motivated by friendly chit-chat, helpful tips, keeping in touch, etc. It’s this “come shop my ebusiness website!” plugging and “here’s the memo for our next event,” etc. that drives me crazy. It’s like calling someone to talk business and never hanging up! I don’t want to do that to my friends.
Very cute post. As you can tell, I liked it. I had trouble with the pingback, too. With my first pingback, the writer didn’t even mention my blog or anything remotely related to it. (Well, it was about writing…
) Talk about confusing!
Thanks, Lori!
Sometime I think that balance is as elusive as the Fountain of Youth. And maybe the upside of publishing posthumously is not having to read negative reviews.
Lol. And there has to be a proverb about that, like, “The balance is in the imbalance.” Or something equally wise-sounding and confusing.