They told me that it was a mistake to write about getting arrested for using the salami of death upon another person so it stands to reason that you shouldn’t blog about having sex with a nun either. I wanted to ask if it made a difference if she was known as Sister Mary Incredible but something told me that it wouldn’t be appreciated either.
I suppose that the logic behind all this would suggest that I shouldn’t say things like I Wish Some Of You Would Just Shut Up but that I could share What Is A Dad Blogger? Or How One Man Made Millions From Blogging. Because let’s face it any time we write about making money from blogging it generates interest. People may not comment, but you better believe that they will read the post.
Hell any time I blog about blogging I see a spike in traffic and engagement. That is a good thing, right. That was a rhetorical question. It should make the grammar snobs happy but it may lead me to rant about how many people don’t understand how this business works. I am tempted to link to a post another blogger wrote about how his amazing blog was so successful he blew out his server and quit his job only to have to beg readers to help support him.
I won’t do that because if he really is that successful he doesn’t need my traffic and if he isn’t he doesn’t need my traffic because his dishonesty irks me. Besides the point of this post is to ask about whether we as bloggers need a tribe and or do we need labels. We’ll address more of that in a moment but first I want to share some quotes about writing that caught my eye.
They hit the spot because I relate to them and some of you will too.
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.† Robert Frost
“I haven’t any right to criticize books, and I don’t do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can’t conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.†Mark Twain
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of. †Joss Whedon
“The reason that fiction is more interesting than any other form of literature, to those who really like to study people, is that in fiction the author can really tell the truth without humiliating himself.† Eleanor Roosevelt
“No, it’s not a very good story—its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have to the one coming from inside.” Stephen King
Rhythm and Writing
Boxing is called the sweet science because when it is done properly there is an art to it. There is a reason why they talk about boxers and brawlers. When I think of them I picture two men. One is huge, musclebound and physically imposing. You look at him and know that if he catches you he is going to crush you. Won’t take more than a couple of shots.
The other guy isn’t physically imposing in the same sense of the word. There is a quiet calm about him. He is a technician in the ring. He is capable of the knockout but typically he beats you because he knows when to throw combinations and when to back off.
I want to be a combination of the two, always have. I like to think of being able to go with shock and awe- just bludgeon you to death with a series of haymakers that knock you silly. But I also like the smart guy who doesn’t have to rely upon brawn to win.
When it comes to blogging I like both ways. When I am feeling it I like to just write with reckless abandon. There is a rhythm that I can feel, see and touch. Sometimes I lose it and I have to dig deep and find a way to get it back.
The last few days have been like that. I have felt like the brawler. I am wading into the fray and just swinging. I am getting pounded on too, but that is ok. I like forcing myself to write when I am not feeling it because there is a benefit to it.
I like training myself to be able to write regardless of situation or circumstance. And I like it because I often find that when I gut it out I come up with something really cool. I come up with a post that I am really proud of and that is always worth working for.
What do you think?
Thank you from the bottom of my literary soul for the Mark Twain quote. I too have felt the exact sentiments about Jane Austen’s writing. The rest of the article is wonderful too, however I just stilled my evil chuckling long enough to comment here. Thanks again!
I think that when you combine focus with action you grow. When you respond to thoughts and promptings, and work even when your brain or body lean towards distractions you grow. It’s like that for me when I draw, and it was the pattern I experienced when I danced. Being in “the zone” helped at the moment. It’s never hard to get there. But looking back at the results (the posts, the performances, the pictures) are what remind me that there’s only one way to get there….work. Some days are ugly. Some seem miraculously easy. Both have their place. I can control neither. So I just try to do my version of consistent!