1. I enjoy having a platform.
2. I like exercising my Writing Muscles.
3. I value and appreciate the relationship I have with my Commenters.
4. I think the blog community is an important one.
5. I feel the platform of the blog has more depth and maturity than social media.
As I said in a previous Challenge post, I started my blog as a way to practice what I preached to my Creative Writing students, that writers write. I've continued it, however, far into retirement because I still find it valuable, interesting, fun, and rewarding. I'm constantly intrigued (and frankly, astonished) by the number of people who choose to read me, both on the site and by email subscription or feed.
And I'm appreciative, of course.
While social media is more immediate, often self-centered, and brief, I like the thoughtfulness of blog posts. I like the fact that there is some time and effort that goes into writing each one (at least I put that into each one of mine). Platforms like facebook and Twitter are quick hits and fluff. I feel that blogs offer something of more substance. I view mine as my newspaper column of sorts.
Finally, I can't stress enough how much I love the interaction in my Comments section. I care very much what response my writing evokes; it makes every writer happy to know that their words have prompted a response, a memory, an action, or a thought. I feel fortunate to be able to know what those are on this platform, and to be able to engage right back is such a luxury and privilege. I've made some very good Virtual Friends on my site, and I'm grateful.
I'm also grateful for those of you who have read (and commented upon) all or most of these THIRTY posts this month. Your kind loyalty was such an encouragement to me.
My question to all of you is why do you blog? Or, if you don't currently have a blog, why not?
I admire that you got through the challenge with flying colors. I did the NaNoWriMo challenge once (write a book in a month) and it was fun but, boy, that last week I really had to push myself and I came up short on my word count. I can imagine you experienced days when you really didn't want to tackle the topic given.
ReplyDeleteJean--Thanks. I can't imagine myself tackling that challenge, writing a book in a month. I think I'd feel less than creative, more like bossed around.
DeleteI did feel a bit blah about several topics, but it was a blessing to have topics in advance. That's often the most difficult part, coming up with something to write about (which is why I often go so long between posts).
I like this post most of all...it really gives us insight as to your reason to blog faithfully. And, I truly enjoy reading you. By the way, I must say your reason #5 is spot on!!
ReplyDeleteAnni--Thank you so much. I know I lost a raft of readers to fb, and blogging lost a ton of writers that way, too. It's so much quicker and easier to read and write quick hits. And the allure of fb is strong. Finding people you used to go to school with, work with, etc. and having an easy way to stay in touch is like magic. But I often wonder: if those people were so fun, important, or central to your life to begin with, why didn't you make the effort to stay in touch to begin with?
DeleteThose platforms like Twitter and fb could be fine, but they get taken over by Immaturity and Hate. I've yet to see that in blogs, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.
Congratulations on writing 30 consecutive (and very engaging!) posts! I am grateful that I have had a bit more time than usual to read and comment on them, albeit not every one.
ReplyDeleteI started blogging about a year after you did when blogging was in its heyday. It was fun to have an outlet for writing and also to enjoy the feedback from readers as well as comment on their blogs. Sadly, I had to give it up sometime in 2010 when I was deep into studying for my M.A. and still also working full time teaching high school. I simply did not have one more ounce of time to write anything decent and also respond to commenters as well as do my own blog-hopping to read other people's blogs and respond to them. So I settled for frequenting the blogs I most liked (yours was my No. 1!). Pretty much all of the blogs I followed back then have fizzled out. I was really glad that yours kept on going.
I might return to blogging after retirement. Who knows? I have to admit, I do have a FB account and use it fairly frequently, but this is mostly because FB connected me to a lot of my dearest friends in Spain, who do not blog, and whom I would never have re-connected with if not for FB. That means a lot to me, and is the primary reason I keep up with it. A few years ago, I was invited by a FB friend to join a very limited, private group of like-minded liberals on a page created for political commentary, and I have enjoyed that aspect enormously, especially during the last 4 years! Other social media outlets are a wash for me; don't really need Pinterest, Instagram or anything similar.
Congrats again for your 30 wonderful posts this month and for keeping up simultaneously with feedback on everyone's comments. I Am In Awe!
Ortizzle--Thank you so much. And I always enjoy your engaging comments. You've been with me a long time, long enough that we've become friends.
DeleteYou do bring up a good point about what it takes to be part of the blog community, and that is the reciprocity. I do visit other writer's sites and comment there. I respond to comments here. It is time-consuming, but, I feel, necessary.
No one here needs to defend fb to me or their embrace of it for any reason. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have happily reconnected with people they thought were long-gone from their lives. I know families who share all kinds of old photos and things on fb. If only there were a way to erase the destructive element of fb which has been so terribly pervasive.
Please don't be too awestruck with this accomplishment. Remember that I'm retired.
GREAT PROMPT. I blog because I love to take photos and write. In the way back beginning, I never dreamed I'd be writing from 2004 on. My blog roll pals are always interesting, and often encourage me to try new things. (from recipes to knit or crochet tricks) THe KINDNESS of this group is beyond any thing I could have imagined.
ReplyDeletekathy b--I can't take credit for these prompts; someone else came up with this challenge. All I had to do was write each post. ;-)
DeleteYou're right that we do have a very kind and encouraging group of blog friends. I always love to read what they have to say.
You made it, congratulations! I had no doubt. I haven't followed you for long but knew you were the type that would follow though on a commitment. I have looked forward to and have enjoyed every single one of your posts this month. I always enjoy your posts, but it's been so nice to know they would be daily during this time.
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about, there is a Blogging from A-Z challenge every April. I did it for years back in the old blogging days and will probably try to do it in 2021. You can't say no to a creative writing challenge can you? Well, of course you can, but if you are interested you can find the details at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
I think blogging has been mostly a socialization thing for me. I was always most active in times when I literally didn't have time for a social life. That's probably what brought me back to it during the pandemic. I didn't realize just how much I had missed it until I came back. What you wrote for #5 is so true. I enjoyed Instagram for several years in between blogging, it's instant gratification. I had thousands of followers, tons of likes and comments, but in the end only made a real connection with a very few. These days I also like to blog to keep track of things - like when my husband asks if the roast beef is still good, I can look at my menu plan to see when I made it lol, and of course for more serious things too.
Thanks for a fun month Nance, it was really nice learning more about you. I hope you won't make us wait too long before your next post.
Martha--What lovely things you had to say! Thank you so much. I do feel the weight of any commitment quite heavily. Trust is important to me.
DeleteInstagram is absolutely NOT for me; I don't take photos. Even now, when my phone is a camera, I still don't take pictures. I don't want to ruin the moment. So I suppose writing is my way of taking pictures sometimes. I also don't like the shallowness of people being able to just hit a LIKE button or a FOLLOW button, and then they get to claim a piece of you and your life. With my blog, you can read me and move on or, if you want to get personal, you have to write your thoughts.
I did an A-Z construct a couple of years back. It was fun. I didn't do it daily, though.
I'll take a little time now, but I'll try to post more regularly. Thanks again for such kind words.
I like your idea of your blog being like a newspaper column, because that is what it reminds me of, in a good way. I’m glad you did this challenge, and I have enjoyed reading all of your thoughtful posts. I loved blogging between 2005, when I started, and maybe 2013. I still like it, but so many of my friends/readers have shut down their blogs, and I haven’t found myself engaged enough to search out new blogs, so it is not the same for me anymore. Admittedly my fault for losing my mojo. I’m not sure why I keep it up, but I do wish I could motivate myself to try to find more of a community, as you have done so well.
ReplyDeleteJ--Thank you.
DeleteYou're right--blogging has drastically changed since its heyday in the early 2000s. The movers and shakers of that era went on to monetize their blogs, got book deals, and moved on to other things. Facebook took over, Twitter rose, and blogs became passe. Some of us diehards stuck around, but we were like nomads after a nuclear strike, trying to find each other in a wasteland.
I go to read new blogs every once in a while when I like someone's comment on another blog. If I read a few of their posts and like what they have to say and how they say it, I stick around.
I do hope you continue with your blog and that your mojo comes back full steam. I enjoy your perspective on so many things, and I always enjoy reading you.
Dee--I like keeping up with your knitting and other stitching projects. And, of course, Giroux. Thanks for hanging in there with me this month and always.
ReplyDeleteI do not have a blog and must say I do not think I would want to do the work to maintain a blog. However, I do love reading blogs and have quite a list that I check each day. It is part of my morning routine now that I am retired. I love when I comment and get a response. Especially during this time of COVID, it has been a wonderful way to keep connected with others. I enjoy that I can keep in touch with people all over the world - like pen pals everywhere!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all of your posts!
Ellen--I love your analogy of blogs/bloggers/commenters being like pen pals. It's really like that, especially when there is an active back-and-forth in the Comments section. And during this pandemic, the outreach of blogs and comments is even more enjoyable and, in some cases, important to the lives of many. The connection, as you say, is so pleasant and something to look forward to.
DeleteThere is a certain amount of work to maintaining a blog, but it depends upon how much of a perfectionist you are and how involved you want to get. I probably make it far more worky than it has to be.
I'm glad to be on your list of daily blogs. I hope I can keep my spot there. And I'm so glad you enjoyed my November posts.
This has been a lot of fun! I think I commented on every post except one (explanation below). I admit that I do FB and Instagram (mostly Instagram - and mainly to keep myself "woke" - I follow a lot of activists and people with an "evolving faith" similar to mine).
ReplyDeleteI started my blog because I was hopping around commenting on other people & thought I should reciprocate with my thoughts. And I hoped it would help me learn to love writing again. It mostly worked, for a while. Lots of bad poetry and little essays... Then I lost my writing mojo & now I mainly post my weekly photo journal which is mainly so that I can remember when things happened. I go to my blog ALL THE TIME to find things out. For example, my doctor was asking about my colonoscopy and I found the date on my blog right away. Ha!
I love reading the things that you post and I really hope you'll feel motivated to post once a week or so (we're going to go through withdrawal otherwise!).
Now, about the post where I didn't comment. It was the one about what do you look forward to. There are lots of reasons why I don't let myself look too far ahead, but what kept sticking in my mind after reading your post & the other comments is that I DON'T WANT TO STOP WEARING MY MASK! I like that people can't see my face because I have resting bitch face, and also no poker face & I betray my feelings all the time. And, the number one reason I don't want to stop wearing a mask is that it has been a breath of fresh air to only have to do mustache maintenance once a week. Do you think I need to find a solution other than wearing a mask? Ha!
The Bug - I love your commentary on mask-wearing. I, too, have a 'resting bitch face' and, honestly, I love it that I can mumble unheard (usually obscene) comments under my mask at the supermarket at a$$holes who don't wear a mask or pull it down below their chins after entering the store. (Also, of course, saves on make-up duty, although I still have to do the eyebrows of which I have none.)
DeleteBug--It's interesting, your reason for involvement in social media. I never thought of that--keeping current with those in contemporary movements and social causes you believe in. I do read widely in varying media and try to stay current in general, but having a direct channel to individual people in those movements is obviously far more immediate. I can respect that.
DeleteI know lots of people who use their blog as a personal reference. I do the same thing myself. My memory is quite poor; I rely on my blog often to recall certain events or the time frame of something, like my shoulder surgery or when we got the new refrigerator. I can't always just ask Jared, whose memory is almost eidetic. And tied to sports news and events.
Thank you for your compliments about my writing here. I will try to post every week; I promise.
I can understand what you say about feeling relieved wearing a mask. You're not the first person I've heard that from. My younger son Sam has said the same thing. He works with the public every single day, and he finds the mask a blessed relief. It's like a shield of privacy and a restful reprieve. You're not alone.
As far as your Personal Care Situation, that's such a pain. Maybe one of my commenters can assist you with a miracle product, or at least a very helpful one.
Ortizzle - a coworker was just saying today that it's nice to mouth off at people without them knowing it (& if you knew her you would just howl with laughter because, unlike me, she is NOT the kind of person to mouth off to someone).
DeleteWell done, you. As to why I blog (when I blog, that is), I do it because I love to write. There are no posts on my site at the moment but I have just finished a thirty page photo and written record of our daughters' time here at The Farm. And my printer quit on page 2 of printing same. Since the book has to be sent to Pakistan, time is of the essence and so I am presently surfing to see who has a photo printer of proper quality IN STOCK. I may or may not put up a whiny blog about all this ... sometime in February. Because when I finish the damn book, I have to do the dreaded Christmas letter. Yeah. As I said before, congrats on 30 consecutive days of fun and interesting posts.
ReplyDeleteMary--Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just take the book to a professional printer's? Is that an option? Good luck with all your projects.
Pro printer is Option two. To get to a good one is just about as far as getting to a retail store with printers for sale. I want a working printer, so getting and installing a new one is the priority. The box with the new printer is now sitting in my office. Confession time ... I edit and reedit and have to race the deadline. Every damn time.
DeleteI think you nailed my reasons in your post....there is just more substance in a blog (mine...not always!!!) and more of a personality comes through. There is a reason to write...a reason to create...and a reason to share. Honestly, sometimes when I was on facebook it seemed the only reason people posted things was to inflame discontent. Not my thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd every once in a while, you find someone who truly speaks to you in your 'language'.
steph--I think people who write a blog are more authentic and are more writerly, usually (not always). Facebook gets personal in a far different way than I do, anyway, online. I think blogs have better manners; let's just say that. And are far less impulsive.
DeleteI like your use of the word Reason as well. I don't write unless I have a Reason. My posts are Reasoned and thought out. I don't get the impression that there's a whole lot of that on fb.
Good thoughts here.
I love it.
ReplyDeleteR's Rue--Hi, and welcome to the Dept.
DeleteThat's a very succinct answer to the question. I'll take it.
I love your blog; you are very though provoking.
ReplyDeleteMe? I just love to share our daily life and I really started my blog for my Mom to see what we were up to since we didn't live in the same state.
I love to make people laugh.
I love to document my life and I honestly DO go back to see what happened/when/where.
I also love my commenters; it's like having a nice conversation with friends.
BB Suz--Thank you. If I can make anyone do some Thinking, I'm happy with that.
DeleteSo many bloggers appreciate having an easy-to-access record of their lives. It helps keep track of things and is a sort of public diary. (Hence the term Blog, duh, short for Web Log; yes, we all know that.)
Commenters are the best. I echo your sentiments wholeheartedly there.
Joared--In my attempt to delete the comment you deleted, Blogger also deleted your reply to your deleted comment, which contained your rewritten comment. I'm sorry.
ReplyDelete(If you understood any of that, which now sounds like an Abbott and Costello routine!)
Here's your comment, via my email:
I blog for many of the same reasons you mentioned, especially the comparison of blog writing versus that on other social sites. I don't visit most blogs every day though. Due to trolls and those seeking free advertising or promotion they embed in their comments I have had to begin moderating comments daily on my blog for some time. Blogging has given me a pleasure writing some of which I previously indulged only in personal letters to friends and family. Coincidentally, with my aging, so many of my also aging correspondents dying, blogging has taken on a new significance for me. I value the blogging buddies I’ve encountered who have become virtual friends in a way I had not anticipated, especially when I became widowed soon after I was on my own but with family living out of state. The pandemic has only served to magnify my appreciation of blogging, especially now that here in Southern California we are urged to stay in our homes, to not physically socialize with others as we did, in order to avoid contracting or spreading this virus.
Joared--Now, my response!
DeleteAs to trolls or commercial responses, I require Commenters to have a Google account and I don't allow anonymous comments. That cuts down on a great deal of spam. And any comments older than two weeks go to Moderation. I rarely have any Spam at all.
Your point about writing a blog gaining new significance during this time is one many people have shared, both here and elsewhere. It's yet another way to maintain some kind of human contact, a relationship, during these times. I agree. I appreciate our circle of friends.
Who's on first??? Ha. I didn't know I could do all you do with Commenters. I thought it was just simply a matter of moderating all or not, much less being able to set up moderation for old comments differently from current ones. I just have one creep trying to sneak in porno comments and a series of comments to various old posts seeking free advertising or promotion -- that may all be the same person, or not.
DeleteYou really did a phenomenal job on this series, Nance. And your thoughts and prompt give me pause. And not for the first time. I've largely lost my readers who are willing to take the time to comment on gfe. But is that because I post so much on my gfe Facebook page and respond to comments there? I discuss this from time to time with of my best friends who is also a gf blogger friend. I wonder if I left FB entirely and only communicated on gfe, if they'd come back and chat there. Many of my comments in early days came from gluten-free blogging friends. Many of those friends are no longer blogging. Lots of gf bloggers now only comment if it's a check on their checklist in sharing groups. Few things have been more offensive and obnoxious to me than that type of transactional relationship. I simply won't participate despite knowing that it does work as far as bringing readers. But are they readers who will stay? Doubtful. Anyway, your community here is truly wonderful and I applaud you for it.
ReplyDeleteWhy I blog ... to help those who go gluten free live gluten free easily with real food, naturally gluten-free food and recipes made from it--i.e., not go down the path of a gazillion products, many of which still taste like cardboard and cost at least one hour's worth of minimum wage. And to dispel BS in the gluten-free community. There's a lot of BS--at both ends of the spectrum. Folks being told that products labeled gluten free and put out by big mainstream companies are perfectly safe for them to eat when they're not and folks being told that lots of perfectly safe products are unsafe for them to eat. I've been gluten free for 17 years now and this overall situation has only gotten worse not better. Obviously, blogging is something I struggle with a bit (or a lot) now and that didn't seem to be the case when I first started almost 12 years ago.
Thanks for making me think but most of all thanks for being here!
Shirley--Thank you! I can't take credit for the prompts; they were someone else's, except when I freestyled and replaced my own a couple of times.
DeleteI'm sure you're right that your fb page has become more of your center, based upon your description of the activity. Perhaps that's just a more natural fit for you, at least right now. Chatting there, directing them to your blog for the bulk of your recipes and philosophy.
I get what you mean by the transactional relationship of strafing blogs with comments and hoping for new readers. I can always spot them, especially when they make only generic comments or come right out and invite you to their blog. I don't waste time with them.
As I've told you many times, I've recommended your blog to dozens of people as a valuable resource. It's wonderful to be able to do that, knowing you personally and knowing I can trust all the information there to be safe and accurate (and tasty). As a matter of fact, Rick and I had The Great Salad last night with dinner (I always add apple). It's his favourite!
XXOO