I love this blog. Make no mistake about it — I love this blog. But, still, I have posed a question to myself on many occasions — to blog or not to blog.
I’ve discovered many things about having a blog and maintaining a blog and being a blogger and how all of that sounds completely vain and self-professed and a touch nerdy.
Here’s something I discovered recently, blog is short for weblog, which, of course, was a word coined to be the abbreviation of… “we were very awkward and nerdy in high school and now we spew forth our teenage angst on the pages of our blogs hoping that you find us creative and awesome and mysteriously intelligent”.
One of the (many) problems with being a blogger is the blank stares and hushed whispers that often come from people who have discovered that you are a “blogger”. To squash these naysayers you must strive to have a successful blog.
I often question successful bloggers about how they do it all… how they maintain a popular blog while at the same time, growing as individuals and writers. The answer they give me is usually profound, “I don’t know…” (thank you, successful bloggers, for the insight).
Blogs are defined as… a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer (blogger). Okay… so far so good, I do that stuff. But still… how do I let people know I have a blog without sounding like… well, a nerdy putz?
A great way to get the word out that you have a blog is to mention it in everyday conversation as much as possible. You can always turn the conversation to somehow include mention of your blog: “…oh, you cooked out last night? Well, on my blog I one time mention starting a fire. Oh yes, I have a blog.”
Once you mention the fact that you have a blog the conversation usually… well, it usually has nothing to do with your blog. In fact, on occasion, I’ve heard a pin drop and a distant clock ticking away the seconds as I waited for a response to my self-professed bloggy greatness. The mention of the blog can have devastating consequences that cause you to remember the true meaning of “blog” — “we were very awkward and nerdy in high school and now we spew forth our teenage angst on the pages of our blogs hoping that you find us creative and awesome and mysteriously intelligent”.
Another way to get the word out that you have a (the ultimate) blog is to somehow secure a guest blogger appearance on some of the more popular blogs. In reality, some of these blogs have so many guest bloggers that you could actually just say you guest blogged on the site and it would take years before anyone could prove you wrong… as a matter of fact, I recently made a guest blog appearance on TMZ, oh wait, no, I meant Perez Hilton (this statement just gained me at least one reader and is totally false).
Now, if neither of those options do your blog stats any justice, you can use your blog to mention other blogs that are, truly, great blogs — you know, guilt by association. Find a blog that doesn’t suck, like this one from my friend The Black Addler (of course you’ll see that this blog does, in fact, suck but for a whole different reason). Also, mention a blog that pulls at the heartstrings of your reader(s) like this one about dog rescue stories by Julie Klam. Julie also happens to be a best-selling author and my close personal friend… umm, right Julie? Julie? She’s a little busy right now with a new book coming out and all. This brings me to another good way of proving to all that you have an okay (totally awesome) blog — the name drop.
Like for instance, say you happen to be close personal friends with someone like say… Allison Winn Scotch or Laura Zigman or Elizabeth Eslami or Joe Wallace. Spreading their names across your blog might hush the naysayers once and for all. (Are we all still on for coffee later? Call me!)
Unfortunately, once you point out to your readers what a non-sucky blog looks and feels and sounds like… you will soon start assessing all the reasons why your blog might suck. A few reasons might be:
- you choose a metaphoric background like, say… a puzzle (oh crap)
- you describe your blog as a means to help you work through your “life journey” (oh crap)
- you talk about how your blog can “fill your soul” (oh crap)
- you spew forth thoughts that sometimes make your reader(s) cringe with the honesty (oh crap)
- you are your blogs most frequent visitor (oh crap)
- you constantly jot down notes in your everyday conversations that you know will make a great blog post (oh crap)
- you describe why your blog could possibly suck to your reader(s) (oh crap)
In all (somewhat) seriousness, there were two very dark days since starting this blog that I came here with the intention of deleting the whole thing — just wiping it away. I can’t. I won’t (no matter how many petitions you send, so… stop already!). I guess only two days of thinking I needed this all to go away isn’t a bad average.
Sometimes I think this blog to be more of my personal journal and I left the key to it out on the kitchen table and the pesky neighbor came over and helped himself to my thoughts, my quirks, my pain, my words. Sometimes I think, “I can not believe I just pushed publish on that one”, and I laugh at the absurdity of my own thoughts — only to look back at some point during the day and have a wonderful comment make me glad I did. Sometimes I think, “wow, I hope no one I’m going to run in to today reads this and asks me questions”. Sometimes I think, “damn, I need to be funnier”.
So there it is… to blog or not to blog. I guess that’s the question (the fact that I’m still here should give you my answer).
Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite blogs and why? Yes… I’m possibly going to use this information to garner a guest blog spot — I have a blog you know.
In addition to being a superb blogger (and we all know since you were athletic and popular you couldn’t possibly have been nerdy) you are a great comedian! And so dead on right with your perceptions. (I’m still trying to figure out how to get more readers but am pretty sure I haven’t reached guest blogger status yet.) Thank you for making me smile.
Making someone smile (especially you) makes being silly and self-deprecating completely okay!
I haven’t reached guest blogger status yet either… *sigh*
Thanks for being here Julie!
Well that’s just about the most perfect summation of the bloggers’ angst I could ever imagine. So, of course, I’m going to have to Tweet it & post it to Facebook and send the link to all my long-suffering, bemused, and likely tired-of-my-blog-but-too-polite-to-say-it friends.
Laughing all the way to the next post.
Thank you! …and that comment made me smile and laugh all the way to the next post as well!
Thanks for stopping by and reading and commenting — that means a lot to me!
Running off to check out your blog (I bet your friends love it!)
I can’t even tell you the amounts of existential blog angst I suffer from daily.
I will never stop blogging because I’m a sucker, but I sure overthink it all the time. It’s exhausting.
Seems to me you are an excellent blogger of the highest caliber and should never stop.
Also, my fave blogs are http://www.lastylistmom.com/ and http://www.rockandrool.com and bernthis.com.
Thank you for coming here!!
Wow — what a nice compliment to wake up to this morning.
I am looking forward to exploring the logs you mentioned as well as yours.
Hope to see you again!!
ps — blog angst should be a new category on the DSM IV
You have a blog? Wow! Me too:)
Yes — I didn’t tell you already? Hmmm… I have a blog!
I may need therapy now. I share with you a traumatic experience, an experience that left me devastated and in need of medical assistance, and you make fun of me. If you could see the tears rolling down my cheeks right now, you would be rapt with guilt…Are you buying this? No? I didn’t think you would. Right, well, to be honest, Becky, your blog was one of my inspirations that led me to start my blog. I had never thought about myself writing a blog until I saw you and other friends doing it (and doing it so well) and I thought, well, it must be an okay and cool thing to do.
😉
I hope everyone who comes here takes the time to read your painful story — the visions in my head can not be erased… and I’ve tried desperately to erase them.
Thank you JP — that makes me smile a whole lot knowing this blog helped you make a decision to start your own (hysterical) blog.
Thank you!
Funny.
I only read five blogs and they are my favorites. They post consitently. Others I read don’t post so I wander over to them every once in a while.
I think one way to become a guest blogger is to ask people to be a guest on your blog. I was a guest on my friend’s blog once while she was on vacation. If you strictly mean being a guest on a “celebrity” blogger’s blog, then I couldn’t tell ya. I think the blogs I read get a lot of views. I think all of the blogs I read are writer’s blogs.
I don’t blog to write and grow as a writer. I blog to share Nia and information. I am soooo not a writer. I strive for short post. My comments are longer than my post!
HUGS to you, B!
You comments are wonderful and do, in fact, fill my soul!
Thank you for reading and commenting, and thank you for having your blog as well — I love going there and learning about Nia and all kinds of stuff.
You are awesome — #thatisall
Did you notice how I avoided your question asking us to name our favorite blogs in my first comment? Clever sidestep, huh? I have them listed, however, in my blogroll. There’s a blog listed there called “First Pages” that is excellent. I’m not sure who owns that blog but it is very fun to read.
Yes — I was wondering if I was going to need to confront you on that one.
I like to try to throw something funny in to the mix every once in a while to relieve the tension from the “self-discovery” emotional stuff — sometimes it works. 😉
LOL! This post made me laugh Becky, probably because it’s so true. I’m at that middle point of my blog seesaw, wondering if I should blog or not. I love your sense of humor about it all.
Thanks Kristin.
I figured I better throw in something funny once in a while because my posts are usually NOT too funny!
It’s a tough decision… to blog or not.
When I think about it, seriously, I always feel a connection to this blog and my emotions that I leave here or express here. It’s so strange — writing it out helps and putting it out on the ether helps as well, although the angst can be powerful!
Now I’m feeling lame because I don’t have bloggers angst. Am I missing out? Maybe I should be trying harder to get followers. Maybe I don’t give enough thought to my posts. Oh shoot, now I do have angst! Actually, I think I still haven’t decided what my blog is. So I’m kind of okay with people finding their way there, and if they like it, coming back. I don’t write more than once a week, but mainly because I don’t feel I have much to say right now. Perhaps that will change when my baby girl goes off to college next year. I’ll have buckets more time and who knows what I’ll be feeling. For now it’s still a mixture of a journal and a place to review books and such. I love your blog Becky. You always touch a nerve. I may not be in the same place sometimes, but I always appreciate your honesty and humor. Keep on bloggin’!
Thanks Sue!
Sorry if I talked you in to having some angst about you blog — ;-).
I think, for me, coming here and writing my thoughts and emotions out has been scary and completely difficult at times. But, when I read the comments and I know the connections I have with some people who come here… I feel a little warmer.
Thank you!
That. Was. Brilliant.
Awesome!
Thank you for my smile! (it’s super big right now)
Hey you,
This post is delightful! & funny 🙂
I am glad you have a blog & am grateful to have found it. Gosh, I have angst at commenting on a blog – but am getting braver, thanks in part to your inspiration.
It is a treat, a pleasure to visit First Pages – an inviting & comfortable space to hang out…
I appreciate the honest writing, how you make me think and that you write from your Heart.
I thank you for sharing your gift. I do like your style.
Keep on hitting the publish button. You touch many~hope you know that.
jo xo
Hey you back!
Thanks for coming over here and reading and commenting!
I so appreciate the kind words for this blog — it is so difficult sometimes. I plan on continuing to hit the publish button as long as inspiring people like you plan on continuing to come here and hold my hand while I do it. 🙂
It’s nice to air out the whole blogging angst of it all and have some fun with it. I think blogs are as unique as someone’s finger print. I read the ones I do for that very reason. Humor, infomation, experiencing what other people are feeling or doing. Getting to know someone on a deeper level and finding how much we all have in common. Sometimes a blog does evoke some very personal confessions that I may come to regret. Maybe that’s all part of the sharing. If you blog………….they will come, bag and baggage. 😉
Fun read Becky, a bit of levity does everyone good. Life doesn’t have to be so dramatic and serious all the time.
Joanne ❤
Yes, a bit of levity.
Thanks Joanne — I needed a little levity after the last post. I visit so many blogs and for the same reason as you… a connection, a spark, something that reminds me of who I can be and maybe a little of who I was — blogging is a completely strange undertaking isn’t it.
Thanks :::hugs:::
Yes, it is a bit strange to put yourself out there so boldly. Strange and brave. Thankfully our world is filled with supportive and compassionate friends to bounce off our fears and joy. Blogging can really open up our worlds and reach others who we would be unable to reach any other way. Let’s keep blogging….to hell with the angst. ❤
Yeah, supportive and compassionate friends are always welcomed and needed.
To hell with the angst? But what will I blog about then? 😉
This was so right on! I used to be one of the ppl that would raise an eyebrow when someone would mention their blog. When I decided to start a tumblelog (ha!) I felt so nervous & well, I thought, it’s on tumblr so it’s not really a blog, so I’m not taking myself that seriously…
I am so grateful that I shushed that inner critic & started writing a bit but even more grateful that I began to read blogs. I fall in love each time I read you & others. You amaze me.
Awww — that made me smile… BIG!
Thank you Liz. I live your blog — you say so much in so words words and with your photos — it’s amazing.
Thank you.