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Friday, March 28, 2008

To Blog, Or Not to Blog...

This week I've seen an awful lot of pros and cons about authors blogging. Mostly cons. There was a discussion about it on the Kentucky Romance Writers private loop and there's also a post about authors wasting their creative energy on blogging over at Smart Bitches.

Do I think authors waste creative juices they could better use writing their next novel? No. At least, I don't. For me, the blog is usually the place I turn to after I've expended my creative energy for the day and want to wind down. I blog to feel like a part of the community. It's like turning to an old friend to share triumphs or disappointments and spill my guts about the daily tedium of writing a lengthy romance novel. And sometimes friends drop in to commiserate or congratulate. So, I feel I'm not alone in my pursuit of an (often) crazy dream of writing. Without the blog, or some other outlet such as email, my voice would go unheard, except by my husband who really has no interest in my daily musings or rants about the writer's life. All he's wants to hear is results, just don't tell him about the struggle to get there.

There are authors who reveal way too much of their personal lives that have nothing at all to do with the pursuit of writing or the writing community. To them, I say, mmm...yeah. Might be better to tone it down a little. The whole world is watching you, sister.

I also have a pet peeve about authors who blog solely for promotional purposes. They disappear for months and then reappear and start chatting it up when they have a book due to be released. To them I say, you're boring me. If you have nothing more to say than, "Buy my book!" do me a favor and restrict your pitch to an actual ad or promo loop. No one (well not me, at any rate) is buying the sudden friendliness that disappears as soon as the book has been launched.

As usual, there's no real point to this post. I guess I'm just a little tired of having the people who don't blog get all superior on the rest of us who do and tell us we're wasting time we could have spent crafting a better novel.

Peace,
Devon

7 comments:

  1. I've been at odds with what I've been seeing about blogging online as well. For me, jotting a bit about writing, sometimes daily but not always helps me clear cluttering thoughts so I can get going in the right direction again with my writing or to get the struggles off my chest and share my triumphs for anyone interested.

    I had been blogging about life in general before I started blogging more seriously about writing and I'm sure I slip into personal info, but I hope not too much. ;o)

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  2. Taryn, as long as we don't do something extreme to shoot ourselves in the foot, personally and professionally, I don't see anything wrong with sharing our feelings and some of the things that happen in our day to day lives. I do it, and I enjoy those personal glimpses of the people I know. Without that, I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten to know you and a few other people I read.

    When I wrote about toning it down, I was thinking in terms of the erotica author who posts pornographic material about herself and hubby on her blog, for example.

    I also recently read on an agent blog about authors who post all the minute details of their submissions. As in, posting word for word all the rejections they get. Evidently, there are aspiring auhors out there who do that sort of thing. According to the agent, not a good idea. Ya think? LOL!

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  3. Well, as a friend, and fan, I'm interested in what my writers go thru as they write. And, interested in them as a person too! Sorry, but what you do in the bedroom is too much info!! rofl!! Don't really care what you threw up at lunch either! LOL. But your blog is your business. You and Taryn are on the same track. I enjoy you both!! :)

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  4. Hi Susi! Glad you're back! :o)

    I'm with you. There are certain things I just do NOT want to know about people. Cause once I know it, it's stuck in my head forever and I have a VERY vivid imagination. Eww...

    Thanks for hanging with us! :o)

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  5. Taryn and Devon, I love the blogs you guys write. I don't get to visit every day but I stop by often enough to know that (IMHO) you guys are on a great track with your blogs. I like a mix of personal (not too) and professional and promo, etc.

    Devon, what a great idea of heading off to write a blog AFTER you've spent your brainpower writing for the day. I think this is where I go wrong sometimes. I do it the opposite and you're right, I shouldn't be burning up precious brain power then, when I should be writing my stories!

    Thanks for that tip!

    maddie

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  6. Maddie, I think you should blog whenever the mood strikes. I like to blog at night when it's mostly all quiet in romance land and there's no one stirring in my house but me. I'm usually too tired by then to work on a ms. and sometimes it feels pretty lonely, so I blog.

    I enjoy reading your posts over on your blog. I like it that you actually talk about the writing process and the struggles. :o)

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