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Thu Jul 31,2008,
20:29 GMT
Three Reasons Why I Am A Bad Blogger
Posted by Hal
I am a bad personal blogger. It’s time to admit it. It’s not that I’m not trying. It’s just that I don’t know if I have it in me to reveal reveal reveal the way the personal blogger needs to.
I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve settled on three areas where I am particularly deficient:
1. Sex. Despite the vaunted need for honesty in the personal blog and the obvious titillating appeal of the subject, I cannot bring myself to blog about anything having to do with my sex life whatsoever. The closest I’ve come (ahem) was my commentary on attending a RedClouds online exhibitionist dinner party.
2. Professional life. I also seem to be extremely reluctant to blog about my professional life. Every time I consider a post on that subject, I pull back. Some examples: My book for teenagers about making your own pop culture won a few awards and I considered putting up a post but didn’t. The hardcover of my novel The Program was remaindered and for a few days I went around feeling frustrated and angry by the news, though it was hardly any great surprise or even anything to be particularly embarrassed about in the age of multinational conglomerate publishing. I considered blogging about it, but didn’t. Then another letter came: the University of Toronto was giving me an award for “outstanding volunteer service”, as a result of work I did as a member of an advisory board for a magazine the department of Arts and Sciences had started. Again, I considered a blog post about it, but never wrote it up. Other things happened, short stories and articles rejected and, less frequently, accepted. Again, nothing particularly shameful or scandalous, but I just can’t bring myself to put it out there in a public forum read by everyone and anyone. It’s part of the whole stiff upper lip thing. I want people to see me as a success – who doesn’t? But of course, one’s life isn’t just a string of impressive victories and I don’t want to come across as a braggart. I am too proud to write about the failures and, without including the failures, I don’t feel right about including the successes. (Perhaps having now broken the ice on this subject I might be able to include more about my professional life…probably not, though. It was relatively painless here, but I can’t see myself posting blog entries like “Hal wins award” and “Hal’s short story is rejected again”.)
3. Feelings. I am most severely deficient in this area. I blog about things that have happened to me, but not about how I feel about them. I should be doing the opposite: blogging about my feelings, and relating them to events in my life. This post is an example. The real question isn’t whether or not I am a bad personal blogger, but how I feel about feeling like I am a bad personal blogger. So how do I feel? Well, to tell you the truth, I’m okay with it. I mean, I’m trying to put myself out there, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m doing my best. And does anybody really want to read about my sex life?
There are -5- Comments: , Add yours…
15:29
Ugh. I hear you. I’m a professional blogger and know I’d get more traffic if I blogged about my feelings, my kids, my husband, my troubles, etc. but I just can’t open up (or don’t want to) the way, say, Dooce, does. But, I feel like privacy has its place in the blogosphere and we’re got to draw a line somewhere.
For the record: I really enjoy your non-feeling, no-sex, anti-personal-marketing posts.
15:29
I’ve been blogging for over five years, and it’s taken that long to figure out what I will and won’t blog about. I started talking about rejections, and I still do to a certain degree, but not as much as I used to. I mention them now and again because, like you, I don’t want to come off like a braggart.
I guess it’s harder to blog than it looks. I would say to do what comes naturally, but then I’ve been reading your blog for awhile and I don’t see anything wrong with it. So I guess I’d say keeping doing what you’re doing. I like hearing about your writing and what you have coming out or what you’re currently working on.
As for the personal stuff, some blogs are extremely intimate, while others are strictly professional. When I first started dating the woman who eventually became my wife, I didn’t mention her at all for the first year or two. Used to drive her up the wall. What, I’m not important enough to be mentioned on your precious blog? she said. Well, she gets mentioned now, but even then I’m still very “aware” of my online presence and keep things fairly simple to preserve some privacy.
That’s my long way of saying keep doing what you’re doing if it’s what you like doing. Don’t change just because of what other bloggers are doing.
The Bloggist
Hey, I’m Hal Niedzviecki. I’m a writer/thinker who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with my wife and daughter. Up till now I’ve always considered myself a private person. But at the same time I’m fascinated by people who effortlessly open themselves up to the whole world. So I’ve… more...
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15:29
My husband does that “I’m going to blog about something but now can’t be bothered” as well. I think it’s because he talks to me about things or the feelings are short-lived (and quickly forgotten), both of which takes the need to blog out of his system.
Yes, it’s hard to blog about certain things when you know certain people (family, close friends, etc.) are reading. I don’t/haven’t blogged about my sex life because I don’t think anyone wants to read that and there are so many sex blogs on the web that are much more interesting.
I use my blog as an online diary, just without the little lock on the side and Hello Kitty on the cover. 