Comments on: Against blogging

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:20:43 +0000

Yes, yes … clearly it’s a much more productive use of one’s time to write long, carefully edited, metaphorical essays about why not to blog. That sort of thing could never distract a writer from doing something like, say, finishing the third book in her latest trilogy . . .

By: simmone

simmone — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 05:33:02 +0000

oops, i skited!

By: Malcolm Tredinnick

Malcolm Tredinnick — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:57:23 +0000

It’s hard to measure in a controlled way, but there seems to be a good correlation between blogging in general and increased numbers of customers/readers/groupies, depending upon you industry of choice. So it’s not like blogging is hurting your reader base at all.

Writer’s blogs are fun. They write well (unsurpsingly) and construct interesting posts, regardless of the topic. They’re interesting. I would never have read any of your books if it wasn’t for your blog. Similarly for Scalzi. I’d read three of Scott’s SF books years ago, but I hadn’t attached the author’s name to the works, so wouldn’t have sampled his YA stuff until I started reading his blog last year.

Writers mix with other writers, too. Even when you’re writing about daily life, we get links to other writers, who turn out to be interesting and then I might read their books (e.g. Naomi Novik).

Keep being an interesting person online. It’s entertaining and I’ll support the notion that it’s helping your professionally anyway.

By: Gillian

Gillian — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:19:17 +0000

So when all blogging writers have announced their opinions of mangosteens the universe is complete?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:06:43 +0000

Blogging is also highly addictive. I’m trying to quit. In fact, I announced that I quit.

I have to say that I don’t see blog writing and fiction writing in the same way. One of my reasons for wanting to quit(I haven’t quite succeeded in doing so) is that my thinking time is taken up by blog post thoughts as opposed to fiction/plot/character thoughts.

Given that I have a day job, I have limited time for thinking, so I am trying to quit blogging so thinking time defaults to fiction.

Having to choose, I’d prefer Fiction, but blogging is certainly less effort for me.

I think the problem is that I keep reading blogs still…

By: Tim Walker

Tim Walker — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:37:13 +0000

*anything* Internet-enabled is potentially a black hole of procrastination. You could work sudokus online by the hour, or it could be online chess, mindless blog reading (look! another lolcat site! hahaha!), viewing pr0n, reading ball-by-ball commentary on cricinfo (everyone look at Justine), browsing Facebook, et cetera ad infinitum. But this is no different than the offline world, least of all for us procrastinatory writers. A book of crosswords could sink half a day, if you let it. You could get on an anthony trollope binge and lose a month. Tending the garden . . . cleaning the garage . . . daytime television . . . complicated baking recipes . . . It never ends.

If you have it in your heart to write the “real” stuff, whether in your world that means books or stories or articles or poetry or blog posts or whatever, you’ll do it. If you don’t, you won’t. Either way, consciously or otherwise, you’ll find the enabling (disabling?) mechanisms you need.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:24:30 +0000

When I was at school, writing papers always seemed to include a lot of surfing the web, making snacks and chatting with my roommates. I’d always be thinking if only I could cut out all that and write the damn paper, I’d get it done so much quicker. But it never seems to work that way. If I cut out my internet time wasting, I’d just look out the window or doodle in the margins instead….

By: Heather Harper

Heather Harper — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:03:12 +0000

I totally agree.

Blogging is a form of pre-writing for me. I also love to blog and blog hop and meet new people. It’s a lifesaver for someone like me who doesn’t get out much.

By: Chris Howard

Chris Howard — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:50:53 +0000

I agree, especially with, “Blogging feeds into my writing. It’s a way of stretching the writing muscles that’s relaxing and fun. Without it I don’t write so good.”

Not only do I think I write more often because I blog, I think it improves the quality of my writing. I also paint, and when I don’t have anything to say, I’ll post a pic or two.

By: veejane

veejane — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:43:27 +0000

I think you are spending too much time blogging, missy. I think you should go do something healthy with your time, like watching television.

…my parents, neither of whom are dead yet, are rolling in their graves pre-emptively even as I type the above.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:38:09 +0000

I agree with you, blogging does rule! If you didn’t blog, I’d have much less to do when procrastinating…so please don’t stop blogging. I like reading your blog too much.

By: cofax

cofax — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:21:57 +0000

I also come across writer’s blogs that seem to exist only because the writer has been told that blogging is great publicity for your books.

Oh, god, yes, those are dire. Boring, self-involved, poorly-veiled marketing. I’d much rather read about an author’s cats or their opinion of the latest episode of Battlestar than announcements of their new speaking tour or whatnot. It’s a fine balance, and not everyone can pull it off.