Blog R.I.P.
I’ve noticed a disturbing (more like frustrating) trend in blogs – you get used to reading one, you look forward to it, and it just fizzles out. What gives? I suspect it’s because we start them with Things to Say!, but we realize too soon we really don’t have all that much to talk about (not in my case, obviously). But we’re writers! How can that be?
Simple – we didn’t consider what kind of focus we were going to put on the blog. For instance, looking at some of my favorites, I see one dedicated to writing news and events, another to ridiculous ads, another that ends in “screw you!” nearly every time, still another devoted to copywriting. They’ve all created their own focus, a theme if you will, that gives the reader a reason to read and, more importantly, gives the writer a reason to write.
What are your favorite blogs and why? Do you think it’s true that theme or focus is important to blogs? If not, what’s your take on the blogs that fizzle?
Yeah, having nothing to write about certainly isn’t my problem. (There’s more than enough Screw-You!-worthy material in this world to keep me busy for a lifetime!) Finding the time to write it is another story. I’ve been disappointed that some of my favorite blogs have gone dormant of late, too. Maybe it’s just the summer weather. I never really thought about it being a matter of lacking a focus. Hmmm.
Hmm, favorite blogs, let’s see — yours!
Re laundry — I did it at the studio, not in the basement. No asbestos-contaminated cholera panties for me! 😉
If you’re a writer, you ALWAYS have something to write about. If you’re a human being with a conscience, there’s ALWAYS something to write about. I think people get tired or run out of imagination.
Thank God you don’t!
Maybe we should switch to jet packs instead of driving — although then we’d collide in the sky.
HMMM, maybe if people just did their jobs and kept up the maintenance instead of giving construction deals to the cheapest company?
PS I get frustrated with blogs that fizzle. If people can’t be bothered to maintain the site, why should I take the time to come back?
And I’m not likely to visit a new site when they decide to put up another one, because they’ve already proven themselves unreliable.
I wish it were just the weather, Kathy. Some of my favorites died off during the winter/spring months. Weird.
Glad your undies are contamination free, Devon! (that sounded worse than I meant) I’m about to eliminate a number of dormant ones from my Favorites list.
People get distracted and bogged down in other things, but it is disappointing when a favorite blog just sort of fades away.
I’ve tagged you for a meme to select ten favorite posts from the past that give people a good picture of what your blog is all about. I selected posts that are older than three months as newer readers won’t be familiar with them. I look forward to seeing your favorites.
I’m always looking for new reads, so if someone goes dark, there’s already someone ready to fill the void. It’s not like it didn’t take me six days to catch up on my Google Reader after being away for five days. Nope. Nothing like that.
I try not to get sentimental over a blog, but I take into consideration that my 1 or 2 loyal readers will miss me if I shut down.
Seriously, when Miss Snark closed down, I know that there were many disappointed people out there. Yet, I admire her for quiting when she had nothing else to say.
I’m one of the “bad girls” whose blog went nowhere around April. As mentioned on my former blog, I have a lot of medical issues (which is why I started freelancing). I had surgery a few times and have just been miserable in general lately health-wise. One prescription improves one problem, but then gives me headaches. The headache medicine fixes the head problems, but makes me sick to my stomach. I take an anti-emetic for the nausea and it gives me BAD double vision. I am sure a lot of you know what I mean! So, I do apologize for “flaking” on my WOW blog.
I’m also changing my focus to something entirely new and am putting the finishing touches on a new blog to be launched this week. I’m going to be concentrating on proofreading and editing as opposed to writing. I will still query reputable publications, but no more Web writing for me. I’m tired of the focus on quantity vs. quality.
In other news, I’ve accepted a FT temporary job with a major health care system in my area. It’s not at all writing-related (it’s an HR Coordinator position – my college major was HR), but it will be steady. Much as I look on every job site, I haven’t found anything paying more than 15 cents per word and I can’t live on that rate.
I’ll still be freelancing and blogging on the side because, with a bill-paying job, I can put my freelancing money into painting and furnishing my very empty-looking apartment once and for all!
Sorry for the long comment. :0)
You’re really not surprised that blogs fizzle out, are you? With millions of blogs, of course a lot will flame out and die.
Having said that, developing an audience is critical for a writer. Doing that through a blog is usually by having a tight focus around a topic.
I asked a great blogger once how to start focusing on a new topic if one got bored with the initial one and the answer was…just start writing.
So bailing on a blog and not writing any more is really a motivation issue. On the topics chosen, they can be changed, even if it means discontinuing one blog and moving to a different one.
Good topic, thanks for writing about it.
This is a good post. There have been several that I followed–only to have them fizzle.
I think it happens because people get too busy.
I get frustrated when a blogger doesn’t update for, um, ever – even though he or she was super active up until the blog’s death date. Makes no sense to me.
Then, before I clean up my links list and whatnot, I find that although the blogger hasn’t updated in forever, they still have me listed in their links. I start to feel guilty. What if they come back? Will I ever know? Will they be pissed when they see I’ve deleted them?
Oh, the agony.
I like Devon Ellington’s blog. I haven’t figured out why I do (I don’t mean that in a bad way:-) I just stumbled upon it one day, and found myself going back to read on a regular basis and haven’t really analysed why I find it compelling.
I also like Jane Yolen’s blog. She reminds me tha you’re never too experienced/well-known to be rejected, and inspires me to work harder at my my career.
leigh, we miss you! I was hoping you were okay. Thank you for the update. Kathy and I were worried. 🙂
I think I might be bad too… My problem was that I got tied up with writing project in parts of July, I found that whenever I did have time to blog, I also had time to clean… there is that clean sock issue that seems to be important around here.
Yea, but Nikki? You update your blog pretty regularly. I’m talking about blogs that have been dormant since Christmas! Only half joking – I removed some links from my Favorites because there’s just nothing new going on. If you haven’t posted since May and you have no medical reason for it, then why have a blog exactly? I think it would reflect badly – clients see that and wonder if the writer is prone to stalling and dropping things mid-sentence.
Shew! Well I feel better! Whenever a few days go by and I can’t get to it, I have panic attacks. It’s the feeling of having your party waiting for you at dinner only to arrive and find that they’ve gotten through the appetizer and salad part of the meal. Awful, Awful feeling.
Scott, I’m not so much suprised as frustrated. What’s frustrating is that these are writers we’re talking about. Writing is our bread and butter. Blogs should showcase our talents, not our ability to cut and run the minute things get boring.
I attribute it to lack of original focus, or some insecurity that makes a writer think he/she has nothing to say, which is complete hogwash – we all have something to say!