Friday, August 12, 2011

Recapturing What I Love

I have a problem. I love writing and I love this blog. I started this blog ten months ago not knowing what I was going to do with it. I even stated in my first post that it may take me a while to find my voice. Since then I have written on a variety of topics: getting a good parking space, my disdain for sports, children, cold weather, drive thrus, and Russian literature, experiences raising my children, a minute-by-minute report of the blizzard that almost killed us, and the origin of rainbows.

I have shamelessly promoted myself on Facebook, Twitter, Viewshound, Triond, and many other sites to get more readers. I have subscribed to the sites of other bloggers so that I can expand my web presence by commenting on their blogs in the hope that they will come to visit mine and maybe bring some of their readers with them.

I have enjoyed looking at my stats page to see how many people have read something that I have written. I have reveled in the knowledge that I have readers in Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, South Africa, Latvia, Philippines, Iran and 53 other countries. I have uploaded some of my posts to other websites, won a few awards, and have even been paid for some of the things I wrote.

As great as this may sound, here is my problem: I am not enjoying it. When I first started this blog, I just wrote. I wrote my little stories and it was fun. Most of them were humorous. I love being the funny guy. However, it doesn’t always come easy. It takes a while to think these things up, and sometimes it takes even longer to figure out how to tell the story. Occasionally, I would write a serious piece. Three of my Top 10 posts (one about Kirsten, one about Christian, and one about parenting in general) have been about my relationship with my kids.

The serious pieces are much easier to write because I just have to tell the story. The funny ones are challenging, but definitely more fun to write. Many times I will have some mundane experience and decide that it would make a decent topic for a blog, but I spend several days figuring out how to tell the story in a clever way before it makes it to the computer.

I really enjoy the writing process and plan to continue to write, but I am going to make some changes. I have put so much time and effort into promotion of my writing, that it has become a chore I do not look forward to every morning. I subscribed to about 20 other bloggers with a large readership to get more exposure. However, reading all these blogs every day so I can leave comments was taking too much time. Plus, as my audience began to grow, I felt more pressure to produce something of high quality. Rather than sitting down and doing what I love, I fretted over quality and spent time trying to promote. In the meantime, my writing has slowed down and I find myself stalling to write another one.

It has been one month since my last post and I do not ever want that to happen again. I have been really busy this past month with camp and school registration, but my readers would know that if I had been writing and telling my story.

I want to pledge right now that I am putting my concentration back on my writing and not on promotion. I understand that this may cause my audience to shrink, but I started doing this because I love writing and that is what I intend to do. I am setting a goal of at least one post per week from this point forward.

Thank you to all my readers. I love getting your feedback and comments. I hope to keep seeing you.

11 comments:

  1. I will enjoy reading your posts more often and as far as it becoming a chore... If you are going to put so much time and hard work into something, you should defintly enjoy it. Kudos on the decision. It will pay off.

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  2. I thought I would hate blogging, turns out, I love it. I can't read every single blog I'm a follower of, but when time permits I get to most of them. I have certain ones I have to read because I love them.

    Do what you love, when you stop loving it, quit. :) You'll find if you are a consistent blogger, even it it's 3 days a week and you're writing from your heart, it'll be good and you won't have to promote yourself, others will do it for you!

    I love your blog.

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  3. Jessica and Jessica, thank you so much for reading. I DO love this and will continue. Thank you for your support.

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  4. Whoa-- I feel as if I wrote this. I've had many of the same thoughts. The biggest question that I always have is "Is anybody enjoying what I write or am I my biggest fan?" Either way I still enjoy it. I also enjoy your blog and I am glad that you are still going to blog. --Shane Morgan

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  5. Thanks, Shane. I do like to know that people are reading my writing, but I do this because I like. It really isn't for them, it's for me. I am glad people like it, and am very grateful to have readers, but it is primarily my outlet. I will not let these things get in the way again.

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  6. I love your blogs, specially the ones about me. The can tend to get a little wordy, but I think that is just because I hate to read. I Think I gave you this advice before. "Just be yourself" dont worry about the rest. State the facts, or the slightly streched facts in your own unique style and forget the rest. Not everyone is going to like your message. That's OK.
    And don't forget my royalties, you wouldn't have some of these stories if it weren't for me.
    Kyle

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  7. Yes, Yes, Yes. I have some ideas for future adventures. My next blog is going to cover some of that.

    You did tell me before to just be myself. It helped my preaching. I had the study part down but my personality was hidden behind my book work. Once I let it show through (on your advice), I was a much better preacher.

    Lastly, I am keeping the money. All of it.

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  8. Each person has their own way of blogging. Kudos for finding what works for you and concentrating on your writing. I've recently moved to another state, and with all the changes and settling in, I'm also going to readjust my writing schedule. Have a great weekend

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  9. Always enjoy your stories whether wordy or not and am glad when you are yourself. I love the way you string your words together into quite lovely sentences! You are unique and funny and brilliant, so keep up the good work.

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  10. I had a similar experience with my drum covers on youtube...almost identical even.

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  11. It is just so much more fun to create and not worry about the rest. Good luck, Brandi, on finding your new routine. Looking forward to you finishing your book. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement.

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