(Wow… the posting schedule keeps getting interrupted. However, I think that’s the end of it, for now. I didn’t have internet for a few days while I moved into my new apartment. Not that I’m entirely set up, but internet, cloths, and a bed aren’t a poor start.)
Back to the point at hand: Surfing other blogs last week, I read an interesting post written by the ever-so-talented Jeyna Grace, who occasionally comments on my blog (in fact, she might be the only person who ever has). Point of interest: she starts 2014 with 3.3 thousand followers. To me, that’s a massive number, since I’ve only got about 38. Which brings up, really, my thought. Writing for others verses writing for myself.
When I started this blog, I promised that I’d write what I wanted, regardless of who followed me and what others thought. That’s the idealistic way of doing things, I suppose. An artists ideal. Except that in order for any of this to matter, or for me to make some sort of living off the premise, I need people to willingly follow along and read. I need an audience. Does that corrupt the ideal?
Okay, shorter version (I feel like I’m wandering a bit). Should I write about things other than writing, broaden the horizon of this blog, in order to attract more readers? I’ll never run out of things to think or say about writing. Or reading. Or stories. That’s not how my mind works. I also think I lean towards being comfortable without an audience. It’s just that doesn’t lend itself to my ultimate goal.
Part of that is trying to start a dialogue, have people post. I’m not sure I’m very good at that. These posts aren’t exactly engaging in terms of starting a dialogue. Then again, I’ve only been doing this for about 6 months, so maybe that qualifies as the awkward moment at the start of the party where you don’t know any one. Or just really bad conversation starters.
There are plenty of blogs and webinars about how to get attention to your blog and yourself. They all talk about having a purpose and using tags properly, search terms, word counts. Some of them are contradictory, like some suggest lots of tags and others suggest selecting a handful. (I try and list relevant tags). Phrasing is important. Someone can’t find something they aren’t searching for, after all. Then again, how many ways can you write “about blogging” and hope that someone finds this blog out of a million pages in a Google return search? That might seem a little hopeless when it’s phrased in that manner.
And spacing, how to catch the eye, in easy to skim form. So many technical ideas floating all around.
That whole attention grabbing idea ties into writing for others. Spacing and grammar and topics. How many people write long, involved paragraphs like Charlotte Bronte, any more? Now books are filled with concise paragraphs, with long, in depth thoughts seemingly confined to academia and history.
I think, in terms of content for others, that’s where the book reviews tied in. Something concrete others could use as a first encounter with my blog and then dive in. Of course, when the books I read aren’t best sellers or main stream 0r even remotely related to what I’m writing, I don’t think that helps.
In the end, there’s a healthy amount of ego involved in putting my thoughts out on a blog for others to read. It’s a platform that exists for the advancement of myself and my (meager and virtually (see what I did there) non-existent brand). That’ll change, hopefully.
I’m not begging for comments or readers. Just expressing some thoughts on who my intended audience is and if I should cater to some unknown quantity for the short terms profit. No, begging is me saying “OH GOD PLEASE FOLLOW MY BLOG! POST! POST ANYTHING YOU WANT, JUST LET ME KNOW I’M NOT ALONE!” I don’t think I’ve fallen quite that far yet. I’ll let you know in another year.
All I can do is stick to the ideas I’ve committed to, a blog covering my thoughts on writing. That’ll be books and reading and my own ideas. Patience, right? I guess integrity exists, even if no one else sees it for now.
A Journal of Impossible Things 
Read what I wrote earlier about this exact topic. I had wondered too. I decided to stay the course on my own topic – the reason I started the blog – and expand, do challenges, etc, but ultimately I devised that I may never have many many followers and half the time people may not even see what I write – but I write what i write for me, for my soul with the HOPES that it will touch others – I don’t expect it because then I know i may be disappointed. It is the writing that overall is my goal – and soothing my own soul 🙂 I do however, use tagging, Ping Backs, and follows – if that helps you at all 🙂 I only have 10 followers anyway. I set up my blog on Sunday. I feel liberated I even got that far 🙂 http://howibeattheodds.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/a-look-inside/
10 followers in a week isn’t anything to sniff at. 😀 In a year that’s 520, with potential for exponential growth in terms of shared experiences and traffic. Here’s to the CAUSE! In this case, that’s the next post and new stories.
Thanks for the compliment 🙂 *Blushes*
Anyway, I think writing for yourself and others has a balance. First, you need to define what ‘writing for yourself’ means to you. For me, it’s writing about issues that I would like to bring to light or just writing for fun. But when it comes to writing for others, it’s the responsibility of posting a story every week (even though I don’t feel like it some times) and writing certain things (like the fan fiction, which I’m no longer as excited as I am before) because my readers look forward to it. It may seem like a chore, but at the end of the day, I still see the benefit of writing for myself when I write for others.
When I write for others, I improve and push myself to perform. Improving and trying to outdo yourself for the sake of the readers is actually good for you, and in turn becomes something you write for the benefit of yourself. So for me, writing for others is writing for myself… sort of.
You bring up an excellent point. The nebulous original idea was to have a place to write about all those little topics on writing that everyone eventually got tired of listening to in every day conversation. Of course, that changed as the blog progressed. Which lead to book reviews and the current structure. Hmm… The current posting structure still feels loose. I’ll definitely have to examine my motivations and purpose and move forward from there. Out perspective is always useful. Thank you very much.
I have to agree with Jeyna! I found it very helpful to define why I write. At the end of the day, that is what it truly boils down to. My blog started shaky, and it still has its shaky moments, and that is mostly because life comes in, people get busy (namely me) and I take stock, or step away from things for a while.
I look at my audience to a point, only because… if you want what you are saying to matter to more than just yourself you have to look at your audience. Ultimately, you should always be writing for you, but looking at the bigger picture can be helpful.
As far as format, well I think that is entirely up to the individual writer, I don’t like a bunch of white space personally. I don’t want to do a ton of scrolling for just a small bit of writing. That said, I also don’t want to read a novel length post on average. Reading on the computer is so much different than reading a book, so I have learned to keep my posts short, I don’t tend to run over 300-500 words. Mostly just because I know I start to drift off and leave other blogs at that point. Tags… hmmm I never have really gotten the hang of them, I use them, but who knows if I am doing it right. I think the best thing I did to get my readership up was to post daily. That is what made the biggest difference. That coupled with reading and commenting on other blogs that I had interest in.
Now that I have proceeded to comment at novel length for you *grins* I don’t know that anything I have said will be of use for you, but I did enjoy reading your thoughts and it obviously got me thinking! ~Random (aka WhiteRaven)
I’m trying to figure out the blogging world too and wonder about the same things you are. Some days I get a ton of views, some days not so much. I always wonder if there is a pattern but can’t find any. I do blog about various things (homeschooling, Orthodoxy, books , writing, food/natural health, and random things) and I keep those posts appointed to certain days thus far but there still doesn’t seem to be a pattern. I do tag quite a bit because I figure sooner or later someone might do a search on one of those things and find me…so if I keep few tags isn’t that less chance of them finding me? Who knows…. but my followers are growing…more lately, so I guess I’m doing something right 🙂 Best wishes!