Writer first, blogger second.
A fourth grade teacher noticed the creative writing ability.
A high school history teacher noticed the essay writing and gathering research to turn into a term paper ability.
Many noticed the blogging ability.
Diabetes blogging entails creative writing; it entails essay writing; it entails gathering research and writing about it.
What do you do when you think you have blogged all you can about a subject? Do you rehash everything over and over like a broken record, or do you step away for awhile?
Do you do flashback blog posts, reaching back in the archives until something fresh enters your mind? Or do you allow guest bloggers to take over while you find your voice again, even as you feel your blog is your own space, people come to read your message?
Do you begin to write about other subjects near and dear to your heart, as raw and emotional as they may be?
Do you remember why you started blogging in the first place, that people first noticed your writing ability long before the words “blog” or even “internet” were household names and you turned your passion for writing into blogging for a good cause?
And then do you step away to refresh and enhance those creative writing skills, those essay writing skills, those research gathering skills elsewhere? Do you consider participating in blogging conferences, or writing-focused workshops?
Just one more question. You may have found a little fame and reward for the blogging, but are you ever going to sit down and write the Great American Novel?
(This is an entry for the next Living Out Loud, with this month’s topic being “On Writing”.)
Posted on June 22, 2011, in Living Out Loud. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Writing is my outlet because the “great American novel” wasn’t coming out. Lol. No, really, I blog because I love it. But even if I wasn’t blogging I’d be writing something. Even if it was just my journal. I need to write.
I would go to workshops if I didn’t live in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing like that anywhere close to me.
Certainly you could find one happening during one of your NYC trips, LOL. ;)
Great questions! I set out to blog to lessen the isolation I was feeling, and because it had been years since I’d been writing for publication/career/self.
Early on, I had a focus (helped by one of the first folks I met online to hone); life intervened and my initial focus no longer features much in what I write. (Why I subtittle my blog: chronic pain, life, and all at!).
I was all set to develop separate blogs and facebook pages (on 2 different topics) when computer usage began to add to my chronic pain issues. And, real life interevened again too, forcing me to choose where I would expend my limited energy.
I remember 3 times very clearly where a teacher/professor commented on my writing. One, while still in elementary school, I wrote a horror story for the hallowe’en assignment. (Most kids wrote about costumes and trick or treating). While I think my teacher was a bit disturbed by the topic, she was impressed by my level of writing skills and my creativity.
When I first went to university, I took mostly business and “secretarial” (not politically correct term anymore!) courses. We had to take some arts courses our first year, and given our strict timetable, there wasn’t much choice. I took Russian history because it fit. I remember my prof calling me into his office to lament that I wasn’t an arts, especially history major, based on several papers I had written for his course. When I went back to university later to finish my ba, I took Canadian history. I got my first A in my entire academic life on a paper I wrote for my prof. He ended up convincing me to do a
hono(u)rs degree which involved doing original research and writing a 100 page paper.
I don’t know about writing the great American novel, but I do have several ideas for mystery stories — my
favo(u)rite reading these days — with a chronically ill heroine. (Is that term politically incorrect now?)
Well, I wrote more than I intended, and since my self-editor still needs another cup of coffee, I guess I’ll leave this as an over-long comment!
Oh, I know that my experiences are so much more varied than the moment I left college, chronic illness included, and that I will draw upon that for character development. Absolutely.
I wish that I was more of writer and less of a blogger!
You are, though, so funny :)
Great post. Great questions.
I write (and blog) for my mental sanity. The exercise of putting words to some of my feelings around life with diabetes helps me so very much. It’s a selfish reason, but it’s keeps me grounded.
Writing about health issues, both online and offline, is so therapeutic.
All very valid and thought provoking questions. Stopping by via LOL