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At first I thought the World Wide Web
was a thing of science fiction. I wondered what made email an
improvement over just picking up the phone, and I even considered
people with cell phones hanging from their belt as being show offs.
Boy, was I ever wrong. So, when those of us on the Charlotte
Writers’ Club board were asked to write about something that might
be of interest to members, I decided to investigate “blogging.” I
thought it prudent to keep an open mind about yet another geeky
invention, in the event it will change the face of communication
even more.
Preparing to write about this topic,
I Googled the word “Blogging” and found approximately 59 million
references. Narrowing the search to “Blogging for Writers,” the
references fell to approximately 8.8 million. What’s a girl to do?
Gather information the old-fashioned way — ask her writer friends.
So, here is what I’ve learned:
· The
term “blog” is a contraction of “Web Log.” Blog postings can
educate, entertain, provide a forum for expression, keep family and
friends informed, promote an idea, sell a product, or any
combination of the above.
· A
blog often serves as an online diary
—
a
writer’s very own public closet of personal thoughts. These online
closets are like Macy’s window. People can choose to just walk by,
glance in, or stop and window-shop as much as they like. But unlike
the static scene of a Macy’s window, readers can leave comments
—
a
dialogue is possible.
· “A
blog is an information stream that must be relevant,” says a friend
of mine who works at Microsoft. “If it gets stale, it’s dead.”
Therefore, writers who are prolific and appealing have a greater
chance of blogging successfully.
We writers need to be aware of
several things before posting work on a blog:
· Your
“put myself out there” blog may end up only being read by the family
and friends you have cajoled into checking it out.
· Blog-posted
works are technically considered “published.” Therefore, you may not
be able to submit these pieces to established publications which are
only interested in unpublished writing, or “first rights.” Your
chance for fame may be hindered – brought down by your very own
blog. Of course, like anything, there are exceptions to this. Look
at Julie, of Julie and Julia,
whose blog resulted in a book, movie and celebrity. And a CWC member
I met is posting reflections on the Psalms – one each day –
eventually planning to publish these in a book.
· Whatever
you post on your blog is forever – even if changed the next day. You
never know who downloaded, thus preserved, what you wrote the day
before you deleted or changed it.
· Your
blog could cause liability issues. Hear about the waitress who
disparaged her customers? Even though she thought she was writing
anonymously, she was eventually “outed” and lost her job. The same
thing happened to a stewardess who wrote unkindly about the flying
public. Also, writing is an “intellectual property” so bloggers need
to be careful and cite any “borrowed” writings.
· A
blog in not the place to exercise your writing.
We are always told to “write daily,” to practice, practice,
practice. But you must be careful. By definition, exercise is a
means to an end. It’s Michelle Obama’s toned arms that appeal, not
watching her do the push-ups. If your writing – and other’s
impressions of it – is important to you, it’s best to post polished
and edited work.
However, a blog can be gratifying, and there is a remote chance you
could end up
attaining fame. Just don’t be disappointed if no one but your mother
checks in. Go for it if you want to, but be aware of the pitfalls.
If you do decide to blog, you’ll need
a hosting service. Wordpress.com is a site that makes it easy to
post without charge, at least for now. A few other choices currently
available are livejournal.com, blogger.com, and weebly.com, with
many more to come.
Several CWC members have blogs. They
have made the decision to open their closets. Ask around at
meetings. You’ll find someone who is interested in sharing their
experience with blogging and their blog address.
My wordpress.com blog, a challenging
and educational experience, was inspired by my mother, who was
always open to new technology. She not only learned how to use a
computer, she emailed daily until her death at age 94. We were
amused and proud when, just before she died, she asked, “Do you
suppose there’s email in heaven?”
When it became clear my blog was a
bust, receiving no hits from anyone other than the friends I’d
coaxed into visiting, I knew there was one person who would truly
care. So, I emailed the link to
ejstruble@aol.com.
I’m thinking that my mom got it, smiled as she read it, and gave me
a silent approving nod – the email never bounced back.
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