Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Am I Flogging a Dead Blog?


“Hello?” *Tap, Tap* “Anybody still out there?”

I won’t be offended by silence if no one responds. After all, I have definitely withdrawn on the blogging business the last few months. But I realized recently that it was four years ago this month that I began blogging. Four years! Holy cow. So much change in four years. Back when I started Out of the Wordwork in 2009, I recognized even then that I was quite late to the game and I joined a bit reluctantly but it was still quite a momentous step for me in terms of entering the social media whirl that was part and parcel of the publishing game. Back then (back in the ‘old days’ Nelsa said in a quavery voice) you almost had to play that game to show potential publishers you were willing to market yourself. But these days, a blog? Meh. Maybe not so relevant.

I get it. There is already so much information out there on writing and publishing what more can another writer add? Besides, Twitter and Facebook have become the networking communication medium of choice amongst writers so a blog seems unnecessary. And I am certainly struggling with whether to keep this one going. But I’m struggling with a lot of things about publishing and writing these days – social networking is the least of it.

I’ve even gotten a sense from Facebook and Twitter that many writers are either taking breaks from social networking or lessening their time on those mediums significantly. Maybe it’s the general angst about the book publishing industry and the intensity with which writers must keep pushing in the face of so many obstacles these days that putting pressure on yourself to write a blog for the sake of writing a blog seems foolish. There is so much information out there already that sometimes you feel like you’re just adding to the noise. These days I want less noise not more, hence the title of this post: why keep flogging a dead blog?

In any case, for all those who still occasionally check in I can’t promise many future posts but I hope you peruse some of the posts from the past. There are a few that many people do find helpful/inspirational or just plain silly. And for those hockey mom’s out there my Hockey Mom Prayer post is the little post that keeps on going! Shared so many times on Facebook and such that I’m amazed. So I guess blogging can sometimes be useful. At least I’ve got a pretty neat record of my life these last four years!

See you soon (or not!) :)


10 comments:

  1. I hate to see you give up your blog after blogging for such a long time. You could always change what your blog is about, so it's not so taxing or time consuming for you to write on your blog.

    It's true that there is a lot of information out there, and you may never ever write anything on your blog that hasn't already been written about. I don't think that's the point, though. I know that you could end up writing something that speaks to someone in a way that no one else could.

    If you don't want to continue with your blog because you're busy that's fine, but I don't want you to give it up because you think you can't contribute. It may be true there is nothing new (or no new information), but there are still different ways of presenting the same information. If you are inspired to write here then you can inspire others with your passion.

    I think as writers we aspire to become someone's favourite author, or at least to inspire others. I think it's worth writing (on a blog or in books) even if there is only one other person that we inspire. Good luck in whatever you decide.

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    1. Thank you, Dani! You are right. I need to think about this blog in terms of what I want it to be - not what I think it should be! Very helpful advice!
      Nelsa

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  2. Oy, Nelsa- I'm not a dog nor am I dead. I love your articulate and worthy posts.

    You can't feed a blog (and they are hungry) unless you get nourishment from the process. This is something I figured out about four months into it- that I'm my own version of Nora Ephron. I will not be offering giveaways/prizes nor making anyone press 'like' buttons to get these because that doesn't work for me. I also won't follow a thousand blogs because then I will rarely see any of them. If only a handful actually read my posts, then that's that.
    And that's why also.
    Must work for YOU.

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    1. Oy, Mirka! You are definitely neither a dog nor dead - you are wise beyond measure, too. I need to figure out if I still get pleasure from this blogging thing. Sometimes, yes, sometimes I do. And I'm a big proponent of doing what makes you feel good - not about what makes you feel guilty.
      Thanks for your words of wisdom.
      Nelsa

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  3. Hi! *Anne waves back*

    I know exactly what you mean about keeping a blog going. Over the years, I've certainly cut down on my posts. I keep coming back because I love it, and love chatting with other writers. But we only have the time for the things we do truly love, huh?

    BTW, Mirka, I love your comment. I feel the same way. My blog is for me! A marketing juggernaut? No. But that's not what I want out of it. Giveaways and likes and whatever else just don't feel like me!

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    1. *waving madly at you, Anne*
      Thank you. You have been one of my most faithful and inspiring visitors and if I've gotten anything out of this blog business it's the connection with writers, as you said.
      I've kept a diary almost my whole life and while the blog is not as personal as a diary it is still a record of my thoughts and feelings on things that are important to me. So ... maybe I'll only blog whenever something really grabs me - not because it's Thursday and I have to! Thanks for the support, as always!
      Nelsa

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  4. I've had a blog for 3 or 4 years, too - where does the time go? But I guess I mainly use it to keep a record of what's been happening - in both my writing and regular life. But every now and again something happens to make me think it's worthwhile - recently a student contacted me because she's doing a project on me as a Canadian Author. And once a month isn't a huge time commitment, so keep going!

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    1. Thanks, Jan! I don't think I'll completely give it up. You're right - if I post once a month or so it's not a huge commitment and I won't feel guilty about it. Thanks for the encouragement! :)

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  5. I still stop in now and again, but it's hard - I haven't had time to update my own blogs in forever. It's kind of silly, but I feel like I'm missing out by not posting but taking fifteen minutes a week seems too taxing. I need to get better. And I'll keep reading yours if you keep writing!

    The Whispering Ferns

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    1. Hi Kris! Thanks for your support! I'm trying to focus on the writing more than the blogging but, you're right, it doesn't take much time. I think it's all about the quality so why blog if there isn't something worthwhile to write about. Hope your writing is going well!

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