tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post7846126677999210059..comments2024-03-11T19:40:23.089+00:00Comments on Views from the bike shed: Must try harder.The bike shedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05195882998271591934noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post-39886429502673221012009-10-22T14:53:27.510+01:002009-10-22T14:53:27.510+01:00Mark - intersting observations and thoughts.
I h...Mark - intersting observations and thoughts. <br /><br />I had a blogfriend conversation along these lines soon after I started blogging when I was trying to get to grips with what good writing's all about (still am but that's a different story). One of the things I remember most about that conversation, was the remark 'your audience will make you want to change the way you write, the trick is not to let that happen'.<br /><br />I've interpreted that to mean you have to remain true to yourself. And whenever I find myself asking the question 'will so and so enjoy this?', I always remember that remark. After all, if we don't write for ourselves first and foremost, don't we lose something of what we are in the process?<br /><br />Yes, a lot of people are sniffy about blogs and a lot of them (blogs) are boring. (but you and I would probably disagree which ones are boring and which ones are fascinating because we'll have different tastes and interests). BUT I believe the sniffyness is born out of judging blogs with literature or jounalism or whatever. In the majority of cases that judgement is misplaced because a lot of people don't even want to do that kind of thing. They have all sorts of reasons, most of which are fulfilling a personal need which just happens to be in the public domain. In fact, I wonder how many people blogging don't realise they can make their blogs private and would do so if they did?<br /><br />A lot of my blog is really a diary, or me trying to make sense of something, or summarising something I've learnt. By putting it in the public domain it gives me an incentive to make it more interesting firstly for myself - before I think about you - by adding links, photos etc. which I wouldn't do if I sat down with a notebook and pen instead.<br /><br />But, I also greatly appreciate the feedback, conversations and camaraderie that blogging brings too. Things that I didn't even imagine would happen when I started to blog!VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post-68572472732563823012009-10-03T09:52:04.208+01:002009-10-03T09:52:04.208+01:00I agree that some blogs seem so 'anodyne and t...I agree that some blogs seem so 'anodyne and trivial you wonder why people bother'... I sometimes think that of my own, which makes me wary of criticising others I may see in the same light. They are the thoughts and words of people who have as much right to air them as someone who goes in for deep and meaningful blog postings. The fact we may find them boring doesn't mean they shouldn't be there.<br />I don't think of any particular person when I am doing my little inane blog, I just get pleasure from sharing my books, crafts, thoughts, garden and so on with anyone who might care to read it, and if they find it worthy of a nice comment, that's the icing on the cake. But I can eat plain cake too.<br />My journals/diaries are not for public consumption, and nor would I put anything on my blog that would normally be kept private. I have two journals, one for meditative writing, bearing my soul, trying to sort out a problem in my head, and the other for the more day to day stuff of life. I have boxes of the latter going back decades, the former are a new thing this year.<br />And as someone else said, reading blogs has widened my reading, introduced me to books I might not otherwise have read, and increased my interest, my passion, for my garden and crafts. They have been thought-provoking too, got the old grey cells working.<br />But mainly, what I write myself and what I read in other blogs, gives me, for the most part, pleasure. When this stops, I'll give it up.pinkfairygranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post-10861182410268118962009-10-02T21:28:34.585+01:002009-10-02T21:28:34.585+01:00I really enjoyed this post Mark and I must apologi...I really enjoyed this post Mark and I must apologise for not calling by for ages but life has got in the way of my reading my favourite blogs. I agree with all you say about blogging and yes some people are quite sniffy about bloggers. I am now going to catch up on all your previous unread posts and I would only do that with ones I really love.Cait O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04569760764766505179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post-8681043631222125702009-10-02T17:05:47.013+01:002009-10-02T17:05:47.013+01:00*and frankly what I'm saying now would probabl...*and frankly what I'm saying now would probably be regarded as highbrow or irrelevant.*<br /><br />Substitute the words 'interesting' and 'thought-provoking' and you might be nearer the mark.<br /><br />It was quite comforting to hear that Christine Evans had kept a log of her poem, a commentary, because for this OU course that is indeed what I will be having to do. Each TMA is a piece of writing which is going to be about 70-80% of the mark, the remainder being given to the corresponding commentary on the work. To me this sounds harder than the piece in question.<br /><br />As for blogging not being 'worthy' (I'm paraphrasing here, I know you didn't say it:p) - I never write with anyone in mind (or I wouldn't have done such a trival latest post about a rock star). For the first two years or so I don't think I had one comment, yet I still felt compelled to get my thoughts down in my little corner of the internet. I love my blog and the people that I have got to know from it - some of whom I really hope I get to meet face to face one day (yes, you are one of them).<br /><br />Well done on the accolade of being touted as a good writer by Andy's mum The Teacher.French Fancy...https://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876862148358784705.post-38306064020932231162009-10-02T14:44:15.540+01:002009-10-02T14:44:15.540+01:00I value your blog...you make me take the time to t...I value your blog...you make me take the time to think seriously. I enjoy your writing, both in content and style. Be assured, you're not dull!<br />One thing blogging has done is to open up my reading habits..I see a book mentioned on a blog whose content I like and I'll try it...if Amazon can get it to me. Mark you, I still turn to P.G. Wodehouse when the day is not going well....some habits never change.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.com