3 comments15 people of fame
I can’t recall where I first heard the expression, but someone suggested that instead of 15 minutes of fame, people on the internet get 15 people of fame. Since that’s not too far from the approximate readership of this blog (in the low 20s), that resonates with me. I don’t have any desire to dramatically increase readership, but I’m always trying to improve my writing style and blogging practices. If you’ve been reading for a long time, hopefully you’ve noticed some progress being made.
Slate’s How To Blog article has a lot of useful advice, especially if you’re just getting started. It’s geared more towards people who want to “make it” and build a popular blog, but a lot of the suggestions still have merit, I think. Getting used to writing regularly is key. This isn’t just a scheduling issue, but it also affects how you write. Instead of working on massive posts for weeks, post shorter things several times a day. Posts don’t need to be self-contained like magazine articles, they can be continuations of conversations with your readers. My posts about torture, for example, are my method of documenting my exploration of the topic while trying the make the case against the practice.
Choosing the right topics to write about is sometimes a tricky endeavor. If you read through my archives, you’ll see how much my choices have changed. In most cases, things that would be used in smalltalk make for bad posts (e.g. “what I did this weekend”). The best topics are those about which you’re passionate, but you don’t get to talk about as much as you’d like.
Writing without spending a lot of effort on editing can sometimes be a challenge. I remember when I wrote the announcements for the marching band in college, I would spend an embarrassing amount of time (regularly over an hour) on a short paragraph to be read for the upcoming game. In fact, almost any time I’ve written text to be read at some event, no matter how small, I’ve spent an inordinate time per sentence. It’s not that I’m a brilliant wordsmith, I’m just cripplingly critical of my own writing (especially my diction). When I write here, I don’t bother obsessing over that stuff, and it’s rather liberating.
In the aforementioned Slate article, Marc Ambinder said:
I’ve found that I tend to write the way I speak. Short, staccato sentences, lots of parentheticals. That annoys purists, but it’s uniquely my own voice, and I think it helps to build a connection with the reader.
I tend to do the same thing (look at how often I use parenthetical statements!)
A few final tips if you’re blogging:
- Read a lot of other blogs. Read (some) people who are smarter than you, especially those that disagree with you.
- Consider including images or video more often.
- Quote things you discuss instead of just linking to them. If someone needs to read a link in order to get your post, many people will just skip it.
I hope that more people I know will start writing online more regularly in 2009.
3 comments
Thanks for the tips… some believe that blogging contributes to a society where people actually contribute views on important issues, and I believe it definitely encourages an informed society. This is my favorite, and most frequented blog, because it’s a place where I can shout out views on important issues— and you choose good ones. You have definitely contributed to my knowledge and thought process– due to documentaries like IOUSA and our discussions on various topics such as torture. And from a personal standpoint, it’s healthy to have intelligent discussion every now and then. I have thought about trying to make my blog include a bit more non-fiction, and I may write a few more advocacy pieces (on issues such as gay rights, death penalty, environment, child abuse, rape, poverty, genocide, AIDS— and various social issues that get me all built up into an emotional mess), but this has been a great forum for me to just give my two cents on issues similar to these.
I was talking to two arch-conservatives over break, and I was criticizing them for the quality of news they watch (and listen to). The great thing about blogging is that you have access to a ridiculous amount of data and knowledge. You are definitely better informed in 2 hours of blogging than someone who watches a news channel all day. I hope more of our mutual friends start blogging. I basically rely on you to share with me some of the best sources… as I only have so much time to read everyone on your blog list.
As for the aesthetics you mentioned, my blog is particularly ugly. I think my blog is more of a sketch book though, and just having a few readers (1-2) is enough to just drive out some creative energy. Everything you said though is very accurate, and each time I post a video, I have a boost in readership. Still, until you become “somebody”, one’s readership is probably most closely tied to the number of friends one has (particularly blogging friends).
Mostly, I guess I like blogging because it gives my mind something mildly intelligent to do (on both the absorbing and expressive sides). And as an “idea”, hopefully blogging’s popularity will grow, as I believe it contributes to a more aware, diverse, open, and informed society. -P
Yeah, I agree, it’s a great medium for real discourse, and it would be better if more people participated (through their own blogs, comments, etc). Knowing that there are thoughtful people on the other end makes this process much more enjoyable and interesting. It has decimated the time I have to read books, which I’ve been struggling with, but for now it’s worth it.
[...] heroes are amazing individuals with incredible lessons to share that just haven’t had their 15 people of of fame yet. BTW, if you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to check out the featured [...]
Leave a Comment