What would a blog by Emily Dickinson look like?
Would she be interested in writing a blog? I think so, but I think she would probably post anonymously. She would write because it made her feel better. That’s the way I think it should be.
I think that Emily Dickinson would agree that blogging introduces some different challenges than writing privately. The audience, the pace, and the focus on the present are some of the challenges and blessings of writing a blog.
Challenge #1: The Audience
My audience can influence what and how I write. I know how many people visit the blog each day. This is not a good thing to think about. Numbers aren’t always a good measure of merit. They are a measure of my lack of publicity, my non-trendy voice …. and the number of female siblings that I have.
I know my audience, so I post lots of pictures of the kids. I care about my relationships, so I tread carefully though certain topics. This is a good thing. I have avoided many topics because I have an audience. Authenticity is one of those terms that people present as an ultimate goal. Many people think being authentic means sharing everything that comes into our heads. I think authenticity comes when we have carefully considered our words. If I wrote a negative post about something bad in my life, this would not be authentic to the person I spend most of my time trying to become. If I wrote negative things, it would be a little bit like a celebration of these things. It’s more difficult to root out behaviors and ideas that we celebrate.
So, an audience is both a help and a hindrance, but I’m grateful to have one. It’s more fun to write to someone other than myself.
Challenge #2: The Pace
Now and then I do an experiment and post a link to this blog on Facebook. This produces many visitors, but most don’t come back the next day. The pace of the internet requires something new all of the time and a quick link to get there. That’s just the way it is. I acknowledge it and remind myself that I don’t write to be popular. I write because I want to write.
Recently I saw a comic in a newspaper with two old guys sitting together and one says to the other, “One thing that I have learned from the internet is that there are precious few original ideas.” How true.
How many paintings does one artist really have inside? How many poems did Emily Dickinson leave behind? Would your favorite author be interesting as a blogger?
Challenge #3: The focus on the present
Something in human nature is drawn to the never-ending story, not because it’s great, but because it changes. I have learned to write with an awareness of this and with an understanding that blogs are an incomplete record and measure of a person.
Many blog authors that I read have given up trying to write frequently. Some feel guilty and sad about it. I think it’s good to remember that writing about the present is limiting because we lack perspective when we’re busy living through something. Also, life is repetitive and full of events that aren’t interesting to write about. No one has something amazing to add to the world every day.
On the other hand, writing almost daily has helped me to find my writer’s voice. I have improved in my ability to express my thoughts. When I began, it would take me hours to write a few paragraphs. Now I spend much less time and I use fewer cliches. And I have some company along the way. Thanks for reading.