My NF children's writers list has had an interesting discussion on the pros and cons of blogging lately. For a great article on the topic, check out Laura Purdie Salas' blog at:
Her article made me wonder: why do I blog? I began for practical reasons--web presence, marketing, connecting with readers etc.--but those aren't good enough reasons for me to spend the time on blogging right now. Web presence is good, but I don't have any books out to promote yet, and few magazine readers seek out the magazine's authors. When I get reader feedback on a story or article, it usually takes the form of, "Oh, you wrote that? I (or my son or my daughter) loved that article (or short story or craft)!" So I'm not connecting with *many* readers at this point.
And yet I keep coming back. My friend Julie says that all writing brings a reward, and I guess that blogging is no exception. So why do I blog?
- To sort out my thoughts on writing craft, writing struggles, and writing rewards.
- To connect with other writers out there.
- To (I hope!) provide a resource for others who are walking the writing road.
So thank you who read this, for sharing a bit of my life.
:) Cheryl
Hi Cheryl--Thanks for the nice words about my article. I've been spending more time lately blogging--between Robert's Snow, Cybils, etc. I do get a lot out of it...but it's a balancing act of how much time to spend on writing that has subtle, but not always overt, rewards!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura! What a nice surprise! No problem with the nice words--your article is information-dense and thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing it! ~Cheryl
ReplyDeleteI do love your blog and I think it does all that you say you want it to accomplish. I know my blog keeps me in touch with my own writing. Good luck with your story submission!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love the way the internet lets writers connect--with one another, with readers, with publishers. I enjoy yours, too :).
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