I've discovered the joys of personal blogging.
Some of you reading this know me as a bit of a blogging neurotic, who has started and stopped a few projects. My beloved certainly does; although she has little interest in blogging I've imposed my blog neurosis conversation on her countless times. You may know the conversation- I know there are quite a few out there who suffer similar blog neuroses.
Problem with blogs is they're so easy to start, and the process of coming up with a blog is so creative, that it is always tempting to start a new one. I started then deleted about 3 before getting into my first proper blog. It was primarily political, but included some personal posts, including the previous brush with mortality alluded to in a post below and the moment I became engaged. They always went down well, and I enjoyed writing them.
That blog was aggressively political and opinionated, and at times I felt very prone writing it, given that I had opted to display my name and suburb. So I shut it down. Then I started a much more formal political and academic blog, to force myself to write in a certain way and to focus on certain issues. Global issues. Then I started writing this.
Ladycracker asked why I started this, was it as a relief from wedding preparation? In part yes, but in part to explore a more engaged, personal writing where I really express myself and don't think about hits and links and getting in on debates that are raging. Where I try to capture more subtle feelings that are crushed by too much politics.
So I'm sharing my blog neurosis with you, dear (small handful of ) readers. Do you like the focus on the particular, the groomzilla theme, or would a broader mix of thoughts be more interesting? Should I stop dividing the personal and political so much, and reflect on both in the one place? Do those who read my political stuff prefer my personal writing anyway? Should I stop staring at my wool-filled (I'm a guy after all!) navel?
Do any of you have blog neuroses you want to share?
UPDATE: Neurosis B is font and layout fretting, which made me wonder- do you find this template readable and accessible, and if not, what are your favourite templates?
Monday Message Board
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Another Monday Message Board. Post comments on any topic. Civil discussion
and no coarse language please. Side discussions and idees fixes to the
sandpits,...
13 hours ago
6 comments:
blog neuroses: I have never wanted LOTS of people looking at my blog.
font question: it is fine.
Groom thing: this is hard to say. She is wonderful and perfect, but,
but? BUT she doesn't care for blogging.
I love her but I hate her damn cats.
I love him but I hate his loser friends and don't want them at my wedding.
I have waited all my life for this woman dear to me. me who has the blogging gene, and she does not have the slightest interest in reading, commenting on, or owning a blog. oh dear.
Actually, I don't notice the layout, because it pops up as text on bloglines.
I think you can have a balanced blog that covers two or three different main themes; but if one theme is taking over it's probably best to start a new blog for it. Otherwise those interested in the remaining themes will give up on it.
(eg Darp and FDB, or AnonymousLefty and BoltWatch.
Well I think this is a great blog, GZ.
When I first read it I thought(and remarked to a friend) : you're onto a winner here.
By "winner" I don't neccessarily mean big numbers, rather hitting on a project that seems perfectly suited to this medium.
A narrative drive (a countdown towards the event), casual blogging style (compare and contrast with the more formal piece you linked to from the OZ)
and the essential interactivity of a circle that develops by itself (as opposed to the 387 comments on any given post of a corporate/ mainstream media blog.)
And then of course the territory is quite ineteresting - we don't often get this from the male point of view. And you write so well. Having a central conceit shouldn't limit you to wedding- themed posts, in fact 'the marginalia' (and/or the big things in life) fleshes it out (as you'd expect with TGSB!)
It's an authentic blog/voice.
I imagine there are a few blogs that have started within a specialist framework that can evolve as RL changes
I'll be interested to see how it develops.
I like this blue template, EZ to read.
Thanks all, I'm shaking myself together and continuing with the status quo now. Blog neurosis has thawed.
And Boynton, thanks for your kind compliments!
I like that the focus of this blog is drawn so sharply, because it makes it more intense. And boynton is right (as usual) - we are all walking together with you toward this big thing that you've brought into your life. It's a beautiful structure, as it happens, for a blog and your writing is wonderful and revelatory.
I think it's a good thing to keep the personal and political separated in the way that you've done it, because the audience for each is different (of course there is crossover, and I like both).
And the template is fine.
Don't go changin', OK?
OK Zoe, I acquiesce.
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