Warning: This post contains elements of self-indulgence, so if you're easily offended by this, stop reading now.
I have writer's blog. I was so excited when I thought up this term during my car ride this evening, thinking I had coined a clever if somewhat obvious phrase, but apparently, it's a common enough term to have found its way into the unholy of unholies, the urban dictionary.
For the last couple of weeks, I've had trouble coming up with things to blog about. I have only one rule when blogging: write about whatever I want so long as it isn't self-indulgent, look how great I am/woe is me crap. So I know I've hit rock bottom when I break the one rule I've set for myself.
How do bloggers combat this fairly common occurrence?
Some of my favorite bloggers have an overarching theme to their blog. My good friend, Nate Green, explores the nuances and oddities of language in fiction and in marketing in his blog, 500 Words on Words. Peter Rozovsky somehow manages to be prolific and accessibly esoteric with his wonderful blog, Detectives Beyond Borders.
Speaking of prolific, Seana Graham manages four of her own blogs, each one with its one motif, while also being a frequent contributor to many other blogs.
On the other hand, Adrian McKinty blogs about the "psychopathology of everyday life," to steal his turn of phrase, which is a pretty big umbrella covering just about anything and everything.
So yeah, I may take a week or so off from the blog to recharge and think up something more intelligent than "writing about the practices of other bloggers." See you soon. I hope.
4 weeks ago
Posts
32 comments:
Brian, thanks for including mine in this illustrious group. Nate's is the only one of these I've failed to add to my blog roll, but I'll correct that shortly--his theme is right up my alley.
I don't know how the others keep it up, but I basically don't worry at all about my own blogs. I don't have such a following that people are champing at the bit for new material--I'm really somewhat surprised that anyone reads them at all. Frankly, I'm much more interested in other people doing the hard work of coming up with topics and writing them up, and then me coming around through the side door, so to speak, throwing in my own word and then departing.
I think it's fun for me to post when I do precisely because there is such a small audience and it really isn't expecting anything.
I'll tell you when there is an absolute temptation to post, and that is when you are really supposed to be doing something else in the offline world. Like right now, when I am supposed to be working on moving.
Although I absolutely support your waiting to blog again until the spirit moves you, I will propose a topic to you, taken from your own words elsewhere:
Beer is GoodI'm pretty sure you could find a few words to say on that one.
B.I.G.! Beer Is Good!
Thanks for the plug, and it's to see you've found the amusing urban dictionary.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Seana,
How is the move going BTW?
And I love your idea for a blog post. I think I'll put that one in the bank.
Peter,
I drove past your building the other day on my way to pick up the wife in Center City. I'd forgotten where it was, believe it or not.
I'm a lurker on your blog. I don't post that often because I just don't read as much crime fiction as I'd like. But I am reading Hammett's The Dain Curse right now, and it's pretty f--king good, as they say.
Brian,
Thanks for the promo. And take some time off if you need it. Maybe you can use that time to ... say ... work on a short story or a new screenplay?
Peter, I couldn't agree more - beer is good!
Thanks.
You should come back into Center City Thursday to hear Elmore Leonard read at the Free Library.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Peter,
Elmore Leonard will be in town? That's crazy. I'll have to see if I can make it. I assume you'll be in attendance?
Nater,
I might spend that time rewatching Beastmaster and Krull until I can figure out which is truly the better film.
I wonder if there's a way to do a sequel for both and make it into one movie...
Nope, I'll be at CrimeFest in Bristol.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Brian,
I'm afraid the sequel of Beastmaster and Krull combined into one movie would be called, "80s Fantasy Movie" and star Marlon Wayans.
But, if you had something specific in mind already, I'm willing to hear your pitch.
Nate,
Good point. I'd write it, though, if they paid me enough. I have no scruples.
Here's my pitch:
Colwyn and Lyssa's child, aptly named Brian, is set to rule the galaxy, as the prophecy goes. However, it turns out he must first vanquish the evil High King, aptly named Nate, which is only possible through the creatures of Krull. Desperate for help, Brian enlists the help of some "crazy old wizard" named Dar, who is said to be able to communicate with the animals. On their wacky journey, they encounter several colorful rogues, one of whom is Rell's bastard son, Smell, a half cyclops/half human, who consequently has one and a half eyes.
Can I be the crazy old wizard? I kind of look like Harry Potter. He's a wizard.
Although, maybe I should see one of those two movies first so I know what I'm getting into.
BEER IS GOOD!
Your fantasy sequel reminds me of Monthy Python's ... religious documentary , Brian of Nazareth.
If you haven't already seen it, go and fetch it.
No Quiet American- of Greene I've read only the three I've mentioned.
And my v-word,
bier, obviously means beer in German.
Nick,
You could play the wizard, but get ready to fill some pretty big shoes. Dar was originally played by none other than Brian Singer's uncle (I think), Marc Singer.
Oh, and you should see Krull. James Horner did the score for Krull and Wrath of Khan right around the same time, so the similarities are really interesting and sometimes glaring. But I think Krull's score edges out Wrath of Khan's. Yeah, I said it.
Marco,
I love Life of Brian. Absolutely hilarious from start to finish and possibly funnier than Holy Grail...
I think BEER IS GOOD has just become the tagline for this blog.
B is for Beer
Brian, my life isn't all that interesting anymore, excluding the birth of my son and China painting of my wife. I just started a blog, and did one yesterday about volleyball. VOLLEYball. You're a writer, man. Writers write. It'll come to you and you'll have so much stuff to blog about that you forget half of them. No problem, bro.
my life isn't all that interesting anymore, excluding the birth of my son and China painting of my wifeDude, sounds to me like your life is pretty interesting right now!
Loved the volleyball post. That's such a fun, fast-paced game, and I used to play it a lot after school back when my vertical was better than three inches.
Marco:
And apparently, C Is For Cocaine.
Brian
The best stuff comes when you've got nothing to blog about is what I think. Of course I'm probably deluding myself. Hey that could be a good blog post - me deluding myself about having a lot to say when in fact I dont have anything to say. Wait a minute that could be a good blog post: me deluding myself about deluding myself about having a lot to say when in fact I've got nothing to say.
No, no, wait, I've got it! A blog post being deluded, about being deluded, about being deluded about having nothing to say.
Brilliant.
Dont steal my idea I'm off to post it now.
Adrian,
I've deluded myself into thinking I came up with your, I mean my, idea.
Sometimes I wish I could blog about the craziness at work, but that would surely get me fired.
No, do blog about the work stuff, but just label it all as fiction.
Some temptations need to be avoided though. I've never blogged about my love hate relationship with the Yankees. No one wants to hear about that tedious psychodrama.
Adrian doesn't blog about the Yankees; he saves that for his books. But the Yankees were good then.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com
Adrian
Not a bad idea, but my risk adverse nature dictates otherwise. Plus, did you hear about that person that got fired because of the status update she posted on facebook? That's crazy.
And apparently it's just happened again.
Peter,
Have you been watching PBS lately? They've started airing the Wallander series starring Kenneth Branagh.
I have really been wanting to see those Wallanders, but circumstances have been against me so far. I'm very curious to see what Branagh does with the role. He's one of my faves, and hasn't done much film lately.
Seana,
I think he does a good job, as per usual. But I haven't read the books, so I don't know if he's capturing the Wallander of the series.
Brian, I'm in the UK now, and I've meaning to check the TV schedules for the Branagh Wallander series. CrimeFest and its attendant festivities have left little time for television until now.
Forgive dropped word in previous comment. Thanks.
Peter,
BTW, I wanted to say I'm glad to hear Crime Fest is going so well. Sounds like a great time.
CrimeFest is in the past now, and it was great. I've arrived in Belfast, which means a visit to No Alibis tomorrow, so no crime-fiction withdrawal here.
My v-word is highly appropriate for the convivial reception I have enjoyed in this part of the world: mates
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com
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