I posted an article titled “Blog. Blog. Blog” on hubpages.com where I argue against blogging because it detracts from the writer’s craft. The writer as artist should rewrite, hone skills, and rewrite. So why have I changed my mind? Why am I blogging now? The short answer is “who the hell knows?” But that’s the beauty of blogging I suppose. Writers like me (and God knows there are lots of us) have laughably limited marketing skills but we are fairly good at spewing out words.
Do we have “artistic dignity?” Is that what compels us to repeatedly rewrite and make the manuscript right (and play with dumb alliteration)? Or is it the fear of being called a fraud, a charlatan, a slush pile writer, a hack, a lowlife, a bug splattered on the… well, you get the idea, don’t you? (Since I’m into easy answers, the answer is of course both.)
I often cringe when I see social networking posts ejaculating something like “I finished writing three novels this summer!” or “54,000 words and counting!” Okay, I get it. I understand we are all anxious for approval and feedback, but what sort of feedback is appropriate here? I think I know. I should be congratulatory and spout positive gushes of you-can-do-it. And that will get me positive feedback and the slight possibility that someone will buy my novel, and then maybe read it (about half of all books bought are never read) and then recommend it to others.
What if those three novels I gushed about are then self-published and cost $35 apiece. And they are just God-awful! What if, of the 54,000 words, 35,000 of them are unnecessary? What then? Am I obligated to purchase a copy of the book because I’ve been so gushy before? Am I obligated to sip wine and suggest to them that they are brilliant and I cannot wait for their next effort? Fiction writers are pretty good liars. No problem.
Sometimes I feel as if I’d be better off I standing on a snowy street corner in my boxers shouting, Buy my book! Buy my book! Buy my f–ing book! and Merry Christmas, God-damn-it!
That’s how social networking works, right? We are all connected. When I read, “Submitted to five magazines today!” usually I am congratulatory and encouraging, and I like being positive; it makes us all feel good. (And of course I know many writers whose work I truly admire, and am sincerely impressed by, and want to help as much as possible.) But sometimes all sorts of complex feelings emerge. Assuming they print it out, another six to eight pounds of paper will end up on a fatigued agent’s desk. And I might think, “I’d rather hear about you submitting to a whip wielding gender neutral whore.”
At any rate, why blog? My intent is to provide information about fiction writing, query letters, publishing and so on, enhanced (or degraded) by my sometimes cynical, sometimes encouraging but mostly realistic personal experience. Likely, I will also write about fly fishing, and maybe my outdoor adventures, including mountaineering experiences, and love and sex since it permeates everything.
Perhaps I want to write without the constraint of dignity and given what I’ve seen online, a blog seems to allow that sort of “freedom.” Maybe telling your boss, coworker, acquaintances and friends potentially embarrassing details about your life is more difficult than broadcasting it to the online universe.
So if you’ve written today, congratulations, but remember that word count, if you ever get published, may increase the retail price of your book but it is not an indicator of quality. And maybe take a cue from Darwin — don’t publish until you’re sure.
Do you blog and if so, why? Do you use social networking sites to blog? And lastly, do you brag or inform the rest of us every day about your progress?
