So what is it that brings us to blog for a few days and then abandon the blog?
I think most people that start blogs do so because they have something to share with the world. Once they get those few immediate things out they realize that they don’t have a vast store of anger or amusement or wonder to share on a daily basis. A few people have an unlimited store of wonder to share – but they usually end up repeating themselves or sounding stupid – or both.
The secret to the “successful” blog is finding something that you are geniunely interested in, and then writing about it as if you were conversing with an interesting or intelligent friend. Those who are interested in the same topic will be interested in what you have to say and will want to comment on it. The true blog (to me) becomes a focal point for conversation, rather than a news site about what you did last week. You saw a movie and you liked it? great – why do I care? Something has to be in that post that makes it an interesting read – usually something that will link your experience to the experiences of others.
Now if I only I could come up with something like that every day – then I could write a blog instead of my current job. Well….maybe.
August 16, 2006 at 3:45 am
The journal-style blogs are tedious. Very few people have interesting lives on a daily level. Only your closest friends care about what John said to Sally or how the Fedex guy is always rude to you.
I think the average person has thoughts and experiences worth sharing, but so much is lost in the transition from thought to printed word. It’s not easy to capture an emotional or provocative moment without coming across as cliche and repetitive.