Blogging Insights — New Format # 3

I have been writing a lot less than I was, but maybe more than I need to write. But to be fair, I am writing a lot less. The photographs take up most of the slack. Since this site really is the only place I have to display photographs -- and was the original reason I began blogging -- I guess everyone will have to put up with the photographs.

I think a lot of people assume that publishing a lot of material is more important that the content. Maybe we all feel that way when we first start out because it's such a huge market, we feel a need to put something "out there" that other people will notice.

I went the other way. I wrote a little something which basically said I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the site, but I figured I'd say "hello." It was at least a month later when I wrote another piece that was equally confused and unfocussed. Technically I began this blog in February 2012, but I really didn't start to do anything much with it until that fall. It was a beautiful Autumn and I had tons of foliage photos to post.

2012 was a huge year for blogging. It was a presidential election year -- Obama's second -- and at least in the U.S., everyone was online. Social media was booming. I had a good launch pad for starting out. Many of the people with whom I'm still in touch were starting out around the same time.

I started to write a bit. Mostly very short pieces. I wrote the blog in the same style I had been writing manuals for years. Sparely with plenty of illustrations. Minimal adjectives, maximum information, and always if there's any controversy, double and triple-check sources.

I remember when I got my first couple of followers and one day realized I had several thousand "hits." I ignored warnings that I had to have a singular focus for the blog or it would fail. I have noticed that pretty much 100% of those single-focus blogs are gone because, it turns out, that everyone gets bored having to write about the same thing repeatedly. Unless you are selling something, you need to let your mind roam.

What is "too much writing"? When what you are saying feels empty. When your words have no content. I try to grab a piece of real life and talk about it. Sometimes, the magic works. Sometimes not.

I try to write about things that are important to me and I hope to others.

Climate change is real. It isn't exaggerated. It isn't just the weather being the weather. It's not on its way by 2050. It is HERE. Now and it's bad. Terrifying. If we do nothing about it, this planet will be unlivable for our grandchildren and their children. If we don't have our own kids, than for any children. For humanity. That's assuming this beautiful blue planet survives that long and we don't blow it up.

I don't read stuff by ignorant, stupid people. It will just make me angry and frustrated. It's not that these morons don't believe in reality. It's that they don't care. If it isn't bothering them personally, as far as they are concerned, the rest of humanity. be damned

House Finches

It doesn't mean that everyone has to be serious because I like funny even more than serious. Make me laugh and I'm yours. Make me angry and the odds are that I'll try to keep you from ever coming near my site. I don't get any joy out of arguing with people who are -- well -- stupid.

So there we are. Write smart. Back up ideas with sources. Occasionally add pictures to keep old eyes from going dim. Use punctuation. Spell-checkers are a gift from the gods. Write, let it sit, come back to it and make sure you are making sense. We ALL write gibberish sometimes.

I'm always glad when I don't publish my bad writing. I bet everyone else would be glad if you'd read it. When I think it's not good enough to publish, believe me -- it's pretty bad.