Especially during periods like now, where I’m absorbed with a novel project. All my “clever” (hah, I wish) goes into that.

It would be a real drag if I had to worry about hits and making money with the blog.

Lee: This blog is very much a public journal and will remain so.

Marti: Thank you for the compliment and sharing your story. I, too, started out in forums some time in 2000. I’ve long since given up on them, preferring blogs. Whenever I’ve broached this subject with my family (especially my parents and siblings), their eyes just glaze over.

I find that a lot of people are deathly afraid of change and/or the unknown (regarding your friends’ reluctance to start a blog). Forums have been around for at least a decade and have become familiar.

(Note to self - stop blathering on and on about “me, me, me”
LOL)

I started posting at message boards and forums more than five years ago, and developed my “voice” then. That is actually why I started blogging, because I was copying and reposting my little vignettes at half a dozen different boards, and wanted to consolidate my “voice” in one spot.

Curiously, many of my “cyberfriends” from the message boards and forums don’t read my blog, despite my frequent plugging of it at those venues.

Instead they fuss that they “miss hearing from me” and “loved your funny little stories - why don’t you ever share them with us anymore”.

I don’t know if they simply don’t understand the concept of a blog, (seems unlikely) or are just not anxious to walk into what to them, is a strange new venue. I’ve had a few that say, “I don’t have a blog, so I feel funny there.” I’ve tried to explain my reasoning, AND have offered (with my limited abilities LOL) to help them set up blogs, yet none have.

Strange, huh?

I know I’m not going to make big advertising dollars. I write because I love to write.

Thought’s I’d like to share with whoever is reading.

I’m blogging for fun right now, but it has crossed my mind - more than once - to try a more commerical blog with a very different purpose to my current one.

Michael, you got me pegged. I love black comedies and snarky blogs. Yes, voice is a funny thing. Either it clicks with people, or it doesn’t. Sweet dreams!

I agree 100% with everything you’ve written here.
“Voice” is a funny thing, isn’t it?
Interesting how I perceive you, for instance.
I get a soft-spoken intelligence that’s offset with a good sense of humor.
Though we’ve never met, I think my mind’s picture of you is quite accurate. Maybe not.
Burning out on blogging? Yup.
Running out of ideas? Not totally.
BE a time waster? Yup.
Blogmad a time waster? Bigtime.
I just mentioned to another blogger that most BE/ Blogmad folks visit for the allotted 30 seconds; no more, no less.
That’s a big help…NOT!
Anyway, I’m exhausted. Bedtime.
No blogging for moi tonight.
A great informative post.
The usual…

~michaelm

When times get tough for ideas, I take some time off, as I’m doing right now. Even though I write my blog for fun, I like sticking to the concept of each of my blogs. Sure, I could fill up my writing blog with lots of stuff about my day to day life but I feel like I would be shifting away from the original concept.

I couldn’t imagine having a huge audience for my blog. To much pressure, lol.

Great post, by the way.