Empty brain here
Let’s get on with the third installment of my blogging research study which I’m now calling The Blogpsyche because it sounds sci-fi and exciting like a scientific device in Barbarella.
Before we get onto Part Three I would like to do you all the courtesy of answering my own questions from Part Two of Blogpsyche, the research for my talk about blogging at The Word Festival in Aberdeen, that you, yes you, can be a part of, simply by telling me your own thoughts on your blog and blogging in general.
Here are the previous questions and my answers:
1. Did you write stuff at all before starting your blog? Tell me more…
Yes, all the time. First of all, I do write stuff for a living anyway but nothing exciting, just scripts for productions at work and educational/corporate material, so that doesn’t count. Man, the things I’ve had to write about…..jeez. But in terms of writing for fun, I have little notebooks full of crapola from my brain all over the place. But none of it is anything more than stuff to remind me of places I’ve been or things I’ve seen. I wouldn’t show them to anyone, but now I think they could be useful to turn into other things that I would show to people, like blog posts or short stories or…gasp…books. I have also sporadically kept a diary, volumes of which are kept encased in a chest made of Kryptonite in a secret cavern in the South Pole protected by an army of psychotic polar bears.
In addition to all that, as I’ve already mentioned, I used to write big long group emails to people when on my travels and before that letters, which sadly I can’t get back to find out what I was doing and thinking when I was in Germany and Spain as a student, or New Orleans as a illegal immigrant worker, or on that Guyanan penal colony when I was convicted as a murderer and then escaped with only a half blind Dustin Hoffman for company.
2. Did any other writers or bloggers inspire you when you started?
Oh absolutely yes, and they still do. I think I have to name names. My friend Cammy of Stuff on TV made me wise up to the fact that I had to get onto a proper blog platform and start doing this properly for a wider audience. He’s also very funny. In terms of style I read Little Red Boat by Anna Pickard and thought, she’s so funny and she writes about everyday stuff, and her personality comes across through her writing style. She’s consistently good. I was also a big fan of Tired Dad, who would always tell stories instead of just keeping a diary. He inspired me a lot. There’s a hole in my blog reading list since he stopped. On a similar theme I’ve enjoyed the style of Danny Evans of Dad Gone Mad, although his blog has changed slightly since his book deal, which is a common thing, I guess with successful bloggers who then get published. This is not a criticism, just an observation. I’m not surprised he’s been published. He can take the most mundane occurance and make it funny with the way he uses language.
Another ex-blogger who has now stopped for personal reasons was Running in Wellies who used to edit a blog magazine, and would include material from The Misssives in the stuff she selected for inclusion and also became a regular reader/read of mine. She brought me readers and confidence. I miss her. Another early find of mine was Emma K from Mommy Has a Headache who has become a friend and writing buddy on a project. More recently Kate Lord Brown of What Kate Did has inspired me to take my writing to the next level, and to think more seriously about it. Her blog is a must read for aspiring writers.
3. Has blogging inspired you to write material outside of your blog?
Well, I’ve already indicated some of this above. I have been included in the blog book “You’re not the Only One” edited by ex-blogger Peach. I cannot over state how exciting and inspiring this was for me. I am sat side by side in the book with many of the bloggers who inspired me in the first place and immensely grateful to Peach for including me.
I am now writing two books- one non-fiction book written with a co-writer which has only just been taken on by a literary agent and another fiction one on my own which I hope to concentrate on more when the first one is finished/or, fingers crossed, accepted by a publisher. I also send short stories to magazines when I have time. I didn’t send my writing anywhere until I started blogging. This is largely due to the confidence I’ve been given by readers. So thanks to you all.
I also am still chugging away writing material for industry eight hours a day but that’s for bread, not for kicks. No one writes about the effects of Hydrogen Sulphide on the human body for kicks. Not even Stephen King.
OK, it’s your turn.
Here are the three questions for Part Three of the snazzily named Blogpsyche. Even if you haven’t been involved up to now, go ahead and answer them. And you can still answer my previous questions by going here and here:
1. Has your blog ever got you into trouble?
2. Where do you draw the line in your blog?
3. What has been family and friends’ reaction to your blog?
As before, if you don’t want to comment publically but still want to tell me something you can email me as a few of you have already done.
I look forward to reading your comments.
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