I’ve hit bloggers block.
Last month, I was able to persuade 140 unwitting net denizens to visit Big Snippet, publishing seven articles that, like burrs in the jungle of the web, snagged onto the clothing of those passing by, forcing some errant attention to be directed towards their inspection.
April will be a blast, I thought. 70 visitors before, double that last month, why 300 hits should be an easy feat! Yeah right. Problem is, you actually have to write stuff for that theory to work, and I’m running creatively dry exactly halfway into this month.
Forgive me for sounding cranky, but I find the whole concept of effective blogging (aka, actually amassing a decent fanbase) to be weirdly counterproductive, at least in principle. In order to get more followers, the number one piece of advice I find online is post often and post long. Whatever you do, don’t be an amateur who hammers out anemic two sentence responses to the Prompt of the Day, just so you can dip your creative ladle in to the stream of browsers and claim a few for your own. But, unless you’re a hotshot writer, how do you accomplish this feat of frequent, expansive ruminations, without scraping the bottom of the Barrel of Quality (sorry, I’ve got into a rut with this ladle and dipping metaphor) and posting drivel simply for the purpose of SEO and self-promotion?
If anyone out there has advice, please, share it with me.
In the meantime, here’s links to some of last month’s stuff. A few were decent.
- Read the Damn Article: an essay style ramble on the importance of trying to be original, especially while fleshing out your online persona.
- Galactic Mocha: my recollection of metaphysically arm-wrestling with an erstwhile atheist friend, who had suddenly found the concept of karma to be all-justifying.
- Apocalyptic Optimists: an unabashed music review of one of my favorite bands, Leisure Cruise. Complete with videos.
- In Search of Summer School: a recap of my post-secondary educational goals — and how they had just recently changed in favor of web development courses.
- Unclaimed Lost Stuff: a totally-unnecessary diary entry of how I came to find a lost iPhone during a snowstorm, and proceeded to use it for myself. Kinda entertaining.
- Glass Pyramid in a Desert: a Las Vegas travelogue I submitted to a literary journal, only to be rejected. However, I’m kind of proud of it, and it includes some original photography I’ve wanted to share for a while. Check it.
On that note, is there anything new from me to anticipate this month? Possibly one, possible two articles. I’ve been pining to write a hybrid review/opinion piece on the new Ghost in the Shell movie, particularly expressing my views on the perception of race as it relates to the film. I’ve also wanted to make a list of original, strong female characters in mixed media, just for fun. For these, I have two titles in mind: What Colour is a Ghost and Heroine Addict. Keep your eyes peeled, or better yet, sign up for updates below!
Catch you later,
Whyboy
Big Snippet 
Is there a theme or ‘mask’ for the original persona you want to put in here? The blogs I enjoy most are the ones where the person writes consistently on one or two overall themes. And no, I don’t read the cooking/food/baking blogs – too much torture. What I enjoy, what I find intriguing when reading a blog, is the personality of the writer. I don’t really know (nor do I care) if it’s a made-up mask of a person because underneath all that will shine an element of ‘truth’ – and that’s the kernel of wisdom that comes from the theme (or mask) consistency.
Oh, and for ideas – there’s no bottom of the well! Just ask any person younger than five what the most important thing is in their world right at that very moment. It may be a bee; the sound, the movement, the little bit of fear, the reaction of the parent to the sight of the bee near the child. It may be the need to pee. The simple things count when seeking ideas – don’t walk by!
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Hi 5Bay,
I try to post all the content here with as little masking as possible – the borderline cynical tone I tend to assume is genuine, if not just a little less restrained than in real life. Likewise, the struggle you’ll see in other articles, with trying to balance that cynicism with actual open-mindedness and optimism, is also quite genuine.
As for themes? Well, Compound Exorcises is just my avenue for blurting out whatever I happen to think justifies the time to be written (and the time to be read by others), but usually I favour real life stories involving my interactions with the world around me, particularly during a period of upheaval in my life. Otherwise, in smaller portions, you’ll find I indulge in posting short fiction, or music reviews.
I agree simple things can lead to great inspiration. Though I sometimes hiccup with writing about simplistic topics because I have this bad habit of thinking every blog post has to amount to something, it has to have a point, or a purpose of existing. It’s a preconception I’m still adjusting.
Thanks for your advice, and taking the time to contribute something on here! You’re one of the first commenters I’ve had, and definitely the first to actually go in depth with their feedback. I look forward to hearing more from you 🙂
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The lesson in my life that’s been hardest to learn (and I still struggle with) is that ‘simple’ is a smoke-screen. Something that appears simple, easy to accomplish, straightforward – is the hardest task, takes the most effort, and never quite comes off in the time-frame I set for it. Simple is not easy. Complex is easy because we expect it to have twists and turns and we prepare our minds for that and we know there’s going to be effort required – but simple! It sneaks up and gives us a message we didn’t expect, and it makes us work so hard for it that it almost slips by without notice (especially if we give up too soon).
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