Tangents, ramblings, and why I’m not changing my writing style
What’s with the obsession with 5-best, 10-best, or 42-greatest posts? Is it only in the “lifestyle design” world where these are so prevalent, or is the trend taking over the blogosphere as a whole? I really only follow 3 categories of blog/website:
1) Voluntary Simplicity
2) Paleo/Primal diet
3) barefoot/minimal footwear
There are others that don’t really fit, but for the sake of this not turning into a “greatest ways to…” post, I’ll shoehorn the rest into one of those 3 categories. Now, where am I going with this, and have any of you noticed my propensity for rambling posts? Is this a problem I should address or do I eventually get around to the point in a reasonable length of time? Your thoughts?
So, that point I mentioned…
Why do bloggers think we need them to list things? Why can’t you just give suggestions, tips, tricks, etc? OK, so lists are a convenient way to organize your thoughts, but then how about a bullet point list? We don’t need a count…it’s not a competition. If it were, the guy who’s lists tend to have random numbers (36, 57, 23) of items would will simple for not conforming to the idea that lists have to have a nice even number of things on them (20, 35, Top 10). And come to think of it again, why does this bother me? I’m thinking it’s the global thinker in me. I don’t mean global in the environmental-type meaning, it’s global as opposed to linear in terms of how we process information and reach conclusions. Think of it this way, some people make lists, others ramble semi-coherently and come around to their point by the end of the page. Or think back to school: one teacher (probably math or science, for me it was my senior physics teacher) will always have their notes on the board before you even get to class, listed out neatly, numbered, maybe even in the form of a well thought out outline with sub-headings and everything. Other teachers will have to erase their scribbled notes from last week in order to make room for todays schedule. Then they’ll proceed to ignore that schedule completely and go off on a tangent based on a question someone asked that actually had nothing whatsoever to do with the topic of class that day.
Yeah, I’m that second guy.
A couple of recent posts drove this discrepancy in styles home. First Sean Ogle over at Location 180 posted “Stop Maintaining and Start Writing Incoherent Blog Posts.” Then, influenced by that same post, Vita Reid of The One Minute Minimalist reappeared on the scene with a semi-coherent and very readable post after a sizable absence. I may have missed their respective points completely, but what I got from these two great posts is that we write how we think. And we may think that people don’t want to try to read what we write. But how will we know unless/until we try. I’m sitting steady at :::cough::: average visitors/day and have been there for months now. But I know that those who are reading appreciate what I have to say, hopefully they’re learning a little something about themselves by reading about what I’m learning about myself (like that one?) and I’m not going to stop writing because I don’t do the “Greatest Hits” or “Top 10″ style posts.
There, I think I brought that one back around to my point in less than 6-degrees. If you want some insight into the brain spasms that caused that to be purged, you’ll just have to wait for the screenplay…
Hello Jesse, Many thanks for mentioning me in your blog. I enjoyed reading your post. Best wishes to you in your minimalist journey. Vita Reid
No worries Vita, I look forward to tracking your progress!
Personally, I’m thinking it’s all these “How to write a great blog!” and “How to get XXX number of subscribers in [time period]!” posts. They’ve started a wave that says you have to have a certain style title, a certain style of writing, and lots and lots of “How to X!” and “Ten Things Y!”
Yea, I have few subscribers. Yea, I *could* probably drive more traffic to my blog if I started making those posts, and if I quit cursing, and if I changed the layout, and if I got on Twitter, and all that bullshit.
But then it wouldn’t be MY blog anymore. It would be a carbon-copy of all those other “A-list” style blogs out there. I write because I like to write and I (think I) have something to say. Occasionally I do make a “X ways to do Y” or a “How to do Z” post, but only when that’s the obvious format. But I’d much rather tell a story than make a list.
I’ve been really itching to write about this trend myself lately, and now I think I will…it’s nice to know others are noticing this, too!
Jesse, would you show me how you create links? Semi-coherent and very readable post … when a person clicks that it takes them to my website. How do you do that? I’ll also look in wordpress forums.
I read your post yesterday, and it really stuck with me. You brought back a memory of this tree that used to stand along my favorite country highway. It had been cut back, wind tossed, and generally abused by human intervention and nature’s wrath. When it was completely torn down, I was dumb-struck. I loved that tree. Its beauty was its imperfection. Our quirks, style, (dis)grace…these are what make us so fabulous. Trying to be perfect, which is impossible anyway, is way too complicated. I like your rants, keep at it!
Creepy. I didn’t know you were primal too. My brother and I are both minimalist, snowboarding, meat loving Vibram wearers. Best combo ever… I’m sure you agree.
Your writing style is genuine.
And of course, if you do ever come to Denver, my offer still stands.
@ Fox – You hit it dead on! I started this blog to express my thoughts and opinions and to share my experiences with some life-changing goings-on…I never had a thought to “monetize” it. I read other blogs for the same reason and I guess what started getting to me was the assumption that I was only reading them to get tips on how to “blog like Mike.”
Thanks for clarifying that so succinctly!
@ Sunny – Thanks as always for the kind words!
@ Katie – Indeed I am…sorta. I don’t actually eat red meat at this point. I was veggie for 20+ years so I’m adding things back slowly. Once I’m stateside and I source grass fed ranchers I’ll think about getting back into the hard stuff. For now I’m sticking with range fed chicken, eggs, and tuna…and of course piles and piles of veggies!
Now that I know you’re both VFF fans as well, I’m even more likely to look you up when I get to the mountains!
I know it as stream of consciousness, completely subjective, and it’s the audiences challenge to decipher the meaning they want to take with them. Keep on, you’ve got another fan.
Thanks Brighid, you definitely understand!
I’ve noticed this to, and wasn’t sure if it was just me or what. I don’t even care if anyone reads my blog because I’m just writing for myself and no one else, I don’t even normally put the link to in the website section of comments. I also turned off comments because it seemed like I was always wondering if I was ever getting comments and I got tired of being worried about it. I didn’t know if it was going to let me know when I had comments or what.
Usually I don’t even read those list posts, I just scan them and see if there is any useful information in them. I would rather read personal stories or tips than follow someones steps on how to do this or that because I’m just going to do whatever works for me anyway.