To Blog or Not to Blog
The conclusion: Not to Blog. It isn’t a huge surprise that I’ve been going through what I’m calling my existential writing crisis. Let’s face it, a blog is simply another form of writing.
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I began writing a weekly blog almost 4 years ago, shortly after my debut novel came out. I’ve written 177 blogs and this will be the 178th. Honestly, it was a way to market my novels (or so I was told). People talk about giving something to your readers in newsletters, a blog is something free to read. I thought that was enough, that it was a nice gift. I don’t think the blog did what it was intended to do. In the beginning, it was fun, so I kept writing despite the data suggesting it wasn’t meeting the original intent.
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Four years later, I have 147 followers. I have fewer followers than the number of blogs I’ve written. I know, kinda pathetic. Granted in 2017 I had 9,776 views for the 52 blogs I put out that year and 5,149 visitors. Now….here are the depressing stats: In those 52 blogs I wrote in 2017, I had 176 likes and 174 comments. So, I had to ask myself, why spend the hours each week thinking up a topic, writing on said topic and an outrageous amount of time picking out pictures (that are probably not legal to use anyway)? I couldn’t come up with a good answer. Would anyone besides a handful (yes literally a handful) even know I stopped writing a weekly blog? The resounding answer that kept pounding in my head was…NO.
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Then I read with rapt interest a comment about a reader who had, reader’s block. Shit…I never even heard of that before, but apparently, others have experienced this as well. Writer’s block I know well, but this was a whole new fascinating concept to me. I’ve never, ever, not been in the mood to read. The concept is so foreign to me. That was the nail in the coffin for me. Writers need readers. It is just that simple. In lesfic especially, there seem to be a lot more writers than readers. Simple economics, really, too much supply and not enough demand. Words offered for free are no longer considered gifts worthy of putting the effort into reading. Too many offer that option. Readers are bobbing in a sea of books trying to decide which one to latch onto.
There have been times when my weekly blog has been effortless. The words have almost written themselves and flown from my fingers so fast, I almost couldn’t keep up. Other times, I’ve had to claw my way from the well to eke out a weekly blog, blood dripping from my fingers with the effort it took to write the damn thing. No more. I simply cannot do it. The world will not stop spinning if I stop writing. I’m not creating world peace for shit’s sake, only a few laughs and temporary moments of entertainment for a tiny number of people. People are busy and have a whole lot to choose from. The market is not only flooded with books, it’s flooded with blogs. As a former colleague used to say, “the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.”
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Maybe I will resume someday, if and only if I have something to say and think I’m adding to the world. I sort of like the notion of creating a legacy as a fellow writer I admire recently said. If this isn’t simply a long vacation from blogging, I want to express to all 147 of you how much I appreciate you hanging in there with me over the years. I hope I made your days brighter. I’ve cherished every single comment, like and encouragement! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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Just because I always include links, I’ll do that one last time, because I hate breaking tradition.
Still excited about my new release and really hope you consider getting this book: Dream Catcher Listen to me read the prologue and 1st chapter of The Dream Catcher here.
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What’s Happening in Lesfic!
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[image error]Medusa’s Touch
Medusa Pilot TiCara X273 just signed on for more trouble than she ever bargained for. A beautiful corporate rep with a secret, her ailing boss, a covert mission to a hidden destination, an implacable foe with some unexpected allies and a sizzling attraction, seasoned with more than a touch of deceit and betrayal, make for a trip that some of them may not survive. Can TiCara learn to trust the woman she’s falling in love with before it’s too late?
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