Some of the reading I’ve been doing suggests you abandon blogging altogether because it is becoming too professionalized, to commercial, it is no longer the “indie” “underground” fraternal activity it once was. Instead these authors are encouraging the greater use of social networking like Facebook and Twitter (I’ll post on these later). Other articles, far from encouraging the abandonment of blogging, promote the Slow Blogging Manifesto (here, here, and here); the idea is to take your time, hours, even days over a post before you publish it.
I want to talk about Slow Blogging for a moment. Our tradition, like most religious traditions, values a disciplined approach to our life of faith. If our blogs are to represent the best our community has to offer, then it is only right that we bring an element of that discipline to the practice of blogging. There is immediacy about life on the net that drags you along at break-neck speed. That [enter] key is like a red flag to a bull, “push me! push me NOW!”; but, why? It certainly does not need to be so immediate – there is value in sitting with an idea for a few hours, even days distil it, refine it, make sure it says what you want it to convey to your audience.
I’ve been experimenting with jotting my initial thoughts down in Word and revisiting it over time. Does it really fit within my blogging niche? Do I need to break it down into multiple posts (and thus keep to the 300 word rule)? Can I improve the writing? These are not just practical questions but also questions pushing me toward a better quality post. One that I hope is contributing to a wider OC/IC dialogue.
2 Responses to “Sit With It: The Zen of Quality”
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Thanks for reading and commenting on the Manifesto. I’m glad that you didn’t follow the advice to give up on blogging because it’s become co-opted by corporate and mainstream interest. With that normalization comes a soft or unspoken institutionalization of rules about what makes a blog, but really it can be as indie as the content and style that one brings to it. As a canvas the blog can tempt our worst sentiments into the public eye, or wait patiently for us to express something truly worth sharing.
You make an interesting point – that there is an “unspoken” rule forming on what makes a blog. It’s funny how – especially with my other site – I found myself struggling with the question “is this really what its supposed to be” before realising that trying to make it “fit” into a set or particular model takes all the fun out of it, and I would think takes away the enjoyment of others in visiting.
Thanks for stopping by – and for crafting the Manifesto!