(Last time) back in April, I was beginning to get into the swing of blogging. It’s not easy finding relevant topics to blog about. Despite being immersed in a plethora of available topics, that one would otherwise find it quite easy to blog, writer’s block hit me.
What’s the best cure for writer’s block? Well, reading! The Frugal Traveler – a blog that has recently transferred authors, but is generally about how to travel frugally. In the latest blog post, the new author (whose last name coincidentally rhymes with frugal) interviews the old author. Here’s an excerpt of my favorite part in the Q&A question, Any advice on how to keep them happy now that they don’t have Matt Gross to kick around (or hug) anymore?:
A. You don’t want to keep them happy. You should be provoking the readers. The readers come up with answers and solutions and ideas when you fail. And you will fail. There will be times when you do things wrong. When you spend too much money, when you miss seeing the really cool thing because you didn’t know it existed, and your readers will be there to tell you afterward. It’s nice to have the readers create a community around the thing you do. So it’s not just you out there. There are people who are rooting for you.
In creating a blog, it’s important to take a stand and release your inner persona. Sometimes it isn’t easy to, because… maybe I don’t know how to express how I feel, until I hear the other side and differing points. Sometimes, it’s hard to take a stance on, Facebook, Twitter, Graphic Design– things that are very broad. But I’ve learned that if I take a stance on something more specific, it’s easier to generate a (possibly) thought-provoking and interesting viewpoint.
Which is, of course, why I return every-so-often (and why you, the reader of this blog, might as well to this blog) to my favorite blogs– to read varying view points, to gain a better understanding of a particular topic, to learn…and for the sheer enjoyment of reading.