Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Can you tell I'm stalled?


I popped over to a blog this morning, following a link my new editor placed on her blog. (I’m a hopeless link follower) The blog was funny. Well written. Engaging. And the author had managed to do all this around his writing. I laughed out loud.

Then I thought, “why can’t I do that?”

Why is blogging so hard? You’ve read them, the humorous, charming, sharp-witted ramblings that keep you reading even though they don’t really have a specific point.

I thought to myself, his books must be really good. And then doubt crept in. “If I can’t blog this well, maybe I can’t…gulp…write very well, either.”

I never know how much or how little to reveal about myself. Writing under a pseudonym for secrecy complicates that. Should I keep it real, or err on the side of fantasy?  My life is boring. You don’t want to read how I fight the urge to eat a supersized snickers bar every afternoon, or found a giant pimple on my chin even though I just passed a birthday that had a four and…another number in it. So what do you find interesting?

What are some of your favorite blogs? And why are they your favorites?

6 comments:

Savanna Kougar said...

Hi Crystal, good blog writers aren't necessarily good book writers. Some folks shine at this way of expressing themselves, but couldn't write a novel to save themselves.
And, sometimes, they are good at both.
Personally, I like all sorts of blogs and 'don't' like all sorts of blogs.
Heck, in my case, a pic is worth a thousand words, being visually oriented. Also, I always enjoy a peek into what an author is working on, a snippet, an idea, a character.
I find I really enjoy interviewing my heroines and heroes. I don't know if it entertains blog readers, but it certainly entertains me to write it. And I love reading blogs written by authors' characters.

Paris said...

I'm with Savanna on this. I think maybe it's the author's voice. I tend to like the funny ones or the ones that are as if someone has just kicked back and is having a conversation with me. I do love the snippets and the teases.

Mel Teshco said...

I loved your blog Crystal. Especially the pimple after the 40 something... LOL!!! very funny =)

Serena Shay said...

Hey Crystal,
Yep, like Savanna and Paris said, it's the voice for me, but also the flow. I'll find myself eagerly reading along to blogs that are funny and as if we were having a conversation. I also love great pics in a blog and a fabulous title will pull me in. :)
Great question! I can't wait to see what responses you get.

Crystal Kauffman said...

I think what I found so funny about this guy's blog was that he gets a lot of inspiration from "Cops" for his characters, and one of his favorite suspects is the "that's not mine" guy. I totally identified with that. My hubby and I love to watch that show to laugh at the dumb criminals and it never ceases to amaze me how far fetched they go trying to deny the drugs are theirs. One guy even tried to convince the cops the pants he was wearing weren't his.

One episode a cop was questioning this obviously stoned guy asking him if he'd had any weed, smoked any weed, bought any weed... because he had a joint tucked behind his ear and obviously forgot it was there. I was waiting for him to say "I don't know how that got there. This head isn't mine."

Pat C. said...

I like reading you guys. I'm new at this blogging thing.