Have you ever asked yourself the question : “Is Blogging good for Writing?” If you have, I am sure the answer must have been very obvious – a resounding yes!
I have, in the past, written a few posts that talk about how Blogging can help you improve your skills as a writer. I am not going to backtrack on anything that I have said in those posts, but in this post I will play the devil’s advocate and try to build up a case to prove that blogging can actually be detrimental to you as a writer.
Not possible, you say. Read on then is what I say!
The blogging – social networking connection. If you are a blogger, and a serious one, you can’t escape being on the social networks. Don’t all the blogging experts tell you that sites like Twitter, Facebook, etc. play an important role in getting visitors to your site? So, you simply have to join them, and, to be honest, this approach works in as far as getting visitors to your blog is concerned.
But social networking, as I am sure many of you must have found by now, can be addictive. You join the sites to promote your blog, and then you make friends, and then telling these friends what you have been doing all day is topmost on your To-do list. Sounds Familiar?
Once that has happened, you find that every time you open your computer to write something, a little voice begs you to check your Twitter or Facebook account. Sooner, rather than later, you give in to that little voice, and before you know it, you have lost some valuable time that could have been better spent in writing.
The blogging-Internet connection. So, maybe, social networking is not your thing, but to post a blog you have to get online, and there are many distractions on the Internet than just the social networking sites. You start out with visiting a few sites – for research, you tell yourself – but before you know it you are hopping sites reading one article after another, watching a youtube video, or chatting with an online friend. Time flies, and you realise that only once it has flown out of your reach.
The blogging schedule. Deadlines have different effects on different writers. Some thrive on deadlines, and some find deadlines quite limiting. Whichever category you may belong to, having the pressure of a blogging schedule can severely hamper your creativity and writing. In fact, I believe, that it is one of the main reasons why we see so many “I have a writer’s block” posts on a lot of blogs.
The making money fallacy. If you have a blog, I am sure, the thought of making money from your blog has crossed your mind – and more than once. It has mine.
Whatever some of the bigger blogs might say on the issue, I have a strong feeling that there are easier ways to make money than blogging. But once you have a blog, and people start telling you how good you are as a writer, you can’t escape the feeling that maybe you could just chuck away your regular job and earn your livelihood by blogging.
While that is not impossible, it is quite difficult. And it requires skills other than just good writing. If you try to make your blog a money churner, there is a very good chance that you are going to lose your focus as a writer.
For a writer, therefore, there are a few downsides to creating a blog, and you have to be fully aware of these pitfalls, or your will have a difficult time as a writer.
Note: As I said before, I strongly believe that blogging is an excellent medium for someone who wants to be a better writer. However, like all things, there is a downside to blogging too. What is your take on the points I have mentioned in the post above?
You do make a good point. While some writers are masters of multitasking and have no problem juggling being a Blogger with being a Writer with ease, I do think that there are quite a few of us out there who inevitably discover the need to make the distinction between the two.
I know people like to sing the praises of the almighty Platform and push, push push. You jump on the bandwagon and eventually start feeling the pressure of trying garner attention and keep it. You schedule posts even if you don’t really have anything to say. Ultimately, you find that each day you’re just shoveling out a chunk of text/pics, regurgitated bylines and trivia to the masses because that’s become the order of the day.
I’m not discounting the importance of having a strong presence and getting one’s name out there. It’s a narrow line to walk but I truly believe that individuality is perhaps the one thing that should not be sacrificed when trying to make a name for one’s self.
Still, we all have a different view of it. At the end of the day, you have to go with what works for you.
As for me–I’m not a Blogger or Author/Blogger. I’m simply a writer who happens to have a blog and from time to time I think of something that I genuinely want to share… so I do.
A lot depends on what is the purpose with which you take up blogging.
There is one point, though, that I disagree with. “If you try to make your blog a money churner, there is a very good chance that you are going to lose your focus as a writer.” Could you please explain this statement?
Blogging has indeed made me a better writer, it has provided me with a chance to have my thoughts and stories read. I see your points though, spending too much time with SEO and none writing can get in the way. I make sure that i have my projects open as I do the social networking. Irregardless it is fun for me and I think that is the key.
How many of us will be published authors anyway?
@Tonya: I think I would like to be what you say you are. A writer who happens to have a blog – sounds about right!
@Ankit: By that line, I mean that if you make money making your main objective, then you might begin to focus on other things like, Keywords, SEO, Adsense, etc. and lose your focus as a writer.
@Greg: Maybe not many of us will be published authors, but that should not stop us from following our dreams? Should it?
Blogging is good for writing improvement, especially if it is done on a regular basis. However, for in depth writing and for backlinks, you can post an article on your website and then put a brief summary on your blog. I have my own websites and Hubpages to accomplish that.