NeoBluePanther

Writing, Among Other Things

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Writer's Block – A Myth

April 24, 2008 / / 8 Comments

 Can't Write

Anyone who has ever tried to write is sure to have come across these two words – Writer’s Block!

What is Writer’s Block?

The Free Dictionary defines it as “the inability to write”. But, come to think of it, what exactly does “inability to write” mean?  Does it mean something is wrong with your hands, and you can’t hold a pen or type? Or, you have a brain disorder that prevents you from stringing words together?

I don’t think anyone who has used the words Writer’s Block has used them in the sense implied in questions above. So, if your fingers can type (or write, as the case may be), and your brain can think coherently, what does Writer’s Block mean?

There was a time when I , myself, used to complain about Writer’s Block a lot. Then, I came across this article that said if you want to write, quit complaining and just write. And since then, I have stopped complaining about Writer’s Block and I feel, so should everyone else.

Complaining about Writer’s Block is like walking into your office on a Monday morning, and saying, “I can’t work”. Of course, no one ever says that. What they say, instead, is : ” I don’t feel like working today.”

So, when we – who write – complain about Writer’s Block, we should say , “I don’t want to write,” instead of “I can’t write.” Because if you really want to write, there is no reason you can’t. Don’t you agree?

Do you call yourself a Writer?

April 18, 2008 / / 18 Comments

I have always wanted to be  Writer. Ok! maybe not always. There was a time – long gone by – when I wanted to be a private detective; reading all those Hardy Boys books was bound to have some effect on a young and impressionable mind.

But, off late, the desire to be a writer has burnt strong in my heart. So, I was wondering, what the definition of a  writer is. Here is what the Free dictionary has to say :

“One who writes, especially as an occupation.”

That is a very basic definition, but even in this very basic definition, we have a contradiction.

I blog, therefore, I do write albeit every now and then. But, it is not my occupation, nor is my writing a source of my bread and butter. So am I a writer?

I don’t know.

Does blogging give a person the right to call himself a writer. Or, is there some other condition that a person must fulfill before he earns the tag of a writer. Maybe, having a published work is that condition. But with online publishing becoming so easy (a blog could be called an online publication), we enter into another grey zone.

So, let me ask you : What is your definition of a writer?

What is your Comment Policy?

April 9, 2008 / / 17 Comments

Comments are one of the most important part of any blog. For a growing blog, comments are like water that helps a sapling to grow into a majestic tree. Comments are also a unique feature of the blogs, and the real time interaction, between the blogger and the visitor, that comments facilitate, I think, is one of the major reasons for the popularity of the blogs.

How a blogger manages the comments can either encourage, or discourage, a visitor to leave a comment or not. 

The first question, then, is : Is it a good idea to moderate comments?

I don’t think it is, because when I comment on a blog it satisfies me immensely to see my comment get posted immediately. But, then, as experience has taught me, there are a few people out there who can leave comments that you would rather not have on your blog. So, choosing to moderate comments is like choosing the lesser of the two evils.

The next question: How do you respond to a comment?

The easiest and the best way, they tell me,  is to respond to it in your comment section and to go back to the commenter’s blog and leave a comment there. But, for some reason, I feel that commenting in my own comment section may seem to some as an attempt to artificially inflate the comment count. It is dificult to please all, isn’t it?

But, from now, I have decided to change that, and I am going to be responding to the comments in the comment section itself. And, I am going to try and comment on most blogs that comment here.

That last part raises a question in my mind that I hope some of you can answer for me. When you leave a comment on someone’s blog, do you check back to see if the blogger has responded to it?

Also, do you have a comment policy? If yes, what is it?

Why BlogRush Failed, and Entrecard succeeded?

April 2, 2008 / / 22 Comments

Most Bloggers would be familiar with the two recent services to hit the Blogosphere: BlogRush and Entrecard (those who are not familiar can find the widgets for both these services on the sidebar).

BlogRush started with a bang, but has now died down to a whimper. Entrecard started slow, but is now becoming popular among bloggers, and most bloggers seem to be satisfied with the service (are you?).

Both the services are almost alike in what they offer as service, but one failed and the other succeeded. Why?

I think the reason is : While BlogRush tried to provide exposure to a Blog without leaving any room for the blogger to take steps that would improve his chances of getting traffic, Entrecard left scope for the blogger to work towards getting traffic for his Blog. In principle BlogRush assumed that bloggers are interested in reading other blogs, while Entrecard assumed that bloggers will be active participants on the site, and in the hope of getting traffic to their own Blogs, they will click on the widgets on the other Blogs.

It is obvious now that the latter assumption worked, while the former did not. This also brings into focus another important fact: A Blog will be truly successful (that is have a readership that actually reads, and not just flies by) when some of the readers are non- bloggers, or are, at least, readers first and Bloggers second.

Do you agree, or do you think there are other reasons for the failure of BlogRush… and the success of Entrecard?

Is a blog that doesn't update still a blog?

March 27, 2008 / / 12 Comments

The definition of a blog has changed quite dramatically over the last few years. From being an amateur, the blog has come a long way, and it is now impossible to differentiate a website from a blog.

A criteria often used to separate the blogs from the websites is the frequency of updation. A website, they say, is more static in nature as compared to a blog.

For example, a company’s website could talk about  its area of operations, client-base,  employees etc. The website would only need to be updated when there has been some major development in the company. A blog, by the very same company, could talk about something like the new coffee machine, boss’s new tie, the new pizza place near the company’s premises. In short, it would be dealing with the interesting things (or not so interesting things) that happen on any average day in the company.

So, if frequency of updation is the criteria by which you judge a blog, how often should a blog be updated? How often do you update yours? And if a blog hasn’t updated for a long time (the definition of a long time is again subjective), do you call it a website, or a dead blog?

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