“Writing It Down”

~ Elizabeth

1948-50s-370

I was reading a post from a fellow blogger who was wondering what to write about. She was following the dictum to “write what you know,” but was still considering the words for any given post. It made me consider the various blogs I follow as well as my own. As I did this, I realized that each one has its own particular tone and voice, even though many range over various topics.

What makes another person’s writing interesting varies from reader to reader. I find for myself that my natural curiosity about other peoples’ lives gets fed by the writers I choose to follow. Some focus mainly on their family and daily life. Some show me pictures of their gardens and their pets. Some are creative writers. Some deal with chronic illness. One thing they have in common seems to be that each is firmly located in a particular geography, whether Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia or North America. I get to travel without leaving home, which I find very satisfying.

Another trait they share is a bent toward thoughtfulness, which I suppose is shared by default with most writers. My own blog roams freely over many different topics, but in each instance I hope to share the result of my contemplation about the given subject. I enjoy the opportunity to think through something and then share it with others. And I thrive on the comments we writers share with each other.

My advice to that writer is just get writing. Interact with other writers. Leave comments whenever you read a post. Follow a core group of blogs. After a while you will wonder why you ever lacked for ideas!

24 thoughts on ““Writing It Down””

  1. You sum up my own thoughts nicely, and also my personal blogging experience too.
    (I am impressed by how many photos you have of yourself as a child. Your parents must have always had a camera to hand.)
    Best wishes, Pete.

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  4. I also am a big fan of your blog because of the variety. I gravitate toward blogs that aren’t predictable. Because of the pure volume, I am getting choosier of who to follow. It also comes down to there are only so many minutes in the day, and I’ve got a lot different hobbies and other things I enjoy doing.

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  5. I too like to follow a variety of blogs and enjoy the sense of place they give. Like Pete, I also noticed how many nice pictures you have of yourself as a child, engaged in so many different activities. I might have 20 or so pictures from my entire childhood. I guess that happens when you’re # 4 of 6!

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  11. Brilliant advice, thank you. I recently started on my blog again after being stagnant for about 4 years due to not having any inspiration. “Just get writing” and that’s what I’ll do.

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