Thursday, February 21, 2013

Times change. Circumstances change. Needs change.

I suppose one of the biggest reasons a writer contributes a blog is for connecting with their readers. For feedback. For feeling like what they’re doing is worthwhile. Making a difference—no matter how small. That what they say might make one person view the world a little differently than if they had remained silent. Least that’s why I’ve been doing a daily blog for the past five years.

But times change. Circumstances change. Needs change. As such, folks don’t seem to be tuning in as frequently or as in as great a volume as they once did. No biggie. I get it. Folks are busy. Lives get complicated—know mine sure did!

As a writer, I need to take cues provided by my readership. I’ve been doing that, noting that the number of viewership fell, along with it the number of those taking time to enter comments. So I revamped my blog. Tried to spice things up. Take various paths I hadn’t up till then. But that has proven fruitless. Again, no big deal. I just need to adjust. And so I am.

Effective today, I will no longer contribute a daily blog. Doesn’t seem to be a need and when I began this, five years ago—a daily blog—my fellow writer friends thought I was insane to try to keep up that pace. Not that I had a shortage of things to say. I didn’t. But readers have indicated that they no longer have time for my daily blogs.

I’m okay with that. So, beginning today, I will only make one blog entry per week—on Thursdays. I’ll try that for a while and see how it goes. If the reception is good, then I’ll continue. If not, then I’ll reassess how, when and if there is a need for my blogging to continue.  

Friday, Sept. 14, 2012

As I reported a couple of weeks back, this last year was wrought with challenges and major life changes due to my divorce.  As such, some things had to change that I would have preferred wouldn’t have.  One of those was my website needed to go to a new host thanks to Apple making changes and shutting down previously offered options.  In addition, I lost my Webmaster, who happened to be my ex, and had to learn how to take over my own blog. 

Had my life not been in such a state of flux and if I hadn’t been in such a dazed state, I would’ve been better equipped to handle the transfer of sites in a more seamless fashion.  But as it turned out, I wasn’t and my blog has suffered the consequences.  Why?  Because a good number of my long-term readers no longer were aware of how or where to locate my blog. 

So…kind of like how my life has had to start over again, so too is my blog.  I’ve no doubt that I’ll build it back to the readership I once had—even stronger now that I have recovered from and made it through my turbulent divorce waters.  I do thank those readers who continued on with me!  Know that I’m dedicated to rebuilding my readership here—and elsewhere—and will now take the necessary steps to do so. 

I feel a sense of responsibility to provide for you the best blogs I can.  That’s what drives me to post a daily blog.  To keep it upbeat, even when I’m not feeling so.  Most of all, that’s why I endeavor to post only positive-based topics, to create a time and space in your/ my day where we can escape life’s more negative aspects—if only for a few minutes—to focus on something uplifting.  And so, I gift you my blogs….  After all, if it weren’t for you dedicated readers, where would I be? 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

What is it, I wonder, that makes a blog interesting?  Is it the insight of the author?  Their ability t stick to one subject?  Or flit with ease from one mentality to another, always eager to share some new gem of insight?  Is it controversy?  Positive thoughts?  Or a general make-you-feel-good-all-over-pick-me-up type feeling the reader’s left with that makes them keep coming back to read a particular author’s blogs? 

I’ve read the blogs of others and am always astounded with how well, if I actually know the author, their blogs reflect who they are.  The thoughts that tumble around in their heads.  The way they conduct themselves.  What makes them tick and how that ticking flows with the universe.

So I wonder, what makes my blogs interesting enough to have readers return to read it daily? 

Monday, June 25, 2012

I must say that the prospect of handling my blog myself without further assistance from my Webmaster was a bit daunting.  But, ya know, I’ve discovered it’s really quite simple, even for someone like me who makes no pretenses of pretending that I’m any kind of techie.  I like the format of this new site.  Also, I appreciate being able to upload posts as soon as I’ve written them rather than having to wait.  Figure I’ll play with the site a bit, make routine posts for a spell, before I get into fancier things like trying to redesign the site or rewrite the about me sections, etc.  But fear not, my mind is whirring away on hyper speed with all the possibilities this new site has to offer.  Just a matter of time before I’ll begin to implement some of them.