One thing I've noticed: Time speeds up as you get older. Really. If you don't believe me, wait until you're on the last run up to the age of 50. It was more than a year and half ago when I said "shiitake happens", but it seems like it was only a month or two ago. Anyway… I finally started writing that epic novel I mentioned. Even if it turns out not to be so epic, at least I know I'll finish it.
Writing While Upset About Something
Over the past week or so, I've purposely avoided writing about news items and other things that have kept me in a perpetual state of "pissed off".
I'm Not Apathetic – I Just Don't Care
I'm not really bored. I'm just not interested. Ever since I started working with niche blogs, I've all but lost complete interest in this blog.
The Art of the Rewrite
Why would you want to rewrite and republish an old article? When should you or shouldn't you do it? Can you do a rewrite without republishing? Before I get into the answers to the questions, a little background is in order.
Specialization is for Insects
Does the quote "specialization is for insects" apply to something like blogging? Before I delve into the answer to that question, let me give you some background.
Specialization is for insects.
As I was explaining to my 22-year old son about being able to do more than just one thing at one time and being able to do all of them well, I used a familiar quote: "Specialization is for insects." A while later, I became interested in knowing where I'd heard or read it before. I remembered it as a tagline at One Mans Blog, but I knew it originally came from somewhere else. After I "googled it", I found that it came from a book, "Time Enough For Love" by Robert A. Heinlein. A book that I've never read. Here's the full quote:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Dare to be different!
I was lucky to have the computer time available today (and man, does this computer suck) in order to read more than just a couple of other blogs. One recurring theme I've noticed, and it's been alluded to by Grizzly with his "The Scourge of Web 2.0" article and Harry with his "Bloggers That Fake It" article. Bloggers are a bunch of copycats, spouting duplicated information as well as duplicated misinformation.
I won't go into detail and name names because it just isn't my style. I've been guilty on a few occasions of writing about what everyone else is writing about, but I refuse to call myself a hypocrite. I do my best to write about things that no one else is interested in at the moment; popularity has never been a personal goal of mine. If I'm wrong about something, I'll usually correct myself without waiting for someone else to point it out.
Writing about whatever someone else is writing about because it seems to be a popular topic at the moment is what I like to call the "monkey see, monkey do" mentality.
The Critical Burn-Out Phase
Nothing irritates me more than seeing the same topics covered on several blogs at the same time (or within days of each other). I even irritate myself when I fall into the same trap.
Have you ever noticed that when newbie bloggers who blog about blogging (say that real fast to make your head spin) and bloggers who blog about making money run out of things to write about that their blogs seem to hit a slump. They stop writing — either for a long period or permanently. This is the typical blogger burn-out that I see happening over and over again.
What can be done about it? First: Slow the heck down. No one needs to post every single day of the year. Okay, don't go wagging your finger at me. I generally write a lot because I'm bored with the retired life. I don't have a real world job anymore and frankly, writing keeps me sane.
Second: Write about something that someone else isn't writing about. Really. It may not be the most popular thing to write about, but it removes the self-inflicted punishment aspect of blogging.
Third: Dare to be different and break out of the monkey see, monkey do mentality. Please, don't follow my lead. Find the best way that works for you and be the leader yourself.
Words are Power!
If you've ever picked up a newspaper and read a sensational headline, then you already know the power of words when you control how they're used. Just the word "power", when combined with an exclamation mark (see the article title) produces a mental image of power.
A Little Background
I recently went through a speaking lesson with my 22-year old son. He has a bad habit of mumbling and slurring words and I've had a difficult time hearing and understanding him (and I have acute hearing). During the lesson, I instructed him on how to enunciate, project his speech, and look people in the eyes when speaking to them.
Early in my military career, circa 1981, I was forced to learn techniques of military instruction. All noncommissioned officers were eventually required to go through courses in leadership containing this training syllabus. I had the fortunate advantage of learning to control my thoracic diaphragm in the process because I was stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California.
Later, when I began writing manuals (Marine Corps Orders), I was able to use what I learned about speaking effectively into writing effectively. It's called natural writing.
Emotional Words Evoke Emotional Responses
Regardless of whether they're spoken words or written words, how we use them is much more important than the words themselves. This is why I believe grammar, spelling and punctuation are important when writing. You want to correctly convey the same meaning as if you spoke them aloud.
There's one thing we can learn from an Internet troll (those people that comment in ways to incite disorder and mayhem). The troll knows how to evoke an emotional response from people who read what he or she wrote. The emotion is usually anger, but it's effectively provoked nonetheless.
Summary
No great orator or great writer has ever been successful (unless you count Samuel Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain) without learning that words are power. By practicing your speaking voice, and translating it into your written voice, you can achieve much more than mumbling your way through life.
Social Traffic or Search Engine Traffic?
One of the many questions I see popping up from time to time asks how to optimize your blog for either social traffic or search engine traffic or a combination of both. The "or" part of the question is easily solved. The "combination" part of the question is a little more difficult to answer.
Why would you want to differentiate between the two or combine the two in the first place? It all depends on which kind of traffic interests you the most. Are you trying to gain a large and loyal readership or are you trying to make money with your blog? Are you trying to do both at the same time?
A Personal Guide To Proper Post Titles
In response to a comment left by Lin of "Telling It Like It Is" and the anticipation expressed by Troy of "The Free Website Project", I'm providing you with my personal guide to proper post titles.
The reason I'm calling it a personal guide is because proper post titles are as unique as the articles or posts they represent. Therefore, my guide is not for everyone; it's only for those who don't have a clue to what they're doing. What may be proper for me may not be proper for you.
How to Produce Great Content
Before I list the methods I use to produce great content, I want to emphasis what Darren Rowse recently wrote. He shared a secret to finding new subscribers for your blog. He was, of course, referring to RSS feed subscribers. He's convinced that readers subscribe due to the sense of anticipation your articles create. Anticipation, based on your past articles, can convince readers to subscribe because of what you may write about in the future.
I didn't pay much attention to feed subscribers until I learned that more feed subscribers means more traffic to my blog. How can that be? Feed subscribers are reading from a feedreader and not from my blog, right? Based on my own feedreader usage, as well as usage by some of the regular readers of my blog, people will move from their feedreaders to my blog in order to comment or find related articles. Feedreaders display content sequentially and that's not how most people normally read. People normally read related topics and feedreaders just don't have that capability yet.
Readers need to be compelled, however, to make the transition. When you consistently produce great content, readers will make the transition.