Midnight Pub

On blogging

~dogtor

Over the years, I've left behind a trail of abandoned blogs. From geocities to wordpress, I start with high hopes only to slowly lose interest or motivation after a few posts. I still have wild fancies of consistently writing about things I like or find interesting, but I'm sure this will be no different (on a long enough time scale, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero). Starting projects I will never finish is a recurring problem for me. A project I can easily complete is too trivial and boring to work on, but a project that is interesting and exciting is too large and daunting to ever finish.

I've read a lot about writing. As an avid reader, I always thought I should try my hand at the craft. So many authors say something along the lines of "I can't not write. I have to get these ideas out of my head and onto the page." That's an attitude I can only envy. For me, putting words on the page is more like pulling teeth. I don't enjoy the act of writing, but I want the satisfaction of having written. But I keep coming back to writing. I do believe it is good for me to put my thoughts into words and share them with others. Even if I am just shouting into the void, the act of writing seems beneficial.

This is a lot of whining for a first post, and I hesitate to even upload it. But, maybe writing one post will give me some momentum to write more. Maybe this time will be different and the habit will stick.

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Replies

~edisondotme wrote:

You can never "complete" a blog. It's always unfinished, isn't it?

*Under construction*

~manneken-trappiste wrote:

I can relate. I’ve started blogging in late 2003/early 2004. Since Facebook has put publishing thoughts effortless there are 2 billions people that share the same blog/vent/rant platform. Bring back 2007 now  !

~fish-fingerer wrote:

~zampano wrote:

As I've said previously, the struggle is real. This especially is something I can very much relate to:

> I start with high hopes only to slowly lose interest or motivation after a few posts.

I think, though, that when you talk about how you keep coming back to writing, that's what other people mean when they say they "can't not write." Even if it's difficult, it's still a compulsion of some sort. I think the important question is to figure out what's getting in your way.