Writing

The Benefits of Blogging: Learning Again

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I've been blogging here for going on three years (man, has it been that long?) and it's been been pretty informative. So, since I'm in a bit of a nostalgic mood as the third anniversary approaches, I wanted to share some of my insights on blogging with my fellow progeeks.

I often advise people to try blogging – sure it's not for everyone, but I find it's very useful to pursue, because if it is for you, you'll gain a lot of benefits. So, don't take this as pressuring you towards blogging, but I want to share an interesting professional benefit about blogging as I do–on careers and so forth.

One of the benefits of blogging is that you learn something twice.

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Guest Post by Leona Wisoker: Ideas and Fear; or, The Fear of Ideas

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(I'd like to thank Leona Wisoker, a talented writer who's also had me blogging at her blog, for this contribution on writing, ideas, and fear – something a lot of us know of.  I reccomend her blog as she has some fascinating insights.)

I used to be paralyzed by the thought that I had nothing worth saying, no skills with which to say it, and nobody who would want to read it anyway. Even after landing a four-book contract deal, publishing a handful of short stories, and running a relatively regular blog for almost two years now, I still hear those statements in my head nearly every day:

It's a fluke. It's not real. People are just being nice to me. If I was a 'real' writer, I'd be signed with a Big Name Press, like Tor or Baen. I'm an upstart and I'm going to get squashed very very soon now….

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Are We Loosing Our Creative Breathing Room?

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Technology allows us to deliver content and spectacular speeds to an audience of ready fans.  We writers can get our eBooks out faster than anyone in publishing dreaded of a decade ago.  Those of us in gaming can get out a game in parts, or keep the DLC flowing until a game's sequel comes out.  Musicians can deliver one tune at a time until the DVD burns or concert season comes up.

We can keep delivering content all the time.  There can be almost no gap between one product than the next – in the case of novels, with continual e-chapters, it never has to end.

I'm wondering if this is a good idea, or if at the very least it'll be hard to adapt to:

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