A bit of a detour this week from issues raised by science fiction. I’ve been blogging now for six months and I admit that , having read the advice from other writers’ blogs, it started as a way of getting my name out there. Letting people see something of me and my work before I indie publish my first two books (very soon, fingers crossed). But having said that it has become much, much more. For me writing a blog is beneficial in ways I hadn’t appreciated when I started:
- It challenges my imagination. All the advice on blogging tells you that you have to stick at it and that you have to blog regularly. You can’t just publish one every now and then and expect people to find it. And I admit that sometimes it is not always easy to come up with an idea, but that’s good. It means you have to search your interests and genre, understand them and take a different view on things.
- Writing a blog on various scifi subject has made me examine and challenge ideas and concepts in science fiction that perhaps I took for granted. The whole idea of robots, androids, machines and men for example, or my series of three blogs on the possible consequences if we humans live for hundreds of years or more . Discussing them in a blog and the comments I have received has given me much greater appreciation of the conflicting issues and problems future worlds might have with advancing technology in those areas. That has generated ideas that I want to incorporate in future writing and even ideas for future books. It is surely worth blogging for that alone.
- As a writer, a blog has to be well written (or as good as I can make it). It’s not much of an advert if it isn’t. Also, in a blog you have to get your ideas and thoughts across in relatively few words. It forces you to critique your own work more than you might do with a short story or novel. You don’t have the back-up of an editor or proof reader.
- It’s much more immediate than any other writing I do. The time between having the idea, writing the blog, polishing and publishing is a few days at most. It may sound a bit naff, but I think that helps you become more familiar with your ‘writing voice’. Also because the pieces are short and regular you can try out different ideas and styles of writing, see what works for you.
- Writing a blog has made me more appreciative of other blogs. The effort that goes into to them, the different approaches other writers use. All things that can have an influence on my own writing.
So if you are a writer, especially a relatively new one like me, and are not already blogging, I recommend you try it, have a go. What have you got to lose?
If you have a blog, or a favourite blog written by someone else, let me know. I’m always looking for new ones.
Ian Martyn
Hey Ian. Thanks for your thoughts on this. I’m pretty much doing the same thing as you. Keep on blogging! Gabrielle
Thanks for the comment, always good to know you’re not alone.