Saturday, November 12, 2011

NaBloPoMo Reality Check

So here we are at last.  I've hit it.  On this, the twelfth day of attempting to post every day for a month, I really, really don't want to write.

Bless my higher self for making me show up grumbling at the page.

Here's the thing:  I don't write a tech-y blog.  I'm not a geek.  I'm not a cook who posts recipes.  I'm not a Yummy Mummy, though I am a mother.  I'm not a scrapbooker, photographer or maker.  I'm not a farmer or a woman who has moved countries and blogs about that.

I'm a Livvy, and what I write about is me.  Today I have discovered that some days I want to remain private.   It's my Saturday-night-in night, my one very alone night of the week, and my thoughts are many, and ranging, and they run deep.  I don't want to mine them tonight.

And  I have a terrible suspicion that because I am writing many of my posts very quickly, in order to get them date-stamped before midnight, the quality of the writing is beginning to suffer.  And God knows, it's hard for me to offer up anything less than my best - it pains me (and probably holds me back immeasurably in life).

So tonight I'm having a rant at my decision to do this thing - at the same time as knowing that NaBloPoMo veterans could well say that this is the very  moment that I must keep going.

And just because I'm bloody-minded, and because doing this is all part of the bigger 'make Livvy's life happier' project, I'm damn well going to.

7 comments:

Molly Jo said...

Good for you for writing even when you don't feel like it. When you feel better in a day or two, you'll be glad you did it. Keep it up!

Just Jane said...

I found you via a comment you made on my blog. After I read just one of your posts, I added you to my blogroll.

As I sat reading through your NaBloPoMo posts over coffee this morning then, what struck me is just how extraordinary your writing is - honestly, the best I've read this NaBloPoMo. If your writing is beginning to suffer, I'm not seeing it.

And, as a 3rd year NaBloPoMo veteran, I can honestly say yes, this is the moment you should keep going.

Janine Fitzpatrick said...

Hang in there. We can do this. I agree that sometimes I feel the challenge means I am just trying to get something up so I meet my obligation of a post-a-day. But it is forcing me to fit blogging into my daily life - and being consistent with posting does seem to be attracting more people (although we are talking low numbers at this point - I'm very new to blogging). Good luck with the rest of the month.

TangledLou said...

Keep writing. I enjoy reading your posts, especially this one. Had a "what's it all for?!" moment myself today. Glad to know I'm not alone in that. Thanks!

Livvy U. said...

Thank you so very, very much for these comments. They were amazing to wake up to, and absolutely spurred me on to write today, and to make sure I gave myself more time to do it. The support of the blogosphere never ceases to amaze me. Thanks again, Livvy

Just Jane said...

Thank you, Livvy. You are truly Lovely Livvy.

Miss A. Layknee said...

It's always interesting to me how all the best bloggers have posts discussing what they *aren't* - the mothers are confused as to why people read them because they don't write about photography, the geeks wonder why people read about them when they aren't blogging about cooking, and the cooks are surprised by people being so interested when they never write about something "really interesting", like technology.

All of those people have something in common that they ignore - they are *good* writers, and they are writing about what they know in an intimate and immediate way. The cooking blog may feel that they are somehow cheating people by posting a recipe they have known how to make since they were 6 - but not all of us have that knowledge, and some of us just enjoy connecting with others who've cooked that long as well. The photographer may post a photo they feel is sub-par because there's nothing else *to* post, but a lot of us fall in love with that photo and instantly make it our wallpaper, or order a print for our wall.

What I'm saying, in a very roundabout way, is that people will want to read you for very different reasons, but they will all be related to the fact that your writing strikes a chord with people and makes them want more.

Unfortunately for you, it is far easier to *want* more than to *give* more. That's another common theme in popular blogs - "my god I have nothing to write" - followed by something that's perfectly acceptable, even if not their best - or sometimes may be their best! So, if you look at your post and hate it - give yourself a break. Even your most hated post may touch a stranger, and if it doesn't - what have you done? Thrown a few more words into an internet already full of them. The very worst result is a neutral. And think of it this way, if you were a baking blog, the very worst result might be "oops, I mistyped the recipe and somebody got food poisoning" ;)