Welcome back from the weekend!
Sheesh, just when I thought the excitement here in Boston was dying down post-Bruins euphoria, another major event occurs to throw me off kilter again. Whitey Bulger was found after a called-in tip, and he surrendered to police in California after 16 years on the run. This is stuff movies are made of. (Seriously, have you seen The Departed?) Anyway, I’m all jazzed up again. But is ProBlogger is here to settle me down. They’d probably tell me to stop referencing Leonardo Dicaprio, too.
Do you think my personal stories are turning off readers? (Yes, I corrected the grammar. I can’t help it.) ProBlogger may be here to tell me “Absolutely. Please stop.” I find myself nodding along in agreement to this post, but one thing is really nagging at me. Do we really have to give readers an “a-ha!” moment of clarity, post-personal story? Does that cheapen your writing; is it the stuff of, well, amateurs? Can’t we just quietly and deliberately share a story that could say something about the human experience without a “he was dead the whole time!”, gotcha ending? I’d like to think the best writers and bloggers can.
I guess maybe I’m talking about simplicity. Communicating to your audience without saying, “Hey look what I’m telling you! I’m doing it now!” (Note: May not apply to instructional copy regarding how-to-use fire pit. That’s another kind of simplicity needed.) The 99 Percent thinks that simplicity could be a good quality in your work space as well to achieve the best possible quality of work. This, I think, is particularly important for clear thinking and creativity—so, pay attention writers and bloggers. I should probably listen and remove all my empties Dunkies cups, Cherry Coke Zero cans, and Sour Patch Watermelon wrappers, too. Or, maybe re-consider my dietary habits…
These people probably had really clean work spaces.
Who wants to write an eBook? These people are trying to tell me Darwin did, but I’m not buying it.
With Fourth of July weekend on the horizon (please tell Boston weather this), many people are planning vacations. But your blog doesn’t have to suffer. You know, if on some beach at sunset in Oahu, you’re thinking about blogging. Or blogging with these apps on your iPhone. No judgment.
While you’re on that iPhone, send us some comments or links and maybe I’ll feature them in next week’s Round-up—even if I’m snorkeling in Barbados.
