- Image by Jason DeRusha via Flickr
Reader Nobe stunned me with a comment in the previous post. She said: “Ikaw, ikaw pala ang matagal ko nang hinahanap.” Rough translation: It’s you I’ve been looking for all this time.
That comment made my day. It’s richly layered with meanings. The one that got to me is that I’ve made a meaningful connection with a reader. That to me is priceless.
She writes brilliant pieces herself, Nobe. Check out her piece on “Conversation”, a humor post on an English guard who’s a stickler of English Only Policy way of communication.
Well – I should be happy, right? Tell you what, that praise spooks me. Why? I’m now again getting self-conscious about my writing. Oh boy, I’ve got to get my act together. Or some people will be sorely disappointed.
So what’s the plan? Very well then. Let’s start with my options.
Stream-of-consciousness-shit
If I’m writing a novel, my goal is to get my personal voice out of the way. Let the story unfold without me interjecting and editorializing. Think John Steinbeck. Or Somerset Maugham. Even Graham Greene.
If I’m reporting a breaking news, I’ll write it pyramid style – with the most important facts at the lead paragraph. The rest of the story gets written down in descending order of importance.
But I’m not writing a novel or news. It’s just a post. That should be easy, right? Nah.
It’s darn hard. It’s very hard just to be yourself when you write. Suddenly, you fancy you’re Henry James and you unleash a stream-of-consciousness-post with no regard for your readers. Well - Henry James was a genius at it. I’m not. Who cares for the minute details of my thoughts, right? Yeah, I will not go there.
Short, spicy and punchy
I’d just imagine it’s Nobe or Doc Z sitting opposite me at the table. Of course, that’s hard, too. I can just imagine Doc Z dozing off just when I’m getting to the most delicious part of my story about OMG cuties. If not that, he’d likely to whip out his mobile phone to reply to a freaking text message. Sheesh.
Okay, let’s try this. I’d write it as if am just emailing a friend. I can be breezy, gossipy and be my natural self. I don’t know about you, but when I write a friend I’m just myself: short, spicy and punchy.
Be conversational and personal.
So this is my writing goal then. I’d like my writing to lose its stuffiness. And just be my real self: easily offended, chatty, obsessive-compulsive, a part-time loony with a pen. See? I’m not yet tired of growling and hissing at my imagined enemies for a change.
But, of course, I’m not that morose every day. I want my writing to break into a wide grin once in while. Or to chuckle because I’m Silly Boy once again. I want my writing to sound like a lusty, unholy laughter just so it will make you jump out of your seat.
I just hope this works well with my new reader Nobe.
How’s my writing goal compared with yours? Are your battle plans different? What’s on your mind? Tell us.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=fc26d0f1-3f9d-452b-8e3a-0752eaf90572)
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related Posts
- Zorlone is Top Commentator of the Month
- Once More With Feeling: Goals for 2009
- God's Gift To Jessica
- The Curious Case of a Discombobulated Reader
- Who Else Wants to be a Topnotch Blogger?
- Blog Commenting Tip that Drives Traffic to Your Blog
- A Perfect Blend of Friendship Award
- A Drive-Thru the Oddities of the English Language
{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
Pretty cool post. I just came across your site and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. Anyway
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you post again soon!
Thank you, April. I can’t be any happier with you subscribing to my blog.
you know what, i can relate. i carry a notebook everyday so i could write everything that comes to mind wherever i go. i scanned that notebook one day and found out that its full of unfinished thoughts and useless sentences.
i can’t seem to finish any novel or article i’ve started, not because of the fear that people might reject it but because of the fear that i might reject myself.
nobe´s last blog ..LIE TO ME
Nobe: And I’ve got medium sized notebooks and small ones. Even pocket sized one. Okay, okay, the pocket sized ones are for online usernames and passwords. But there are stray blog post ideas there somewhere. I almost for got – I’ve got index cards. They are quite handy. And very good if you want to organize a long post – you can just shuffle them around.
Nobe, your editor/critic is interfering with the work of the writer in you. The editor/critic should only enter the room when the party is already over. Don’t let their fancy titles awe you – they’re there only because they’re the hired help. Tagahugas lang ng pinggan mga yan. At tagaligpit ng kalat ng creative writer. Siya ang bida. Di dapat sya magpa intimidate. Ahahaha.
must get that pocket-sized notebook! *calling army troopers*
yatot´s last blog .."The Wedding" full trailer, casts, synopsis and information!
Don’t get excited, my friend. When I said notebook, I meant the old fashioned notebook you can slip into your back pocket. Gotcha!
i know what you meant… did the ninjas come last night? hahahha
yatot´s last blog .."The Wedding" full trailer, casts, synopsis and information!
the best things about writing a personal blog :
there are no rules to follow, no deadlines, and you could write anything under the sun. :p
flamindevil´s last blog ..In A Week’s Time
Rye: I’d love to adopt your personal style, Rye. But I can’t. Otherwise, I will not get anything done. Procrastinators like me need deadlines.
I always wanted to write a novel about Ancient Egypt, but always ended up just reading books about it. But I do love to write, and this is the reason why I blog.
Keep up the nice work of putting up wonderful articles and keep on blogging!
More power!
Julius: Hi, ancient Egypt is very fascinating – rich in culture and history. I hope you keep the dream alive.
Thanks for sharing.
if i plan to write something and then comes distraction, i’d only frustrate myself with an unfinished draft. i had plenty of those in my notebook/tickler, and in my post folder in my harddrive.
what i like in my sports blog is that i can write it in haste, 1 hour or less. it can be news, news feature, or whatever related to sports. i’m enjoying myself even with a few readers.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Manny Pacquiao and the 2010 Elections
Novz: Don’t you consider unfinished drafts can be a lot of help to you when you feel you have little else to write about? The core ideas are there all along. You only have to flesh them out, add a bit of research, spice it up with a great quote and you’re all set.
Sports news, news and news features are a different matter, of course. Isn’t it hard, Novz, to be competing with big sites that cater with sports news? What do you do to distinguish your stuff from their reports?
my second to the last post was in my draft for many weeks. 80% of it was completed in an hour.
as to my short stories, i have to complete it, otherwise, i’d get lost in my own imagination.
Isn’t it hard, Novz, to be competing with big sites that cater with sports news? What do you do to distinguish your stuff from their reports?
for now, there isn’t any distinguishing factor. i’m not competing with the large sites. i’m enjoying myself like a sports columnist, and hone my skills in that area. who knows, i might write for the examiner or yahoo sports one day. haha. i’m applying SEO too on my posts, anticipating searchable sporting topics/events. as a matter of fact, my sports blog has more traffic than my other sites. 90% of it comes from the search engines.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Latest Fare Promos From PAL
Novz: I’m in the wrong niche then. Blow out naman dyan. Ahahaha.
jan, you’re not in the wrong niche. you’re following the Problogger’s way, gaining readers and loyal followers. that is not an easy path to follow. you should guest post there.
ceblogger´s last blog ..Manny Pacquiao and the 2010 Elections
wow, so we will be reading a more personal side of you here bro? hmmm…im quite excited now.
ei, where am i on the part of the table?
elmot´s last blog ..How A(N1H1) Could Ruin Your Day
Elmot: You’ve always seen the personal quirkiness in my posts. Some are just – well, some are just well hidden, while some do stick out like a boil. Ahahaha.
You’ve great power of concentration, Elmot. You will not make a good example as used in the context of my post. Doc Z is just perfect for it. May dumaan lang na cutie napapabunghalit na ng tula un tao eh. Of course, you know that by now.
Ei, naawa un bagyo, medyo nag let up. So electricity is back on again. Yess!
LJ,
Why do I have a feeling that we had that conversation before? Was it something in the recent past that I failed you when I dozed off? Oh my Gulay, I didn’t mean to. You know very well that I eat and sleep and play badminton (not necessarily in that order). Sometimes I hold clinic to take care of my dear patients. he he he.
But that was exactly how I would picture it too! You got that from just chatting with me on tweeter? You must be a detective, Sherlock? Ako ba si Dr. Watson?
Good point there with your writing style shorty, spicy and punchy (oops, I mistook it for the names of the extra dwarves LOL). Ingenious! If our essay writing assignments back in high school were to be done just like your style, well, I would have been eager to attend your classes. he he he. Sip sip ba?
This reminds me, I still have an assignment. Yikes I better shape up, I know how you hate slackers.
So, going back to the title of this post, You KNOW you are already rewarded with the connections you have with your readers, right? Or do we have to ask Holly to spell that out for you? he he he.
Another excellent posts LJ, now do I get an “A?” I’ll bring an apple tomorrow (with ketsup).
Z
Zorlone´s last blog ..WOOF Contest – Top Picks for June 19
OMG – Doc Z! We were just talking about you, Elmot and I. Didn’t know you had a comment below. Ahahaha.
The inspiration was the time I got no internet connection. I sent you sms. You replied promptly, but you prefaced your text with three words. And they were, “Busy, busy, busy…” So I did the next best thing. I just lit up a torch and amused myself by reading the writings on the cave wall.
And I’m not complaining by the way. You’d know it if I have something on my mind. Because it doesn’t stay there very long. It comes out fast in email : Ka-pow! ka-pow! Like bullets cracking the pavement around your feet. lols
Take your time with the post. But make it good hah? You make me jumpy with your comments and tweets, Doc Z. I’m just hoping you don’t talk in your sleep. Yun lang. “,)
Sorry about that. I must have been preoccupied with something, you know, I couldn’t stop. If I did, I might have hurt all over. he he he. Like skinning a fresh hunt.
By the way, I think I talk in my sleep. LOL. Poetry.
Z
Zorlone´s last blog ..WOOF Contest – Top Picks for June 19
My plan is to not have a plan!
I write what I feel like writing, sometimes it takes days or even weeks to finish a post, other times it takes 10 minutes or less (especially when I’m in the office, heh heh heh…)
And if you browse through my blog, it’s just a jumble of stuff I found interesting enough to merit a reaction. :p
That seems to be working for you, Rey. So I guess that’s all right, too. Ahahaha. How about podcasting and video – those are your strong points, too. I bet that will click with your followers and friends.
As someone who has written news, fiction, columns and now blogs, I say go with the voice which suits the message or the story. Don’t limit yourself to some box, unless you are strictly trying to achieve a certain goal.
You can balance out the short, free and sweet with the more structured posts, take them as they come and use the voice most suited to the particular piece.
That’s pretty much how I do it, anyway.
That’s very helpful, David. “…use the voice most suited to the particular piece.” Point well taken.
I am trying to finish an online novel, however, my schedules are very tight, I cannot make a time for that… by the way… is this blog post all about writing a novel? hhahaha…
anyway, i agree with the moment i read the title! readers make a blog alive! sabi nga nila… “no blog is an island” right? like who’s “nila”… she must be the twin sister of “Mila”… lols…
forgive my humor!
yatot´s last blog .."The Wedding" full trailer, casts, synopsis and information!
Yatot, you should get out more often. I mean get to read more blogs other than the materials in your publication house.
@Novz: That will be an awesome accomplishment getting published in Problogger. Shall we make it a project? That will be cool!
Jan, that’s possible. Mr. Problogger invites guest writers from time to time.
ceblogger´s last blog ..USA Beats Spain in Soccer
i am trying by subscribing to my favorite blogs… i may not visit their blogs personally (meaning on their site), I am a lurker behind google reader… minsanan lang ako makapag-comment kapag may time like this lunchbreak… i have so many subscriptions kaya… and one of them is your blog!
yatot´s last blog .."The Wedding" full trailer, casts, synopsis and information!
magkakaiba kasi ng style e. hindi ko naman puedeng iutos sayo ito at iyan. basta ang prinsipyo ko, pag gusto kita dadalaw at dadalawin kita
dencios´s last blog ..[89] Ang ngipin ni Dioniscio
Yan din pamantayan ko, Dencios. I sometimes got into trouble because always vote with my feet. Or heart? May mga bloggers kasi demanding. Porke binansagan kang friend nila at pinagbigyan mo naman – they think you always owe them a visit. Hell no – a friend makes allowances for his friend. If the other is busy with something else, bakit ina-nag mo na you’re not coming to my blog anymore. That’s a turn off.
Di ba bossing Dencios, kahit isang taon di kita dalawin if we’re friends we are surely friends. Of course, oa nman iyong isang taon, alam ko iyon. But the basic idea is – if you insist I owe you a visit, you’re not a friend. Go find someone else you can dictate your idea of friendship to. It’s not me – I’m sure about that.
Hayan na naman. Naalala ko na naman. Ahahaha. Cool na dapat. Erase, erase.
pinaka bayolente ba?
san ba bahay mo at papasabugin ko pag hindi mo ako sinama sa listahan mo .. o gusto mo buong Mindoro?
bwahahaha (evil laugh)
pehpot´s last blog ..The Mommy Moments Journey
Pehpot: Ano bah. May pagka Gabriela ka pala. Kinabahan ang Lolo dun ah. Teka nga, “Manong barangay tanod, paki-frisk nga isang ito o. Ahahaha. Thanks for including me in your top 10 list, pehpot.
Hi Jan, I agree with Blogger Dad – one style doesn’t fit all. Blog posts can be anything – entertaining, informative, editorial, provocative, etc. As a reader, I enjoy many different writing styles, even in the same blogger – so long as the blog has a point that I can grasp quickly. Don’t make me read seven paragraphs to find out what the topic is. Or, as we say up here in the Midwest U.S., don’t take the long way around the barn.
Brad: That saying in the Midwest, “…don’t take the long way around the barn.” Can’t go wrong with that. Duly noted as well as using “many different writing styles, even in the same blogger.” Thank you.
You’re still lucky Jan. You know that you have a writing style. Up to now, though I’ve been writing blogs for years, I still don’t know what style I have. Do I have one? When I started writing, nobody told me how to write and how to throw ideas.
Sometimes, I envy those who took journalism or writing. I love their structure. But is it simple? One thing I learned, the hard way, is the KISS principle in writing. Keep It Short and Simple. Should we write that way?
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..How To Craft And Send Professional Email Messages
You don’t have any idea, Rob? Well, let me give you my impression. I’m not saying this is totally who you are, but it’s how I feel when I read your blog.
You radiate sunshine in your writing. You’re warm, friendly and someone I’d like to spend time just talking. Okay, with some learning as a bonus. That’s cool with me.
You say you’re focused on building relationships online. That’s true – you’re an earnest cobbler of relationships. What makes you effective is you serve us up your great ideas without sounding like a Mr. Know it All. I think you’ve got a healthy ego yourself, but you know perfectly well how to rein it in. And that’s impressive.
I see no disconnect with what you purport to be and what comes out from your writing. Authenticity is hard to pull off and you have it as a matter of course. Your personal traits – being helpful, being humble, being a warm person to connect with – permeate your every post.
I may be off – God knows I’ve been mistaken a lot of times – but it’s how I see your style.
Thank you much! But you know, I really like the way you write. It reminds me of the only book I read seriously and inspired me to write.
When I read between the lines of your posts, I hear your heartbeat and I smell coffee.
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..Use Blog Comments As A Strategy To Drive Quality Traffic
hmm…maybe you’re overthinking your writing skills too much. people will still read your posts as long as you keep them interested. i don’t think the length matters. hahaha… i think it’s the performance, este the content that matters more.
i keep a personal blog. many of my posts are my own personal accounts and 99.9% of my readers are strangers, but for some reason, i connect with them with my stories.
just be yourself, in writing and in twittering.
don’t stress yourself. this is a blog. you will not be graded. the number of readers and friends you’ve acquired through your blog is enough measure that you’re doing just fine.
Reena: Well said, Reena. Guys, listen up. Reena says the length does not matter. It’s the performance. Got it, Reena. ahahaha. Thanks, Reena. I’ll take your advice.
AMEN!
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..How To Craft And Send Professional Email Messages
Hahaha…i corrected myself! selective reading! lol
Oooppss… I think flamindevil and I are on the same boat… but then again… it’s you… this time, I hardly find time for my blog… huhuhuhuhuhu… and one more thing… how come my link is not updated with your post… hmmm… better check that out!
xprosaic´s last blog ..Buhay Lakwatsero
@Jaydee: Yeah, that makes your blog unpredictable. You always keep us guessing with your posts and other antics. That’s a great tactic to get readers always interested… That’s really a big headache for me. Can you try erasing the link and putting it back again? Kumbaga e irereset?
Still a few posts under my belt, so no battle plan to share. In a way, I’m exempted.
Hey, may bago ka na favorite reader na si Nobe? What about me? Am I also a favorite? 
Luke´s last blog ..The Seven Ancient Sciences
Luke: Nobe is a cool writer, too. You should pay her a visit. Roy has to step up his Jerry Seinfeld act. Nobe is quite handy with one-liners, too… Luke you’re one of my earliest friends. An early believer. Besides, you’re special. Like a gifted child is special. ahahaha.
Where have you been, Luke. Were you in the US last couple of weeks?
hahaha buti’t di special child.
No, didn’t go nowhere. I was locked out of my computer. But that’ll be my next post…
Luke´s last blog ..The Seven Ancient Sciences
Grrrr. It’s been a long time coming, Luke.
Hi Jan. This is off topic, but I couldn’t help myself but to congratulate your new PR. As I said previously, it will come and in your case, well deserved. Have a nice day…
DiTesco, I was very surprised, too. It’s hardly a month since I’ve moved to self-hosted WP. Now, I can truly say it’s not because I was with blogger that I got a PR3 – if you remember I got a PR3 on the night we were about to move to WP. Yeeha. I told Elmot the news so he’d not worry about losing PR when he finally moves to WP. “,)
Congrats, Jan! now google noticed and rewarded you.
ceblogger´s last blog ..USA Beats Spain in Soccer
Thanks, and I did it with the least attention to SEO. I think Google is getting smarter with its LSI. Don’t you think so as well?
I think connecting with your reader is the least of your problem Jan, but disconnecting is
remember how you said you were deprived of sleep because of our left-and-right comments?
as for me, I never really considered connecting with readers as my main object (I guess you already know the stubborn me by now), mainly because I’m not really used to having readers
second to that I think, if they can relate… they will connect
Roy´s last blog ..I Breathe Blog
Perhaps because you’re more of a writer than a blogger?
Many of us are show ponies, you know? Me included. Ahahaha.
haha! you got me on this Jan!
an answer that I didn’t expect, you totally caught me off-guard
what an answer! I’ll take that
(hehehe… feeling
)
Roy´s last blog ..I Breathe Blog
“Connecting with Readers Is Blogging’s Own Reward”
And if done correctly, with a touch of transparency, authenticity and spice it up with content value, is one solid foundation to make a blogger create different strategies. Some still don’t get this one. Relationships matter. But I guess connecting with Google is easier?
Rob Angeles´s last blog ..How To Craft And Send Professional Email Messages
But I guess connecting with Google is easier?
For others, connecting with google and earning in the process, is their blogging’s reward. readers just follow.
ceblogger´s last blog ..USA Beats Spain in Soccer
came here through twitter..you are absolutely right ..:-)
I am typically a blogger aiming only to write for short blogs to capture the 30 seconds attentions of the readers…In doing so, I’m hoping that they’ll check again my blog next time. ^_^
Snow´s last blog ..Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Welcome Twin Girls!
hi! jan..musta ..ang gadanda ng topic mo…kaya eto ako ngayon at sinisimulan ko muna sa old post mo ang pagbabasa.
ever´s last blog ..wAla ng PrAkTiS