Inspired by a post by Ambra Nykol, Greg Piper writes of the uncertainty he’s faced, both in the past and currently, of how to be focused in his writing, and perhaps more importantly, how to define the genre in which he sees himself and his work. The questions he (essentially) poses to himself are ones I’ve often asked myself: What is my purpose in blogging? Who am I trying to reach? What do I stand for?
It isn’t uncommon for bloggers, and indeed all writers, to experience the occasional questioning, if not of the faith, so to speak, but of the goal. Inspiration and talent and motivation are all vital to the continued vibrance of a particular writer, yet without the essential knowing why, execution of one’s labours can quickly become a tangled, confused, directionless morass.
After the start of the new year, I made at least one public (ie, blogging) announcement, in which I explained my intention to take Fringe in a somewhat new “direction”; longer, more conversational pieces, continued and perhaps even increased frequency of film reviews, and a focus on the personal, social, and cultural, rather than the political. Politics wearied me in 2004. Not that I wanted to divorce myself entirely from that playing field, but I wanted to do more than just post links and rants about various news items, political talking points, or the latest information about what a creep so-and-so is. It ran its course around the end of October, and I had begun to reshape Fringe fairly soon after the election.
I wonder if I have ever clearly defined myself. My first ever post here stated the following:
Look for the oddly appealing here. I can only hope I’ll find it, along with you. Also, please excuse any site screwups. I’m still trying to figure out layout dealies, and I’ve got to consider what new sections to add as I go along (I’m thinking some school writings, maybe some poetry. Who knows. I’d also like to be politically active (and by that I mean opinionated). If you’re liberal and can’t stand a dose of strong medicine, you may want to avoid this. I will try and warn you if I’m about to go off. Or maybe I won’t, and just let you read and be offended. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Forgetting the parenthetical errors in the above paragraph, I now realize I started Fringe with the least idea of what it would be, or what it would become. Indeed, I so quickly jumped into the political realm that I nearly left my fiction, my critical essays, and poetry behind. That first year was politics all the way.
Is my purpose here a defined thing? Part of me thinks that my goal is to just have a voice. But that’s not enough. I suppose I have the luxury of maintaining a little distance from myself in that respect. Keeps me always searching, always striving for the best of myself. And it keeps traffic light. As much as I enjoy having readers, I don’t know that I want the responsibility or the care that comes with extreme popularity. Not that I wouldn’t try to do my best, given more traffic. But truly, this is only a hobby, a side sport that keeps my mind and writing sharp.
As for Greg, who is looking to make journalism and blogging part of his daily career, it’s a slightly different story. He’s managed to secure a niche market and his readership has slowly but surely climbed up the ladder of success and web traffic. He may be troubled by questions of focus, but I think he’s got the right blend of fluff and serious stuff. And he has sage wisdom that applies to anyone, whether blogger or just amateur writer for fun: Know thyself.
I saw Michael Moore on Leno last night (I think he appeared a week ago or so, but thanks to my PVR, I am not held to real-time constraints) and he really seemed more human than usual. I really like Michael Moore. I may not agree w/ 100% of what he says or does, but I think he’s over-villified by conservatives. First of all, his films are actually amusing if you don’t take yourself and your views that seriously (and most politicos do!). But I think the attention he draws to causes is more important. Railing against the abuse of power is something that is neither Democrat or Republican. It’s American… and if there’s one thing this administration excels at, it’s the abuse of their power. I’m really looking forward to “Sicko” – I’m interested in seeing how conservatives and liberals will treat him. Like he said on Leno, even Republicans have been screwed by their HMO!
By the way, J… excellent write-up on the bay. I really wish I could have been there.
On a regular basis in my own blog, I ponder this same question. Why am I writing here? And my readers and I hash it over again together in the comments. Frankly, I think it is a VERY complex thing on some levels, and on others pretty simple. The simple part is we want to communicate with people… gabby, chatty, we don’t care, let’s talk. But the deeper stuff I think I could write a book about. I’m sure you will come back here again and ask anew why we do what we do! :-)
C, I think you would be right if Moore himself didn’t take himself and his views and his films so seriously. Because he does, he puts all of his weight behind them, and besides that being a lot of weight (cheap shot, I know), he’s got a lot of influence and there are people out there, both Rep. and Dem. who are stupid and will believe anything that comes out of a film.
Moore’s work may be anti-authoritarian, but it’s not necessarily American. While I don’t doubt he could be a helpful and effective and fairminded voice and guide, I have yet to see much good come out of his work and his anti-power stance. It’s a lot of Riefenstahlian propaganda, as far as I can tell.
I don’t know anything about “Sicko”. And I know less about health care. I need to get on the wagon with that stuff.