Happy Birthday MTQ (again)

I received my annual message from Google in regards to the renewal of my domain.  If you had asked me two years ago that I’d be writing a post to commemorate a second year blogging I would never have envisioned writing something so corny.  When I started blogging, I thought it looked easy.  What write a few paragraphs, no problem I thought?  Further, I had basic web skills so the technical aspect didn't rattle me.  Certainly, there was some learning in regards to the nuances of Blogger, but I reflect that was among the least of my blogging challenge.  What I found to be most challenging was trying to maintain enthusiasm and motivation so that I could consistently publish.


Writer’s block and mood impacts are big challenges for bloggers.  Often, bloggers count on numbers (counts of page views) to elevate their egos and drive them on.  Every blogger will encounter times when they get excited and write what they believe to be a great post and then when published, it falls flat in the court of public opinion.  Thankfully, some posts also go the other way… to this day; I don't know what it is about Yachting with G.

Before blogging, I would read a post and think, “I can do better than that” or “What’s so hard about that?  You only have to write 3-5 paragraphs and you have a post.”  So far I have successfully committed to producing one post per week.  I had tried 2 per week for a short stretch, but I learned quickly that it is not as easy as it looks.  Sometimes you have a hectic week; whether it is due to work or family or other even writing a short piece (that sounds fresh) can be a challenge.  It is hard to be creative when you're tired.  In addition to driving yourself to write; you are also challenged by the task of self-editing.  It is more difficult to be objectively critical of your own work and spot your own errors than to see shortcomings in the writing of others.

A challenge as the author of MyTurnQuips has always been to be true to myself and work to write something fresh, through my eyes.  Unfortunately, page views are the standard measure of blogger success and there is always the temptation to jump on the bandwagon and write to the masses.  While occasionally, I cannot resist a latest buzz type post; I try not to overindulge in the fast forgotten banter of today’s buzz.

As challenging as it has been to keep up, I plan to renew my domain and look forward to the challenge of a 3rd year.  In the mundane world of gainful employment, there is something special about being a blogger.  Despite the hard work (yes, even writing only a post a week is hard work) and a small (but growing) audience, there is much pride in ownership.  I continue to be fascinated by the power of the Internet.  I do not believe this 50ish writer would have envisioned 30 years ago, that common individuals would be given the privilege and power to reach out to the world with their words.

Happy Birthday, MTQ!