Your Blog Is Killing Your Love For Writing

I don’t know about you but in spite of it having been used for 1,9287,832 movies and commercials Gimme Shelter is still among my favorite songs. If I feel like writing fiction it is a tune I can use to help me set a scene, except they always seem to be violent.

Want an example? Ok, I am going to start the song and write for the entire time. Let’s see what we come up with.

“Some men argue about whether it is better to be feared or respected, but I don’t waste time worrying about such things. Talk is cheap and I don’t have time for it. Action is what I want and it is the only tool I have found for impressing upon people sincerity of my desire.

When Jimmy Thompson spit in my face I didn’t react. It wasn’t because of fear or an unwillingness to respond. Those who know me best will tell you I am a guy who isn’t afraid to get hit, but when I hit back I like to hit hard.

I let him walk away thinking he had scared me. I let him walk away without fear or wonder about what I might do. Six hours later I walked through the screen door of his house and showed him a paper bag.

He told me I was stupid and then explained how he was going to teach me manners. I laughed and dumped the contents of the bag on the floor.

I am not Don Corleone but I never forgot that scene where the guy wakes up with a horse’s head in his bed. I didn’t have access to a horse but Jimmy’s dog was another story.

Those puppy dog eyes got his attention, especially when I picked up the head and hit him with it. I don’t think Jimmy will spit in my face again and not because his lips are a bruised…”

Your Blog Is Killing Your Love For Writing

Some of you are suffering because your blog is killing your love for writing. I see your posts and read your words and I wonder how long you can keep running on the hamster wheel.

Your blog isn’t just boring your reader, it is boring you. That is a sin. That is the fastest way to kill your blog and your dreams for it. There is a reason why most blogs don’t last beyond 90 days.

Some of it is because you don’t know why you are in this space and without an answer to that question you can’t develop a plan. I see you talking about your goal to take the blog to the next level but I don’t understand how you intend to get there.

That old saw about failing to plan being the equivalent of planning to fail is true in this arena. Without a commitment to work hard for an extended period of time you are going to have a hell of time not being lost among the clutter and noise.

You need to find a way to keep your blog from killing you love for writing.

There Are Many Solutions

There are many solutions to your particular challenge. Your job is to figure out which one works for you and how to implement it.

I like to let my words run free and take a chance here and there.

This a business blog and it is a tool for generating more writing/marketing jobs. Some people have suggested it might be prudent to tone some of it down and that including lines of fiction like the ones above might create issues.

I disagree.

That fiction serves several purposes. It helps keep my love for writing alive and it shows I can do more than discuss analytics, social media, marketing and business objectives.

It helps me point out that I have transferable skills.

This blog works for me. It brings in business and that is enough proof for me that what I am doing is working.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If my system works for you there is no reason not to adopt it, but you don’t have to.

The Most Important Thing

The most important thing you can do is figure out what works for you and then do that. Don’t let your blog kill your love for writing.

Your passion and personality are of paramount importance because when you instill them in your words it comes through for the reader. It is part of what makes your content interesting, exciting and worth reading.

The hardest part about blogging isn’t writing, it is sustaining your effort. Find your solution, sustain your effort- good things will come from that.

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By Joshua Wilner

Hi, I am Josh Wilner and I am happy that you have decided to visit my corner of cyberspace. I am a writer/marketer/friend and family man. My professional background includes more than twenty years in working with businesses to help them do a better job of connecting with their existing and prospective customers. More specifically I have worked with companies of all sizes from the Fortune 500 to the new start up to help them build, develop and grow their social media and marketing plans. I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy music, reading, writing, playing sports and laughing.

9 comments

  1. Hey Josh

    I really enjoy blogging but I don’t find it comes naturally.

    I’ve been focusing more and more on things that are happening in my life and then relating this to blogging and marketing. That is working for me because I know what I want to write.

    If I let things get a little too formal then it becomes boring to me and then I end up giving up writing for the day.

    Adrienne makes a good point about letting your hair down. I try to do that more and more these days. It is my blog though so if I bore you or anyone else by writing the way I write I apologise.

    I’m fed up of trying to conform to writing in a particular style, not being able to broaden what I write about or changing when and how often I blog. That’s mainly because of what others have written about how to do things. So, I’m going with my own way.

    Reply
  2. Harleena Singh – I am a professional freelance writer, with ten years expertise in writing, education and management. I hold a Masters Degree in English Language and have many degrees under my belt. With a vast experience in creating quality content for websites as well as individual projects, I provide impeccable content, suiting your needs. Check out my portfolio blog at http://leena-freelancewriter.blogspot.com/.
    Harleena Singh says:

    You are absolutely right Josh!

    We do visit several blogs in a week and some of them make us wonder as to what they really want to convey. I guess the lack focus and direction and this often leads them to wind up things sooner than they thought.

    Perhaps they don’t really know why they started blogging in the first place or what they want out of it now. I was in this category a few years back when I had my blogs on Bloggers because I started blogging as a hobby. Being a freelance writer, blogs aren’t really my way of making money. But when I realized the traffic I was getting and people were liking what I shared, I shifted to WordPress and things have been going on well thereafter.

    I do agree that what might be working for you, might not work for another person and each one of us has the freedom to share what we like on our blog.

    Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Josh says:

      Hi Harleena,

      I think about it because I want to make sure I am here for the long haul. Some of the challenges we face as bloggers are uniform and that is one of them.

      I liked Blogger and thought it was a decent platform. Typepad had my attention for a while. but none of them were as good as WordPress.

      WP is simply better.

      Anyway, it sounds like blogging has really been beneficial for you. I think that is great. It is always nice to hear positive stories about it.

      Reply
  3. Brian Meeks – Martelle, Ia – I'm the author of the Henry Wood Detective series, the Secret Doors series, A Touch to Die For, and Underwood, Scotch, and Wry. I can be found at http://extremelyaverage.com
    Brian D. Meeks ( says:

    I loved the bit of fiction.
    Admittedly, I’m very easy to entertain when it comes to blogs. It isn’t in my nature to say negative things about posts. There is one exception, that is prose, in which I have a very low tolerance for schlock. Being an indie author, I read the beginnings of a lot of books, but rarely make it past the first page. Most people don’t have a feel for telling a story.

    You are not most people. This is the first post I’ve read here and I get the impression that fiction is the exception, not the rule, but I’d imagine your other posts are pretty good, too.

    I guess I better go check a few out.

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Josh says:

      Hi Brian,

      I share most of my fiction elsewhere but I do enjoy writing it. I haven’t managed to make my own Henry Wood come to life yet, but I hope to do so soon. Of course I have been saying that for a while so…

      Reply

  4. Haha. I listened to 1:14 of that song and just couldn’t take anymore, she says, she of the 60s Stones era.

    My takeaway here is that if we are bored by what we write, how can we expect someone else to get excited? In my opinion, writers who blog rarely have a problem sustaining their love for writing but bloggers who want to write? Yeah, blogging can be an obstacle.

    Oh, and that decapitated dog part in your scene? Memorable, but very very icky. : )

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Josh says:

      Hi Judy,

      Emotional Rescue isn’t my favorite Stones song, but it was appropriate for this post. What sort of music do you listen to?

      There is a lot of truth in your comment about writers who blog and bloggers who write. There is a real distinction.

      That dog bit was a little uncomfortable, but…

      Reply
  5. Adrienne – Houston, TX – Adrienne Smith's passion has always been to help others. She started having tremendous success with her blog in early 2011 and over time she's built an awesome community. She teaches others how to do the same in her course, “Build a Blog Community”. She currently consults with entrepreneurs to help them understand what's missing and why they aren't succeeding.
    Adrienne says:

    Hey Josh,

    This is the topic of my post on Thursday, about how some of these blog posts are boring me to tears. I think a lot of people don’t know how to put them in their posts or they are afraid to let their hair down. Wondering what people will think you know.

    I think some people start their blog in one direction and then realize their heart just isn’t in it and then they struggle to either find topics to write about or or how to stay interested themselves in what they share.

    Either way, you are so right. It will definitely kill your love for writing.

    ~Adrienne

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Josh says:

      Hi Adrienne,

      I suspect many people are afraid to say what they really think because they don’t want to offend anyone. In concept it is a good idea. People remember how you make them feel, but in practice it makes for bad business.

      It is especially bad in this medium. When there is so much competition you have to find a way to break through the clutter and your opinion is part of what helps make that happen.

      I also think you are exactly right about how people are sometimes surprised by their blog. It is not always easy to do this. It is a grind at times and you have to be tough to get through it.

      I am very interested in your Thursday post. I bet it will be very good.

      Reply

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