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According to a NY Times article, blogging is waning for people under 34 and on the slight uptick for those over that age. Twitter and Facebook are the preferred communication media for the younger set, like texting to the world and having the world text back.
How do us old fogey bloggers counteract the exodus of the youngsters?
As a blogger of fiction, I love short, short stories…if well done. Anyone can string together a series of pretty words that don’t exceed the word or character limit as defined, but that does not a story make. Telling a complete story with a sparsity of words is what separates the women from the girls.
I do like that many bloggers are telling longer stories in 500 word segments, though I must confess that I have yet to start and finish such a serial endeavor. For me, the reader, it’s still hard to top the novel that I sink into and devour at my own pace.
Why do I visit other writers’ blogs? To read about their novels? No. Not really. Sorry. I go there because I want to know about the person, or the blogger has experience, wisdom or knowledge that I want or need. So, unless you’ve got something to teach me, then make it all about you, the writer–who you are, why you write, what your experiences have been (cause misery loves company and everyone loves a parade). Tell or show me something that makes me laugh, cringe, cry or fume.
When I’m in blog visiting mode, I’m visual. Pepper your blog with pictures and photos. I have a hard time sticking to long posts (over 500 words) that don’t have anything visually interesting besides the text. All text and no graphics is hard for my tired little brain to read. Throw in a poll. Make up some kooky sort of list. Give me snippets of trivia. I notice and like stuff like that.
Do I follow my own advice. Uh…no. But I will try to do better.
Now to recap for the youngun’s here’s how I would tweet the above:
Bloggers: Give me short blog posts that: Showcase the person, Are visually pretty, Play on my emotions, Educate me=Return Trips.
(with 12 characters to spare!)
Even though my desktop computer is still kaput, I pulled myself back into the saddle, using my netbook and the kids’ computer (sorry, kids!) I got all my new words in, got my blog posts in, took a pass on the flash fiction this week but will get my third on the 28th. I also posted my Ocean-themed short story for critique over at Scribophile. I rather like it, though it’s still in need of some polishing. If this anthology doesn’t take it, I’m sure I will try subbing it with various steampunk publishers.
Claire Gillian 