Photo Credit: Calico
I’d be willing to bet that I read more blog posts each day or week or month than you do. I know I have no life. It’s okay. But one of the things I see way too much of is that some bloggers seem to think that writing blog posts is the same as creatively writing anything. Uhh no.
Let me just tell you about myself. I can usually write a new chapter in a little less than three hours. We’ll make it easy and say it’s 3,250 words. That’s usually divided into two writing sessions. Now why am I telling you this? Because that is creative writing. A poem or short story is creative writing. So much more goes into any one of them than just the words on the page. But writing a blog post is not in the same category. And if you’re a writer I’d hope you know this.
I fully realize that some bloggers only write on their blogs and that others post their own work, this doesn’t apply to them, but it certainly does apply to all those aspiring authors who have maybe written a book or are currently in the process of doing so. Blogging doesn’t help me write. It doesn’t make me a better writer. And it certainly doesn’t keep in the groove, whatever that is. My writing and my blogging are two separate entities and you would do well to make sure yours are too.
So stop writing all these “Oh I’ve had writer’s block because I haven’t blogged in a month” posts. You’re just busy or lazy or some combination of both. Has nothing to do with your inability to write creatively.
Good point well made!
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Thanks!
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So true… laziness often disguises itself as that impervious wall that prevents writing. I face that wall most days. You either have to plow through it or scale it, if not, nothing gets done 😦
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Yep. Glad you agree.
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I dunno, I think there are a lot of extremely good blogs out there, filled with incredibly creative and enlightening writing. A blog is really just the platform. I will agree that there are a lot of incredibly banal and narcisistic blogs out there but there are some excellent blogs as well. Writing is writing, whether that’s delivered on a blog/novel/napkin.
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I agree with you here.
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You agree with me always. 🙂
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Hahhaha. Well. For once, I don’t. Not this post, anyway. 🙂 😛
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Ew. I just realized you were talking to someone else. Ugh to you.
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So painful, so true. Well said!
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Thanks!
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I agree. I look at blogging as an online journal. I dictate what people will read based on what I am willing to tell them. As a writer, it takes a lot more time to write a book or a poem, then it is to write blog posts. I have been working more on my blog lately and trying to gain a decent amount of followers.
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Stole the words right out of my post. I typed that blog posts are akin to journals and then took it out. Glad you agree.
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Oh ok. Yes, I do.
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I completely agree.
It’s not like blogging requires a sustained plot or metaphors. Blogging is human beings writing at their worst tbh
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Bahaha so true!
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I like to use my blog as a means for creating a writer platform more than anything. I post once a week & keep it generally related to writing. But yes, you’re right about making your blogging and writing two separate things. 🙂
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That’s also pretty much what my blog is used for. Because it’s nice to talk about books and writing and all that, but at the end of the day at some point in the future I’ll have a book released. And hopefully some of my readers and followers would be interested.
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I’m conflicted. I want to argue with you, but I agree a little bit too.
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Hmm. Argue is such a negative word. But I’m open for discussion. 🙂
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I’m too lazy for that.
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I agree. If anything, my blog makes me put off creative writing because it is another form of procrastination when I am trying to work on figuring out of the enigma of subtle character development.
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Hmm. You’re right. And how the heck have I missed like all your recent posts!? I just read like three or something.
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Haha yay for binge-reading! One of my favorite things!
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Haha I wish I did it more.
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Writer’s block is always laziness. That said, I disagree slightly with your premise. I think, and a lot of people agree with me, creative writing is the process of writing a metaphoric journal or memoir, the more fictional the writing the more metaphoric.
Excepting that idea for the moment, most people have a harder time being honest with themselves, and expressing themselves honestly, than they do putting words on a page.
Though I actually write a blog that is almost exclusively fiction, it seems to me that blogging in the more typical ‘web-log’ fashion would be good practice for the honest emotional expression necessary for the creation of empathetical characters.
Two cents, given :b
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Excellent points, although I’d argue that blogging is a way of getting yourself back into the writing groove. For example, you’ve been on vacation for two weeks. You get back, sit down, aren’t sure what to write. You do a bit of blogging. Now your fingers are warmed up, and you proceed to do some actual creative writing.
But you’re definitely right in that blogging and creative writing are totally separate! I shudder to think how much more creative writing I could get done if I wasn’t on WordPress so much, lol.
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Hmm. You have a nice point there. About not writing for some time abs then coming back to blog. But as far as what you’re actually writing, still they’re different. Which you said.
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Now I know that writing blog post is different…
I have always seen them as the same.
Great post.
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Thanks!
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The “voice” that I use on my blog is my own voice, not the voice of my characters or the plot of my stories. I agree with some of the above commenters that a blog is basically an online journal. That’s kind of how I treat it. I’m sure I’d talk about more than writing if I kept a journal (but we both know I stink at that), but otherwise, it’s about the same.
Blogging is fun and relaxing and allows me a creative outlet, but it is not the same as sitting my butt in the chair and actually getting any writing done. We agree on something! I think it’s been a while! 🙂
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Ooooh. Good point about the voice used for blog posts. Cause it’s also my own. Probably why everyone hates me. Lol. YES! WE AGREE! Hahaha
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I thought you’d get a kick out of that. 🙂
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You never did tell me a story yesterday.
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Sorry.
Once when I was visiting my aunt, we went horseback riding. I’ve only ever ridden a few times in my life, and I love it, and she knew it.
The previous few times I had only walked or slowly trotted with a horse.
Well, we were traversing a nice park that had hills and little streams and such. My horse was very chill and just followed whatever her horse did. So, she decided to canter up the hill. (Cantering is just a tad slower than a full gallop).
Now, keep in mind, none of the helmets fit me because I have a big head. (And not in the I’m-full-of-myself way. Literal big head).
So, we started cantering up a hill full of trees. She never told me to keep my head down, and I didn’t think about it, though it should have been obvious.
Tree branches and sticks are flying in my face, and I can’t bend down because of the momentum and such. She looks back and starts laughing.
Needless to say, my face ended up with quite a few scratches on it because I didn’t keep my head down! I must have looked ridiculous.
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Hahaha I was thinking the ending would be “and suddenly a low hanging branch came into view and I couldn’t get out of the way and it knocked me right off the horse.” Oh well. Just some scratches. Haha
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Hahaa!!! I should have embellished. If you’d have seen my face, the large branch wouldn’t have been needed.
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So much for your storytelling ability. 😉
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😛 I’m a fabulous storyteller. You’ll never convince me otherwise.
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Liar. Haven’t been published.
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I will be. Don’t you worry.
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Anyone can say that. I will be in the NBA. I will be on Wheel of Fortune. I will win the lottery. I will travel the world. See?
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Man, you’re a tough cookie. Remember me? Ms. Optimistic and Positivity over here?
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Just kidding! We both know you’ll be published. 🙂
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Ugh. Didn’t we talk about how I don’t get sarcasm very well? 😛
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I know. But I only know of one person who I think is more sarcastic than I am. So I can’t turn it off. Haha
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It’s fine. I just need to find a way to see through it. And not just on here. I’m not very good at it in person, either. I wonder if they teach classes for that somewhere…
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Haha I wonder. Go searching for one. They have classes for everything else.
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True. Very true.
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I was briefly inclined to disagree, and then I actually paused to think about it.
My blog posts (when I write them) take all of fifteen minutes to write. I hardly look at them once I’ve written them, other than to respond to comments.
My writing on the other hand… Well as you say, there’s a lot more that goes into it. I agonize over it, making sure it’s right, making sure it’s polished, making sure that the characters aren’t bland or stupid. That the emotional scenes I really want readers to cry over are actually emotional and not me just being dorky.
I certainly don’t do that with my blogging.
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Everything you said was exactly what I meant by writing this.
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I sure hope it doesn’t take you 3 hours to write a blog post! I also hope it isn’t over 3,000 words! Sorry, but if it was, I might not bother to read it…Haha. I totally agree, creative writing and blogging is different; I mean, unless you’re writing poems, short stories, etc, on your blog. My blog is completely different than anything I’ve written / my creative writing. My blog is kinda my space where I write reviews on things, talk to you about what happened that was exciting, etc. Where as my creative writing is coming from a character or from my heart and emotions that I want the reader to feel. Lovely post!
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Oh goodness. Of course not. I used to write longer ones, maybe 700-900 words that would take maybe 45 minutes. But now theyre ostky short. Like 300 words and take like ten minutes. And pretty much everything you said was why I wrote this. Blog posts and creative writing are not the same. Period. And thanks!
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My blog is all real life, even the Elmo & Haka ones, so it naturally doesn’t fall into creative writing 😉 Just saying 😀
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Sure it is. You and your devil spin instructor. And all your other fun stuff. All real. Yep. I believe that.
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Good, I’m happy you do because it’s ALL true, all of it 😀
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Did you miss my little hint of SARCASM?
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What, where? Yup. Guess I did. Lucky me 🙂
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I’ll start labeling it from now on. So that doesn’t happen.
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No, I wouldn’t want to put you out or anything, so don’t worry about it 😉
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Nope. It’s just courtesy.
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I can’t remember if I’ve replied to this? Haha!
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You have. But you seem to have ignored my response. Hmmmmm.
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Really? Nope, not possible, can’t ignore you JS!!!
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Tell that to the person you become every weekend.
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Haha! Man, I STILL don’t like the way you argue 😀
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Cause I only speak the honest truth that you can’t even deny.
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Whatever. Honesty shmonesty Yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah, Superkalifragilistischexpiallegetisch 🙂
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I’m talking an eight-year-old.
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Nu-ahhhhh!!! A 6 year old, geez you can’t count, can you 😉
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I’m not used to having to count that low.
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Really, when you’re me and you’re constantly being asked about your IQ, you get used to it, I’m even good with minus numbers by the way. Just saying. Damn, brought my brain into it 😦
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Oh please. Do you have a genius IQ? Cause I bet you do.
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Yup. You’re right you caught me. It’s 999999999999999999 with a minus before it 😉
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I asked an honest question and you respond with that? Hmmm.
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Yes, and I gave you an honest answer, so where’s the problem?
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Your answer was not true.
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I can’t remember what I said, but I’m sure it was all true because I only ever speak the truth … sometimes :p
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It was about your IQ. Of course.
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Hey, I don’t think I like your dripping sarcasm filled words, just saying …
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I don’t think I like you.
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Yes you do, pllleeeeaaaasssseeeee, say you do!!!!
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Serious conversation would make me like you. 🙂
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You’re so cruel. Here I am pouring my heart out and all you can do is judge, sniff, sniff…so sad 😦
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Bahaha don’t even give me a sad face. Doesn’t work.
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😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦
😦 😦
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Geeeeeez! I saw this and thought “oh man, I really said something wrong.” You tricked me! Cause I didn’t.
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[…] is dumb. A blogger I follow recently wrote a post in which he said blogging is not writing. If this isn’t writing, maybe it’s not dumb. Maybe I can use these 8 words as a prompt […]
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[…] On this day in 2014 I published Blogging Isn’t Writing. […]
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