This is my fourth year doing NaBloPoMo (yeah, I was shocked when I realized that, too!) And while I'm glad I'm writing again (even if it hasn't been all that interesting) the experience this year is very different from previous years, especially 2006 and 2007.
I realize in retrospect that I began blogging at what must have been close to the height of the "blogging craze" at least in my little corner of the blogosphere. I quickly found my place in a group of bloggers that were at the intersection of academic, mommy and clergy blogs. So when I did NaBloPoMo the first two times, I already had a group of readers, and I somehow attracted more--my numbers went up both of those years, especially 2007. Last year? Not so much, and this year not at all. I realize I lost most of my readers when I quit blogging last spring, but truthfully, I think readership is down mostly because people have moved on....they're spending more time on FB and Twitter, or they've moved and changed jobs in ways that has impacted their blogging, or their kids have grown older and they're less comfortable blogging about their lives, or they've just lost interest. All of this is natural and normal. And I've had my own blogging "identity crises."
And of course, it's not all about the numbers. But the reality is that I miss many of the voices that were here, people I met here and whom I read regularly. I "know" some of them on FB which is great, but I still miss what felt like a sort of community. And reading status updates keeps me in touch, but I miss the good writing, even when it was on relatively trivial topics.
My life is really different now, too and I've been thinking about how or if that affects my blogging. I'm not quitting yet, but we'll see where this all takes me after NaBloPoMo ends.
6 comments:
I too miss the days when blogging felt like being part of a community.
You've hit it--this is right where I am, too. I must admit that I've felt a little guilty, too, for not contributing but still enjoying reading the posts of those who continue to write. I don't want you to feel lonely out there!
I miss it too. I found it too hard to write in a vacuum when all my bloggy "cohort" moved on for the most part...I have tried this Nov, but haven't posted every day.
I have never blogged, but have followed a number of blogs over the last couple years, often lurking, sometimes commenting. I am not on Facebook or Twitter, but I am delurking (or maybe I have before?) to say that I, for one, really enjoy reading what you have to say.
For what it's worth, I thank you, and hope you stay with it.
:) Neighbor Lady
I know what you mean. I'm using this daily discipline just to get back in the swing of things writing wise, as I was rendered mute by my mother's death. This way I have to write something each day. I tend to FB more than anything, though.
But I do miss all of the voices we used to hear.
Just wanted to poke my head in and say that I've been dropping by for a couple of years now and enjoy reading your posts, hearing about your family, and following along in the Church Year with you. You have a unique perspective among the blogs I read, and I appreciate that.
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