While all that was going on, I was still being plagued intermittently with self-doubt and burnout. Especially burnout, since I managed to cross both the 800 and 900 post threshold for this blog, and I was rapidly running out of ideas and concepts to tap into.
Out of 3 active blogs that I had running in the beginning of 2012 (book blog doesn't count), two of them, my adult blog and my picture blog, moved into semi-dormant status by year's end. It wasn't originally planned for them to become that, but changing personal taste coupled with lack of fresh adult content proved to be too much for those blogs to handle.
As for this blog, we kept on chugging along, adding new topics to discuss (music for example), new concepts to pimp and explore (book reviews for example) and a few guest bloggers to liven things up as well.
Still, at times we were resistant to the inevitable changing of the guard and the changing of tastes. But in 2012 we grew to accept and even revel in the fact that most bloggers do not last this long as this blog has (4 3/4 years and counting). We toot our own horn to show that no matter what trials and tribulations that were thrown our way, we still managed to stay true to the people who mattered the most: you the reader.
I appreciate the fact that you managed to stick around while I take baby steps in tweaking the focus of this blog. I'm doing very small tweaks to be the content and the appearance as well. Housework one might say.
I'm still having fun with this blog and I hope you'll stick around in 2013 as we celebrate our 5th year (holy freakin' major moose testicles!) of blogging.
I will always be your blogging bud from that wonderful bunion on the foot of New England that we call Connecticut.
George
p.s.: I leave you with one of my favorite songs from the 80's, which is a theme song to a movie that I have yet to watch.
I keep trying to figure out what my next incarnation will be
ReplyDeleteI too, have suffered a downward trend in comments. Could it be because I don't comment on other blogs as much? The comment game...I hate it!
ReplyDeleteHey, I'll be hanging around as long as I can still count on you to throw out stuff like "holy freakin' major moose testicles!" You can't get that just anywhere, you know.
ReplyDeleteBearman: I already got a next incarnation, in the form of Yello Bear. Problem is, he only hangs ten at my blog and nowhere else. :D
ReplyDeleteWorkingdan: I got through cycles with the comment game. Sometimes I'll comment all over the place, and other times I lay low.
It's been really tough as of late not only to keep this blog fresh, but to find new readers as well.
I still post links on my Facebook page and my Facebook user groups, and even in Yahoo sometimes to get readers, but it's been an ongoing battle.
Mama Z: Thankee.
I do come up with some doozies, which are usually in response to trying to swear without swearing.
I have to say I've found it harder and harder to keep my blog and its readership up as high as it once was. I do wonder if blogging is losing it's appeal to many. I won't stop blogging as I don't do Facebook or Twitter so really my blog is my only on-line place for letting off steam, so to speak. And I will continue to follow and read your blog all the time you are around too.
ReplyDeleteJoe: I really appreciate that, it really means a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteI think you're probably right to a certain degree about blogging losing it's appeal to a small section of the public. More people are doing other kinds of social media like Facebook and Twitter, and blogging is becoming an afterthought, especially in the world of writing, where unless you've been blogging previously to becoming published, having a blog is not really necessary.
Of course I'll keep reading! Where else am I going to hear about moose testicles?
ReplyDeleteM: I think that's gonna be my pet phrase for this blog. :D
ReplyDeleteI remain your loyal reader. For myself - it's difficult to acquire more blog readership since I don't really have time to visit a lot of different blogs. The ones posted on the side of my blog are the ones I am faithful to. It's quality, not quantity, I think.
ReplyDeleteLynn: I think that is a good way to look at it: quality over quantity.
ReplyDeleteMost of the blogs I currently visit and comment on fall into that first category, although for the moment, I do more lurking than commenting.
I visit quite a few blogs in a day's time. I generally don't make it to more than one blog post per person though. I don't know how you could maintain multiple blogs. I don't think I could ever do it.
ReplyDeleteCharles: You know me, I do love a challenge. Plus when I get snagged into something, I have a tendency to milk it until runs drive.
ReplyDeleteShort story blog, with fresh content on a weekly basis for about 1 1/2 years.
Photo blog for something like 3 years.
The adult blog was created early on to head off censorship issues.
I still do the last two, but the motivation has definitely waned as of late.
I'm still sticking around, George -- can't wait to see what 2013 has in store! :)
ReplyDeleteLisa: Neither can I, young lady, neither can I.
ReplyDeleteAlthough if things stay true to form, I should hit 1,000 posts around late April/early May.
I am approaching my 8th year with my blog and have seen my readership increase and decrease and increase again. I have learned that the longer my post, the fewer commentators I will have. I am a recent follower of your blog and you might remember that I approached you about which blog I should read because I couldn't add several and needed to pick one. Perhaps others visit you but end up with the same concern. Regardless I believe most of us blog more for ourselves than for others. Don't worry and don't change:)
ReplyDeleteG.A.: 8 years? Wow, do I feel like a newbie.
ReplyDeleteI do remember you asking me about that, yes. And perhaps that could be a small reason as to why. Although what I have done with my other three blogs, just in case people have stumbled upon them while hitting the "next blog" button, I have a widget showing the feed to this one.
I think over the years, length has been an issue with me. I've always had to battle not writing something that wasn't more than one page in length.
I don't worry (much) anymore about my readership. People do what they want to do and the best I can do is to continue putting out stuff that will make people go "Hmmm.." and hang around a little while longer.
Most blog are dead or dying - writers blogs are an exception because that is what we do!
ReplyDeleteI am significantly down in comments - which is less satisfying as I like engaging with people. However,I think comments are down because most commentator are also bloggers and these, I think, have a different profile to "readers" - who just read. I still have plenty of "readers" who keep coming back. I do miss some of those non writers' blogs though because they provided me with a window on other worlds - whereas writers on the whole write about writing which sometimes is a little tedious from a readers pov if there's nothing else of interest. Unless a blog is a specialist blog (like knitting patterns or quilting) variety is the key. I think you have a good mix. Just keeping doing what you do:)
Jane: I would have to partially agree with your assessment that blogs are dying, but I believe that it's simply a cycle that we're going through.
ReplyDeleteWhile yes, it's an uphill battle sometimes to attract more readers, I still enjoy the people that do stop by and comment. I also enjoy the 100+ readers/lurkers that subscribe to my blog as well.