Going to take a break from the entrepreneur lessons from poker series. I don’t want my entire blog to be about that!
In thinking about what to write about today, to maintain this streak I have going (which, nobody knows but me and my wife, who I bother with my self-congratulatory updates about things that matter to only me)… I started by thinking that I didn’t feel like doing another poker post. So then I wrote that first sentence above.
And then, I debated whether or not I should write a meta comment at all. Shouldn’t I keep some type of clear message and point of view in my writing?
Whatever. In this post, I’m going to get meta again, because it’s what I feel like thinking about right now.
One of the things I’d say I’ve struggled with, and continue to struggle with, is how exactly to blog. Here are some of the questions I find myself asking myself:
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What format should they be in? I like writing in a lot of different forms. Personally, I was leaning towards the majority being thoughtful essays about a single topic. But it’s only good when they have substance. I don’t know if I’m a good enough writer for such substance. Especially when paired with the next bullet below. Part of me has thought I could really mix it up here, sometimes posting quick updates or quips or short-form things. Heck, lists even. Stories, anecdotes, other media. I like Manton Reece’s ideas about Indie Microblogging, but I also like the idea of writing the longer-form stuff. So many ways to do it. All beautiful, all flawed.
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Should I use AI? In this post I’m not going to, or if you’re reading it in the future… I didn’t (fuck, tenses, see point below) (Double fuck, swearing, see other point below) but several of my previous posts did. I like that I got them done, but I feel like they lost some soul in the process. I’ve already changed my mind twice about this, but I think I’m sticking with yes, but not always.
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What tone do I want to use? I don’t think the world needs any more cynicism and pessimism. I’d prefer to be warm and cheerful, but I don’t want to be fake, and I don’t think the world needs less critical thinking. I don’t think anyone who knows me at any depth would accuse me of not thinking for myself or prefering very shallow thoughts.
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Who am I writing for? In my first post, I declared I would write mainly for myself. I still think that’s a great way to go. Rick Rubin apparently agrees with me. Though sometimes, I question why I write at all. I’ve struggled with figuring out who I want my “personal brand” to be. Do I even need a personal brand? I kinda hate that stuff, I just want to be me. But I definitely understand why writers, marketers, and other professionals focus and have a very clear idea who they’re writing for. I work in frickin product development. Understanding who you’re building for is everything! Probably the difference between success and irrelevance. I literally have 0 visitors on this blog.
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Do I cite a lot of things? Reference a lot of things? In this post I am. I’ve certainly been inspired by a lot of other people’s work. I’d like to give credit where it’s due, and if anyone does happen to read any of this… it would be cool to point them at some great ideas! But it’s work to do that.
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How often should I post? Does timing matter? I like Andy Matuschuk’s approach, and thinking of notes and posts as atomic and/or evergreen. Right now I have a date on them. It’s low-key bothering me. At least search engines might like that for as long as that’s relevant? Do I care about being relevant on search engines?
The questions beget questions. Oh well, writing is agony. But I’m just going to keep doing it. Every day for as long as I can keep the streak alive and not break the chain. That’s another thing I believe in: that people who produce gems put out a lot of duds along the way, and you must embrace the repetition and volume. Plenty of brilliant writers and creatives have told us this: from Maya Angelou to Stephen King to Yayoi Kusama. I’m certainly not the only one to get meta about the creative process! One of my favorite books is Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art, where he explores these themes.
None of this is permanent anyways. I can always rewrite, delete, or update stuff, right? As long as I’m alive?
See you tomorrow, for another exciting episode, blank page and self.