Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Wonderful World of Blogging.

When you first get into blogging you often don't know what to expect. We all get into it for different reasons, of course. Sometimes it's to cope with day-to-day stress or to help deal with a traumatic event or even to test your skills as a writer. Whatever the case, you may not often realize how entering this new world can affect you:


At first, when you start blogging you think to yourself, "I don't care if nobody reads this. It's my blog and it's for me." (Let's be honest. If you really didn't care about who read your innermost thoughts and ideas you'd have just bought a diary in the first place)

Things progress harmlessly enough. You publish post after post and, while you're sure no one reads your ramblings, you keep at it. You read other blogs from much more interesting people than yourself and leave a comment or two. Eventually, though, you see an actual reader has left a comment about the nice post you put up. This happens again and again and then, one day, you see it. Your first follower has appeared! That's when things get interesting. All of a sudden and without even realizing it, all you can think about is blogging:

Oddly, I haven't observed anyone saying that they've experienced any weight loss from blogging.
And all you want to talk about is blogging:


Over time, as you more gain followers and get more positive comments, you start to think, "Finally! People who get me." Blogging becomes all-consuming. It dominates all your free time and permeates every aspect of your life. Pretty soon, all you do is find opportunities to tell everyone about your blog. Your friends, your family, your coworkers, they all must partake in you genius:



You're hooked. You try to post daily. You want to post daily. All for fear that your followers may lose interest and find something more interesting to do. Blogging has taken control of your life and soon you want nothing else but to publish that next post:


Well, almost nothing else. Let's face it, for some things there aren't any substitute.


Meanwhile, you forget about the real reason you started blogging in the first place. This isn't your personal therapy session any more. No, now it's about the followers and the comments. You start to feel you can do no wrong and every keystroke is a magical pearl of wisdom and wit that is born out of the teardrops of angels.

Not so:


You aren't really as good as you think and you won't always get the validation you desire. You can sometimes find yourself taking it personally:

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Before too long, real life starts clamoring for attention, like the needy little attention whore life is. Petty annoyances like bills and loans and your job/kids/hygiene, whatever all decide to get in the way of your new, happy world. You can even suffer a bout of writers-block (Yeah! I can say it. I am a "writer" now so why not?).

Eventually, through trial and error and for reasons as varied as the reasons for getting into blogging in the first place, you find you do eventually find a balance. (If you're lucky you may even realize you aren't as good as you think you are and stop being a douchebag.)

30 comments:

  1. You should be aware of the part where I laughed out loud, which I rarely do when I read blogs:

    "Babe, come read this funny post Vinny C wrote."
    "You're Vinny C."

    Heh Heh. That Vinny C. He's one funny dude.

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  2. Self-conscious much?
    P.S. I can relate. And BTW, this blog is so enjoyable for fellow bloggers like me that I think Blogger should buy the rights to it, create a script, cast someone like Matt Damon to play you (maybe Sarah Silverman could play your wife; Ben Affleck could be the guy next to you at the watercooler), film it, and post it on their homepage to inspire other somewhat narcissistic people out there like us to enjoy the wonderful world of blogging. It's actually a sweet idea, isn't it?

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  3. I'm with the Pirate. "You're Vinny C" LOVE it! Just love it. Also, I'm starting to think that the comment quantity does not really reflect on the quality of the post. It can't... I think it's more to do with followers' boredom at work. See, low comments during week-ends, high comments during week (during work hours) and so forth and, is there a AA meeting for bloggers anywhere? Yes, the addiction is very addictive. You eat drink talk walk and poop blogdom in no time at all.

    Welcome to the real world Vinny!

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  4. Thank you for recapping the lives of us fairly new bloggers. I was being led astray by thinking I was mostly normal lately, until you reminded me that I'm not "normal" anymore, I'm a blogger :-)

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  5. This all fits me so well... maybe a little too well. Stalker. 8|

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  6. @ Didactic Pirate: I know, right. That guy just cracks me up. I never get tired of reading his posts.

    @ dbs: Loving the idea. To make it more true to life, though, we'd just substitute Matt for Terrance Howard & Sarah with Halle Berry. But those are casting details that can be sorted out later. I especially like the Blogger buying the rights - I mean - inspiring others part.

    @ Miss Nikki: The main problem I see is that everything that would go on at the meetings would end up in our next blog posts.

    @ Dr. Cynicism: Glad to help you keep things in perspective. Let's face it, normal is boring anyway.

    @ paulsifer: Me? Stalker? I have no idea what you're talking about. Oh, and by the way, that green shirt you lost. Don't bother looking. You're not going to find it.

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  7. This was hilarious! Loved reading it! :)

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  8. @ Kimber Leszczuk: Thanks. Always glad to bring a smile. And let me just say, totally love the profile pic.

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  9. Around the water cooler was classic as I have been guilty of saying "on my blog..."

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  10. Thank you for mapping a blogger's journey out: hilarious yet scary because it rings so true, at least to me. My poor poor husband. My poor poor kids. They are Blog Widower and Blog Orphans.

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  11. @ Nubian: I work in a very small company so I'm pretty sure that by now I've shamelessly plugged myself to everyone there at least twice.

    @ AA: Our loved ones can take comfort in the fact that, at night, when they get lonely, they can read your posts and feel as though we're still with them.

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  12. Thanks :) Great minds think alike - right? LOL I noticed yours is pretty similar! Ha

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  13. You are so funny. And you just narrated the last 3 months from me. And oddly enough, no, I haven't lost any weight from blogging. My blog being anonymous and all I haven't told a bunch of people about it, you did forget one crucial step in the process and it's actually a good side effect if you think about it. You actually start paying more attention to life hoping to find the irritating/funny/odd in various situations you encounter so you can regale your (for me at the time - 11 followers) with the tale when you recount it for them on your blog. Keep up the good work!

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  14. @ Kimber Leszczuk: I just need to remove the dark circles from under mine and I'm good.

    @ Semi True Torystellar: You're right, I did leave out that part. I still find myself on the lookout (with my camera phone close by) just in case.

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  15. I only started a blog in August so I am using this post as a guideline for my blogging progression (also, as a warning for my family and friends). This is like a PSA for the blogosphere.

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  16. Funniest, more original thing I've read today.

    I'll be back!

    Pearl

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  17. I'm with DP. I am a sucker for any *YOU'RE* a Vinny C type jokes. I do it to my husband all the time. He claims to hate it, but I know he's laughing on the inside.

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  18. @ Nari: Seeing as I'm just as new to it I take that as a huge compliment.

    @ Pearl: Aw, shucks. You made me blush. Thanks and welcome.

    @ Kristine: My wife's the same way. Sure, she rolls her eyes and calls me an ass but I know that's just her way of covering up that she thought it was funny.

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  19. true dat. all of the above. guilty as charged. i think this shit may be making me fat even though i don't care about food until i get my blogging fix (reading or writing), i hardly ever leave my chair at work anymore (interesting what miss nikki said above). and the recurring bladder infections are kicking my ass.

    you are gold vinny c. and your wit is truly born from the teardrops of angels.

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  20. Your hurting my feelings with this post.>:-(

    Just kidding. See I'm not like that at all as I sit here in bed next to my snoring sick and hungry husband and dogs who probably need to go for a walk.

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  21. @ pattypunker: I agree with what she said. I do some of my best commenting when I'm bored at my computer at work.

    That reminds me, I think I need to use the men's room.

    @ A Vapid Blonde: Well, it makes sense that the same rules don't apply to everybody, I guess. Really, though, sick spouses & pets need to suck it up & learn to take care of themselves sometimes.

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  22. I am a new blogger, and as much as I am aware of how insufferable I have become about the damn blog, I CAN"T STOP OBSESSING ABOUT IT. Thanks for such a funny post about this frightening epidemic :)
    Cheers!
    Meri

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  23. Ho.Lee.Crap. Funny, awesome, true. I actually posted about being all overwhelmed and breathless when I saw my first follower. I hate to brag, but I totally have 3 of them now. And NO....one isn't my mom. Ok, it is. I'm still chuckling over this. Thanks for the laugh.

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  24. holy crap dude. this is gold. as I'm sure 23 comments have testified to you. I don't think i've ever had 23 comments on one post. damn. It's pretty pathetic how much I can relate to this whole post. you totally nailed it on the head. (hehe, that alway sounds dirty to me)

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  25. @ Meri: I say, any epidemic can be made easier to cope with if a little humor is injected... unless people die. Then it's just cruel.

    @ Sugar Free: Your welcome. My first follower was actually my wife so don't feel bad.

    @ Peter: Now the trick is to see if I can do it again.

    I never noticed the hidden innuendo in that phrase before. Now I will... every.time.

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  26. You are correct. I have 6 followers and I think each one has replied once. When do the comments start? My blogs are "Gold"

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  27. Awesome post, spot on.

    Follow me 'kay? Oh, and be sure to "Like" me too. And don't forget to comment, of course! And that Link button at the bottom of my page isn't going to, um, link itself.

    KIDDING.

    But seriously....awesome post.

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  28. Wow, it's like you scanned my brain.
    :)
    Awesome post, and very, very insightful. That's why the jokes work so well, that kernel of truth.

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  29. Must. Step. Away. From. Blog.

    Hey, if we can't crack ourselves up, what the hell are we doing this for, right? ;D

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