It's true: they probably don't care...

After writing 3 paragraphs of truly uninspired proportions, I deleted the whole rant. It was so bad I won't even share the topic with you.

There's a book I've been reading, on the side. It's called, No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog, by Margaret Mason.  That's the same Margaret Mason of Mighty Goods shopping blog fame. She knows whereof she speaks. Her book is interesting, inspiring, and also sitting over there in a basket where I haven't bothered to go get it.

Okay, that's just silly. Light's on. Book's in my hand. Let me pique your interest; no doubt my blogging friends will appreciate that this book exists. Most of the "chapters" are a single page. One topic per page, offering a topic you might write about, many times sharing examples, and fleshing out the idea just enough for you to get her point. Love the book.

Here are some of the ideas that might work themselves into my blog as a result of having purchased this book:

• Curate the web
• Play favorites
• Give a tour
• Show some skin
• Engage in finger pointing, snickering
• Say thanks
• Collect the greatest hits
• Let us cheer you on
• Show us your B-side
• Take up stalking
• Share the joke

Now here's a question: What topics have crossed your mind in the manner of "That'd be interesting to read"? Don't have your own blog? Here's your chance: add to Melody's List of Topics. You never know...I might just use it one day!

Now go have yourself a great Friday... 

Comments

[Margot]

Not to go all PollyAnna on you (after all that is your job) but I still contend a better name for the book is "How To Make People Care What You Had For Lunch." YOU could make people care what you had for lunch, because you would write it in such a charming and captivating way.

And what if you had an incredible lunch, in Paris say, with, I don't know, Harrison Ford. Then everyone would care about your lunch!!! Including what you ate, and what he ate! That's all I'm saying.

[Melody]

Margot, I loved reading your note here. Thank you for writing it! You said really sweet things and also pointed out some fun new perspectives. (All while making me laugh.) I may just have to email the author and let her see what you wrote...no doubt she would even agree that in a case such as the one you described, every single one of our readers would be thrilled to read of such a lunch.

Meanwhile, Margaret Mason has beautifully challenged me to extend beyond my sometimes lazy inclinations when drafting my blog posts. Her ideas present so many possibilities for fodder on those days when I'm stumped and might fall back on the "mere" minutia of life...

[sean]

If someone creates a blog in the woods, and no one reads it, does the blog even exist?

Ha! Just me trying to be cute.

Seriously, I struggle with this, Melmac. Of course, my blog isn’t a gateway into my small business, but I alternate at times, not really caring whether or not anyone out there reads it. Then I think of an idea to drive more traffic (i.e., with my recent travelogues, I added the name of my ship and cruise line, and the traffic spiked because of blog portals like Technorati) and all of a sudden, I want everyone to read my posts!

The most important thing for me, I guess, is that I blog because I’m a writer, and I write about the things that I think are important. Since the whole thing is subjective anyway, I guess I’m just blogging for myself.

Just my two cents.

Sean

P.S. Our vacation was a blast, in case you haven’t been reading my blog ;-) I just installed Coppermine on my server, and I’ve got some great pics from our day at the Dolphin Academy. Check ‘em out!

[Melody]

Hehehe...you called my blog a gateway to a small business. :)

I ask the same questions, Sean, concerning whether or not what I write is even noticed, (by more than my faithful few, that is,) and whether it's better to just write anything than something substandard.

But we writers know it's far more than JUST the responses and the feedback and all these delicious comments that we're so happy to sometimes get. It's the writing itself that sometimes matters more than anything. Having those audiences outside the ones in our heads, though, is what keeps the little dance so lively. Sure you CAN be trite and lazy and silly and write fluff, but we know the second we publish, whether or not something is really worth our readers' time!

Love your photos. Such happy dolphins. Glad your vacation was great...and that you returned home safe and hopefully also well rested...