keeping blogging fresh and the blogger motivated

A number of years ago (in the dawn of time, before there was a blog, boys and girls), I was talking to my brother-in-law about writing. I asked him if he ever would like to write a book. He replied, “I would have to have something to say.” His answer kind of floored me. I had never known him to be at a loss for words!

But writing is not the same as speaking. One does have to have something to say in order to make it fresh and interesting. (And one does have to be ruthless in the writing process in order to make it readable!)

My greatest fear about getting involved in the “front end” of blogging is having nothing to say. My earlier attempt was rather sporadic. I think some of the earlier posts remain on this site, but I deleted a good many of them. They really were just a spewing of opinion, not much substance.

Here is how I think I will succeed this time, if I make it past the practice round of blogging:

1. Always be reading: reading brings fresh ideas for commentary, and blogs are essentially commentary.
2. Read and write in your area of expertise: There are subjects about which I am interested and have an opinion, but about which I don’t know ‘nuthin’. Don’t bother exposing the ignorance, the rest of the world will ignore it too.
3. Write something daily: This is for the practice of the craft. It doesn’t necessarily mean publish something daily, but write, write, write. Preachers are writers, they write usually three or four sermons a week. Blogging or longer and more formal writing are a different genre, but the principles are the same. If you would be a writer, always be writing.
4. Be motivated by one big idea: the blog itself should be centered around a major concept about which the blogger is passionately interested (to use a word I hate). The defining philosophy of a man’s life and work should be the center of your blogging world. For me that would be the promotion and defense of Christian fundamentalism. (… although I suppose some of my fundie brethren would just as soon I didn’t bother!)

Well, I guess that is enough for now. I have a number of ideas from Pickerings book that I want to write about in the future. I also have a number of ideas from Murray’s bio of D M Lloyd-Jones, so these are areas where I will be writing and commenting in the future. I am sure there will be more, because I’ll always be reading.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3