I realized last week that it had been quite a while since I posted on this blog! It was not because I was flouting my blogging career but rather due to the deluge of work otherwise known as MIDTERMS!
My recent radio silence speaks to one of the hardest parts about maintaining a consistent blog persona: when the going gets tough, the blog is forgotten. Earlier in the semester, we had to read a few how-to posts by seasoned academic bloggers. In his “Advice for Academic Bloggers” post on Northwest History, Larry Cebula recommends using a google calendar or other reminder to keep yourself on a blogging schedule. I have heard similar suggestions by people who want to be writers/musicians/artists: Set aside some time every day and force yourself to practice your craft.
So does this mean blogging is an art?
It depends on the type of blogging one is doing. Posting academic essays is exercising the craft of academic writing, but the author could be posting those essays on her office door or emailing them to a listserv. Maintaining an audience and continually creating engaging material for them to consume…to keep them coming back? That is a different ball game and unannounced hiati (plural of hiatus?) leave readers wondering if the blog author has given up. Or maybe they just get tired of checking for new posts only to be greeted by the same old Ryan Gosling composite image.
At any rate, I’d like to give a special “Thanks!” to anyone who is still reading.
