Blogging

Blogging Insights — The End

Fandango5 Comments

It’s Monday and Dr. Tanya is back with her weekly Blogging Insights prompt. She provides us with a quote about blogging or writing and asks us to express our opinion about said quote.

This week’s quote is from author Brian Hutchinson.

“The difference between writers who finish books and those who don’t is that the finishers don’t stop writing until they get to: THE END.”

This is essentially the same sentiment as Richard Bach’s quote that Tanya highlighted last week, which was, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Bach’s not quitting and Hutchinson’s don’t stop until reaching the end send the same message. And as I said in response to last week’s quote, this week’s quote can be applied to anyone who has a job to do. Your job is not done until you’re finished, until you’ve reach the end.

Anybody Heard From Sparky?

Fandango18 Comments

Melanie, at Sparks From a Combustible Mind, is MIA. She usually posts daily, including on Mondays, with her weekly Share Your World prompt. But today is Monday and there’s no SYW post. Not yet, anyway.

As far as I can tell, her last post was this past Friday, 8/5. And she comments on many of my posts, but the last comment I received from her was on 8/3.

Did she mention to anyone that she was taking a short break? Has anyone heard from her? I hope she’s okay.

Melanie, if you’re reading this, say hello. Please!

Word Crimes

Fandango29 Comments

I have a reputation, somewhat deservedly so, as a pedantic and perhaps an overly passionate grammar Nazi. But the truth is that my pedantry is directed mostly toward me, myself, and I. And yes, I know, “me, myself, and I” is, in and of itself, an example of solecism, but, in this case, with intent.

It’s not as if, when I rise in the morning, my ambition is to find fault with the grammar, punctuation, usage, or spelling errors of other bloggers. That would be a huge waste of time, and I need to focus on striking a balance between reading other bloggers’ posts and writing my own.

Besides, I’m not a man without pathos. I don’t want to give other bloggers the squiggles because I understand that most of us here on WordPress are part-time bloggers, and we’re doing the best we can.

Written for these daily prompts: Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (passion), Your Daily Word Prompt (solecism), The Daily Spur (rise), Jim Adams’ Thursday Inspiration (waste), Word of the Day Challenge (striking), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (pathos), My Vivid Blog (squiggles), and Ragtag Daily Prompt (part time).

Blogging Insights — Amateur Writers

Fandango10 Comments

It’s Monday and Dr. Tanya is back with her weekly Blogging Insights prompt. She provides us with a quote about blogging or writing and asks us to express our opinion about said quote.

This week’s quote is from author Richard Bach.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Based upon the definition of the word “amateur” as a person who engages in a pursuit on an unpaid, rather than a professional, basis,” I suppose it can be said that a professional in any occupation started out as an amateur who didn’t quit. Writers, actors, athletes, whatever.

I am neither a professional writer nor a professional blogger. I am a casual, hobby blogger. In other words, an amateur blogger. I do not plan to quit my pursuit of blogging anytime soon. But not quitting writing as an amateur blogger will not make me either a professional blogger or a professional writer.

I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t plan to make any money from blogging.

Blogging Insights — Waiting for Ideal

Fandango9 Comments

It’s Monday and Dr. Tanya is back with her weekly Blogging Insights prompt. She provides us with a quote about blogging or writing and asks us to express our opinion about said quote.

This week’s quote is from author E.B. White.

“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word to paper.”

I think this quote can apply not just to writers but to virtually anyone. If you wait for ideal conditions to do just about any task or job, you’re unlikely to ever get the task or job done. But it’s a great excuse. “I’m sorry, I’d like to accommodate, but conditions are not ideal right now.”

When it comes to blogging, I almost never have “ideal” conditions. In fact, I’m not even sure how I’d define ideal conditions for me, but I’ve learned to shut out background noises and to focus on the task at hand. And since I do virtually all of my blogging on my iPhone, I suppose my “ideal” conditions are any place at any time.