I read an entry here not that long ago, wish I could remember whose it was, that basically was talking about xanga bloggers who write for the attention. What the person was saying is that basically if you write what you are truly interested in and people follow you, then you are successful, otherwise, you’re pretty much just an attention whore.
I started to think about my own writing here. I’ll fully admit I’m an attention whore. I like lots of comments and positive attention. I really don’t understand people that don’t. That said, I truly take interest in the things I write about here. I’ll admit it gets frustrating though. Because there are times I write things that I think are great and are just going to explode to the front page. Not because I wrote them with the goal of the front page in mind. I wrote them because I had something to say and I wanted peoples attention and their feedback. But then when that entry only gets 3-4 comments I pull back and say “what went wrong?” It’s really been difficult for me to judge what people are going to like of mine and what they won’t. Yes I do write for my readers. If I was writing for myself, every entry would be a boring recap of my day or week. So getting my readers attention is important to me.
What I’ve noticed however, is that I’m all over the place. My topics, my writing style, my entries in general are completely scattered. But then it’s also the best representation of who I really am. Because I am scattered, I am all over the place. That’s my personality and the way I think. I guarantee that you have never met a person like me before. These are not my words but the words of several friends of mine who have told me I am one of the most unique people they have ever met. I could act all humble and deny it, but I believe them. And hey, maybe it’s not a positive comment anyway. I don’t know.
I’m thinking I might try and step away from xanga for a little while. Just because I don’t feel like I have anything to say right now. I need to reexamine what entries of mine have hit and try to be more consistent in writing only those entries. This isn’t some dramatic “i’m leaving xanga” post. This is more like I need to step away and figure out why I’m not more successful.
Why is this so important to me? Because ever since I was 13 I wanted to be a Hollywood filmmaker and I still want to be. On top of that I want to be an actor in my own films. So if I can’t sell my topics and I can’t sell myself here on a measly little blogging site like Xanga, how the hell do I expect to sell these things to the rest of the world and become a successful filmmaker? I need to reexamine what I’m doing wrong.
@Kontzicles - I’m sorry I don’t understand anything you just said.
Don’t step away for too long. Different topics are fine by me, I go all over the place too.
This has again inspired me to write a post about how to expand you’re readership. I agree. While I wouldn’t admit to being an attention whore *wink wink*, I do love engaging with my readers and friends. The more I can write, the more I can engage with lots of comments, and recs, the more I love blogging. It’s all about networking. Keep at it!
It may not be only your writing. People will come to your page more if you visit other blogs and comment. I agree with @Kontzicles – that people will start to recongnize your face. Xanga is a community after all.
Good luck with that! It’s a complete mystery to me why some blogs suceed and others that seem far deeper and better written simply do not. Must be a mood thing… alignment of the stars and planets of something. There’s no real logic to it. But please let me know if you ever figure it out.
I’m scattered, too, but that’s how my brain functions. When it functions. So that’s how I write.
Do you leave comments and read other people’s entries? Schmoozing is an enormous part of selling yourself, whether in Hollywood or “measly little” Xanga. I know that wherethefishlives became popular, not only because of his funny and interesting entires, but that he was thoughtful enough when he was starting out to respond to every single comment. He still tries to answer many.
EDIT: try posting on private often.. and focus on reaching out to other people (on their own blogs)..
it helps, in that you write what you want, and don’t have to face the rejection..
and people start to recognize your face.. therefore creating more traffic on your blog..
Does that make better sense? Its been quite a day..
also. p.s. what does it mean to be a top blogger anyway??? some of my favorite writers don’t even get 5 comments on their blogs…
we did it again. We wrote similar posts about similar topics… This is starting to scare me. But, to defend myself is this…
I wrote on being tired of other people’s idiocies and their being unintelligent. I wrote about how people tend to fall off the face of the earth after being so consistent with their comments.
As a reply to your post, I get you. I always have, but one thing you need to understand is that most of the top bloggers got there over time. It didn’t happen over night or even through a course of months. They have been on Xanga for a few years or more.
When dealing with people, you deal with a variety of interests. Therefore, those interests may switch and change as well. Sometimes it’s a hit or miss type thing, so honestly I don’t think you have done anything wrong at all! If I were you, I would continue to write what you feel and what interests you, don’t worry about some of these piddly little teenage drama queens.
Don’t go away for long at all! If people stop reading you regularly, it is very tough to get them back. I made that mistake a while ago.
Consistently comment/suck up to at least one famous but fairly down-to-earth Xangan.
Eventually, they’ll begin to read your posts. Eventually, they’ll find one they like and rec it to their 59390434 subscribers. Voila.
I haven’t done this because I’m too young to handle the whole internet celebrity thing, but it just seems like it would be a good strategy. -Shrug-
Eh, I enjoy your writing regardless. Don’t make the break too long.
@Undercover_Librarian - Well that’s what I would think, doesn’t it get borning if it’s always the same thing?
I know what you mean. Sometimes I take little breaks because I have nothing to say. Plus, unlike you, I am getting incredibly self-absorbed and it might be boring the hell out of people. So I just stay away from time to time…but come back soon! I do read and enjoy your posts so come back! :)
@roxics – Of course. If you consistently talked about computers, and only computers, i would get very bored and not bother coming back. But if you talked about your life (ala TheLoqLady), I would find you very interesting, and be returning all the time.
@ShamelesslyRed - Well, I’d love to read it. That is one of the joys of writing or doing anything creative, having other people accept it and enjoy it. I think it’s the artists who do things just for themselves who are more full of themselves.
@NoPenniesHere - True and I try to get around. I do read alot and comment when I find something that interests me. I’ve also been known to happen on peoples blogs who don’t get any comments and says something. But I’m not ever going to be the type to make a comment just to make a comment. If I don’t have anything to say on the subject I won’t.
@Ampbreia - You and me both. I’ll keep you posted. lol
@impossibleangles - Yeah I try to get around. But I’ll admit, I’m probably not on here as much as some people are. I guess I was just hoping my topics would be interesting enough that they would stand on their own. Good advice though.
@jewjewbeedragon - You’re right. I’ve only been here six months. I guess I’m jumping the gun a little bit. I guess I’m just a little moody today and it shows in this post. :)
@MelancholyRambler - @josiebunny - No I’m not leaving or anything. Just figured I would step back and maybe take a break for a few days and figure out if what I’m writing is good enough and why it isn’t.
@shinymeshapples - I’d rather get their on my own merit.
Becoming a xanga celebrity takes work. Would you rather be a xanga celebrity or a real life one? Hint: one ensures the other.
@immortalwithout – love that answer
@immortalwithout – I’m concerned with making good films. But here’s my logic, films are entertainment, stories, ideas. If I can’t keep people entertained and inspired and thinking on a short blog post (which is another form of entertainment, stories and ideas) then how am I going to get them interested in seeing a two hour movie?
This is what really concerns me.
@Kontzicles – i hope i am your favorite..you are mine..=)
I’m an attention whore too..
but I think I try to write for the general public because i always wanted to be a novelist…
but i work really hard.
i try to write what people relate to.
but for some odd reason…people relate more to my personal blogs posts…
than my actual short stories…so…uhmm its hit or miss with me.
Grammar patrol is the one thing i always try to do…(on my own writing of course)
@bluedreamer85 – reeeeeallly
…. Thank you, Linda. I LOVE how you write (but you already know this ;)…
I think you hit it on the nail when you said, ” write what people relate to”
If you are writing purely for yourself with no consideration to whether or not people will get it.. or connect, more likely then not, your readership base will be small.
You can write about what you like, but make it so that someone out there will be able to say.. “OH! I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about!”
It’s not fail-proof.. of course…
@roxics –
I know what you mean. I used to base my writing worth (I am a writer) on the quality of the comments I received. That was maddening. Xanga love is 70%-100% out of your control.
“If I can’t keep people entertained and inspired and thinking on a short blog post…”
Don’t worry about asking “if.” You can. You’re smart, I’ve read you, you can do it, but it’s gonna take a lot of time, work and patience until you hit the jackpot [100% luck], and a lot of time, work and patience to maintain your audience from there, and is that worth it? Well, that’s your call.
@immortalwithout – Thank you. I had a pretty rough day yesterday as you can probably see from this entry and the one just after it. Sort of like a male PMS. Lol. On days like that I should probably just skip Xanga altogether.
You’re right though, what I need is not a break, but to work harder at it and not let it bother me. Thanks for the support. :)
Well, Roxics- I can’t say as I’ve read a lot of your blogs. I read your Atheists and Censorship blog and even posted my own response blog to it. I suppose I’ve kind of been holding back because you’ve clearly stated you’re a bisexual atheist and I’ve mentioned more than once that I’m a Christian- so I was afraid you’d just see me as the “enemy”.
I’ll try to pay more attention in the future to what you write and come around more often. Meanwhile I think I also need to develop my own blog a little bit more- because I assure you I’m very odd myself.
I saw your comment on somebody else’s blog and came over to see some of your entries. I hope you don’t mind. I’m brand new here and four comments sounds like a lot to me ha ha. I read through a couple of your blogs and they seem really interesting on different topics. That seems like the right formula to me. And I’m glad to see you have lots of comments here!