Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sunday Spotlight: Blogger Bluffing

We have been posting a lot of filler on this blog recently. For me, it's been an increased focus on other projects and a number of partially successful attempts to start writing posts shortly before our extended daily deadline. For Alex, it's been work. Not long ago we had The Talk; the one that all collaborative duos need to have at some point during their careers: How strongly do we want to keep doing this?

At the time, I was absolutely fed up with everything technological, and would've been content to simply walk away from the Internet for a good long time (I've mellowed considerably since then). It wouldn't have taken much persuading for me to walk away from the blog--wrap up all the loose ends of posts we still wanted to write and say farewell. Judging from Alex's posts at the time, I assumed he wouldn't have minded taking his mind off of regular posting to focus on work and whatever else he had going.

Evidently, we're still here.

It's clear to me that this blog is not something that either of us truly wants to abandon. It's a forum to geek out, voice opinions, share the cool things that interest us. It's cathartic. It's the best way for the two of us as friends to stay in touch. It's also a routine, and once something's a routine, it's easy to cop out as long as you're still technically checking it off your list.

I've been a bachelor with a sink full of dishes; I know what I'm talking about.

Committing to a daily posting routine is a huge contributing factor in why we're still here. Sticking to a routine keeps the momentum going. The occasional filler post is a small price to pay for ensuring this well-oiled blogging machine keeps running. But...what happens when we start oiling the machine with fluff?

We get really bizarre metaphors, is what.

I wonder sometimes what our readers think about the way we've been posting recently, with all the excuses and apologies and fleeting glimpses at what's going on. I wonder whether they're as antsy as we are to get back to more substantial posts about the fandoms we love, and whether this chapter of the blog's history is one worth keeping up with every day. In the long run, would our readers do better to wait for the Month in Review, where the "real" posts are clearly marked? Should we keep posting every day, even on the days when the posts barely count? Or would we be better off with a sporadic posting schedule, saving up our writing mojo for the days when we can take the time to craft what we most want to write?

I don't have any answers; I'm only posing the questions. For now, we'll keep plugging along as best we can, bluffing our way through daily posting where necessary. And maybe, on days like today, we can post some fluff and make a suitable pillow out of it.

Because that's what we're aiming to make these days with our well-oiled metaphor.

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