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But, do you still think blogging is a good way to find your voice as a writer - especially for someone like me that's just getting back into it?

I agree from all the Online work I do (tutoring, chat hosting and moderating), I do write like I chat Online - it's a hard habit to break...like the two -'s I just put in and the infamous ...

Sigh.

Oh yes. I find this so much--the writing style is so different, and when you write in an online voice on a regular basis it's hard to break it when you're writing for print.

I blogged about this a few weeks ago--that blogging is so different from writing that it's lousy writing practice unless you are conscious of the differences--it wasn't, as I recall, my most popular entry.

I've had similar troubles with my dayjob as a "technical writer," where I'm encouraged to use certain stock phrases, where metaphors are not allowed, where every move of the mouse has to be meticulously cataloged.

I can see how blogging could impact your writing the way you describe, but I don't think all bloggers write that way. I've read plenty of blog posts that were examples of absolutely great writing, and that would be right at home on the printed page. I think a lot of it determined by how you approach your writing for the blog--if you want to treat your blog writing as true writing practice, then you hold yourself to a standard that will translate beyond the blog. I don't think all who read blogs are looking for just fluff and exclamation points. Many of us appreciate good writing that isn't short, punchy and suffused with pop culture.

Well what do you think of the Sandra Bernhard, Fran Liebowitz trope? The confessional, social diarist thing. Maybe sink some dough into a smart Calvin Klein pinstripe suit and we take some pictures of you at the typewriter with the flared collar showing a little cleavage and chain smoking. Writing about your dinner last night seated between Mayor Bloomberg and Paris Hilton.
Sort of the da-sein and mitt-seing thing. ;>

girlbomb!

your blog makes the world go 'round! thanks for taking one for the team...

love,
florence :D

Blogging are fun. Me write pretty witty nasty bitchy essays that get publish someday, better than Fran Liebowitz. Might learn grammar and punctuation too.

A YEAR?! A whole YEAR before we can read the next book?! Damn.

I know, that's not the point. Still, a YEAR!

'Blogging is a great way to warm up for the longer tasks of writing; but sometimes the brevity, immediacy and informality necesary for the small screen can wreak havoc on your style for longer pieces when you have to get down to business. You have to shift voice a bit.

Overall, however, a blog just keeps you moving forward in writing, keeps you in practice, which is sometimes the most difficult thing. That instant gratification of self-publishing is really a great motivation.

The blog is instant gratification for your readers, too. A year. Sheesh!

And without the blog, I wouldn't get insights like these, which are much appreciated.

I do still recommend blogging for writers, and I definitely recognize that many bloggers don't resort to hacky or gimmicky writing -- it's not the form, per se, that's problematic; it's getting into the routine of writing for one form and then switching to another.

And I definitely need a pinstripe suit.

(Clio, it could be worse; my first book took a year and a half to make it to shelves, which is standard. I'm lucky that Random is talking about putting this one out next fall -- I hope it'll happen!)

And here it was I thought starting a blog made me a writer.

Dammit.

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