1. What appeals to you? What's the blogger's voice? Does it speak to you?For starters, post your answers today (Thursday) to these questions as comments to this post on Mackerel Wrapper, and we can talk about them.
2. Does the blogger do the kind of writing that Donald Murray talks about? What can you infer about his/her attitude toward the craft from reading the blog? How do those attitudes compare to Murray's? Do the same with techniques.
3. What ideas, techniques, attitudes ... and anything else that comes to mind, whether I'm mentioning it or not ... can you use in your own blogging? Other types of writing that you do?
4. What else about the blog is important that I'm forgetting to ask you about?
Fair's fair. Here, as an example to help get us started, is how I'd answer the questions ...
1. One blog I keep coming back to is jill/txt at http://jilltxt.net/ ... it's by Jill Walker Rettberg, a communications professor at the University of Bergen in Norway. She blogs about blogs - yep, what I said. Rettberg explains, " do research on how people tell stories online." She adds, "I've been a research blogger since October 2000." - I've been reading her since I started blogging in 2006. Back in the day, it helped me answer a lot of questions about how I wanted to do my blog. I still check her out from time to time because I like the way she writes.
2. True confessions time: I'm not sure Murray has much to say here. But I'll keep reading, keep my eyes open. Keep my mind open. Come back to it.
3. I like the way Rettberg combines academic and personal writing here. In fact, I've modeled the way I use the language on my student blogs after jill/txt. It's conversational, informal. Academic at times. Probably too academic. But, hey, I'm an academic. My generation of feminists (I'm married to one) would talk about combining "the personal and the political," which has something to do with using your own voice, admitting your own biases and not trying to sound like an official pronouncement handed down on stone tablets. Still good advice, I think. Anyway, I like the way Rettberg combines her professional interests with her personal attitudes - kids, conferences, etc. - without getting unprofessional about it.
4. Not yet ... but we're not done with the exercise.
10 comments:
http://blogs.babycenter.com/
I just found this blog.
1. What appeals to me? Well, for starters, I enjoy the wide variety of comments and users that access this blog. Moms are discussing media, ethical issues, mom dilemmas (because we all have them!), and anything else worth blogging about!
"Hope for parents of kids who never nap" or "Neighborhood kids that won’t go away"
These are just a few examples. Fortunately for me, I'm not at this stage of motherhood yet, but I don't think its too soon to prepare! I have learned that every day is different and you never know what to expect. Kids, just like Donald Murray, love surprises!
2. This blog contains writers from every background. There isn't only one blogger. I think this blog does contain some writers that Murray talks about. Some of them are very professional bloggers, and others are simlpy new moms typing away to relieve stress.
3. This blog can potentially give me ideas for any kind of writing. News stories are included, thoughts and information from doctor's offices are provided, and moms share stories about the problems they are faced with. The blog will help me in more than one way. In my own blogging, I will be able to share some of the stories that are shared on this blog. Also, it will allow me to open my mind and give me ideas for writing topics.
2. Pictures are memories. Moms are posting pictures of their children, of their nurseries, and of messes they are cleaning up. I love looking at pictures!
I would have to say that reading other peoples blogs appeal to me because it's interesting to know what other people think. My opinion alone is a good way to start, but knowing what other people think is good too. This blog is pretty much related to Murray's principles on writing. I think that this blog gives me the freedom to express my opinion. It gives me an opportunity to write about what I think of a certian topic or story.
1.) The blog that I have chosen is called The Portrait Photographer on blogspot, this blog is a Photographer who goes through different photography books and brings out some of the best parts and techniques that any Photographer would want to know. This blog appeals to me because of photography being such a huge part of my life, I love photography and it is a huge part of my life, and to be able to look at different techniques from other photographers is very helpful and gives others and myself new ideas to try out and use. The writer really explains what is the most important facts to this blog and why it is so useful in any case of being a photographer and needing to know what new ideas are out there. Yes it speaks to me because I enjoy this and this work that I am seeing done in something I plan on doing for the rest of my life and in any case always learning new things helps so much more than not knowing what is next and going into a shoot not having any ideas of what you are going to be doing.
2.) Yes I feel this writer of the blog does do some of what Murray is talking about in his blog. Its very informational and is talking to you more than anything. Its not just some blog that is not done in a professional manner though. It is done professionally and is easy to understand and you know that you can walk away having more of a knowledge base after reading it.
3.) In my own blogging I can use the facct of surprise in many ways because as a photographer you never know what can occur next and what you might run into. So when writing to your reader base you can explain scenarios that you have had occur and that may happen to them. Its always good to know and always be ready to expect the unexpected no matter what it may be. You can use your senses too in explaining how the wedding was set up or the portrait, if there was a crying child you can explain that and how to dealt with it. There are so many ways of writing this, and being able to explain it well is the number 1 point.
4.) This blog is important in the fact that as a photographer you can use this to help you with any questions or concerns you may have with the basis of knowing what may or my not happen. This blog will help people to understand photography is not just something you can float through and do you have to be able to understand it and make it to it makes sense to all who are reading it.
http://pop-pr.blogspot.com/
1. What appeals to me? I like this blog because he writes in a very conversational and funny way. He doesnt just out down facts and statistics he writes about how things are going to affect people.
2. I think he does use the kind of writing Murray writes about because he keeps it short and to the point he doesn't bother writing long essays. After reading this blog you will walk away with an understanding of what is going on in Public Relations today.
3. This blog can help me with future writing because I am learning the language in the PR environment. I am also learning what style PR writers are using.
4. This is blog is important to me because I like to learn about the PR field and what new things are going on in that field. Also I like that he uses humor in his writing and doesn't make it to serious.
http://www.buckhuntersblog.com/
1. what appeals to me is anything you would want to know about hunting or questions about hunting, you can find your answers on this website. The different topics from day to day keep me guessing and it is never the same thing.
2. Different pro staff members contribute to the blog, but the main blogger is on all the time. He is easy going when he talks on the blog and doesn't try to confuse to much.
3. I need to use the way he blogs in my blogs more often. Short and to the point. he decribes the ins and outs of deer hunting and life in general and how they relate to eachother.
4. Any beginning hunter could use this site to learn much more about the outdoors and deer hunting, then experience would. Many of the questions that first time hunters have are answered very well in this blog.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jon-stewart-talks-nirvana-with-krist-novoselic-dave-grohl-and-butch-vig-20110926?link=mostpopular5
http://bethere2day.com/the-new-boss/
this is a blog that appeals to me because its people posting funny stuff
this blog contains many different writers/comedians
I enjoy reading the ESPN National football blogs ESPN http://espn.go.com/espn/blogs .
1. I enjoy football watching, reading about and playing fantasy. The blogs are all well written and help me keep up with teams or individual player. They also talk about fantasy football and the individual players which is nice because I started playing fantasy football this year and I need all the help I can get.
2. There are several bloggers in this section. They are all very professional and informative and have many of the attributes that Murray talks about.
3. All the blogs are well written or they wouldn’t be on ESPN. I think you can take all of them and learn from the writing styles of the sports writers.
4. Important to you? The writing styles and how well they are put together I think you can learn a lot from professional sports blogs. Important to me? All the information that I enjoy reading about involving my favorite sport to watch and read about.
http://michiganzone.blogspot.com
This blog is devoted to everything Michigan football.
1. What appeals to me? I am a huge Michigan Football fan and have been my whole life. This blog not only covers Michigan football inside and out it also posts funny videos and topics that are football related.
2. This blog features a lot of "Lively Writing" as Murray puts it. The information on the blog delivers reliable information that readers desire in a manner that reveals its significance to them.
3. I could use this blog to help me incorporate humor into my writing while still maintaining logic and appropriate writing etiquette. Using humor in blogs grabs the reader's attention and can keep them coming back for more.
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