Thinking Blogger or Writing Blogger

Definitely a thinking blogger. Possibly even a vaporware blogger. Compose posts in my head, it great details I might add, sometimes for days, only to get sidetracked and for the post never to make it any further.

This is definitely something I want to tackle and get more out there.

- Neil

this comment is writing. [send]

the thinking one will be ready in a couple days, maybe with video, maybe not, but then it will be written in one draft and sent.

Obsessive Think blogger.

Due to my sometimes crazy work schedule. during the average work week, I generally write out my first post of the day before I go to sleep the night before.

Obsessive Think blogger.

Due to my sometimes crazy work schedule. during the average work week, I generally write out my first post of the day before I go to sleep the night before.

I think a little bit before sitting down and gushing into WordPress, then I edit extensively and laboriously, but seldom to the point of, say moving paragraphs. My edits are about “How can I make this sentence more clear” or “Does that set the right tone, or does it look like sarcasm?”

In a perfect world I’d have time to say, “well, this point should be made earlier, that one later.” and mess with structure.

Yes, occasionally my ramblings look half-baked even to myself, but the cardinal rule of becoming a better writer is “Write, dammit!” and trust in Kaizen. If I made writing into a chore, it would happen even less frequently than it already does.

I’m too self-conscious to just post pure ramblings.

Most of the time I’m I thinking blogger, I spend every day 2 hours in the train, my only problem is that in there I can only post with my cellphone… and that’s a shame.

But I considere myself as both: thinking & writing blogger

Most of the time I’m I thinking blogger, I spend every day 2 hours in the train, my only problem is that in there I can only post with my cellphone… and that’s a shame.

But I considere myself as both: thinking & writing blogger

Thinking. I have a draft in WordPress from two days ago.

Given that I haven’t posted in over a month, I’d have to say thinking blogger. That’s only because you didn’t have a category of “lazy” blogger.

Given that I haven’t posted in over a month, I’d have to say thinking blogger. That’s only because you didn’t have a category of “lazy” blogger.

Writing blogger, in that I don’t know what I think until I see it emerging to the left of the cursor. Lots of sliding backwards on the delete key, trying again, shaping and crafting the thoughts, letting some slip through unnamed. A blog entry starts like a poem, with something bugging me, a small piece of mind agitation, a tickle, a question I can’t answer with yes or now–like this one!

Thinking.

Spent too many years as a copy editor and I’m also a perfectionist my nature, so it takes courage for me to hit the Send button. I’m working on combating this because it means I don’t post as frequently as I should.

One technique I adopted this week – created a Tumblr account to use as a place to practice being a Writing blogger. It’s a great way to post snippets, links, photos, quotes. I called mine TumblrWeeds–”stuff that blows through my mind and gets snagged on my keyboard.”

Thinking.

Spent too many years as a copy editor and I’m also a perfectionist my nature, so it takes courage for me to hit the Send button. I’m working on combating this because it means I don’t post as frequently as I should.

One technique I adopted this week – created a Tumblr account to use as a place to practice being a Writing blogger. It’s a great way to post snippets, links, photos, quotes. I called mine TumblrWeeds–”stuff that blows through my mind and gets snagged on my keyboard.”

Writing blogger, definitely.

Which doesn’t mean I haven’t gone back and edited the ramblings after I’ve hit publish and seen them on the screen, but I have always been a writing writer, a talking talker, whatever. Even my few forays into podcasting, with the exception of a song list mapped out, I dove right in without a net. Usually, when I blog something, I’ve hit an inspirational moment and I just HAVE TO GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD, grammar, syntax, semantics be dammned. Sort of like this comment. ;)

Writing.

I get a germ of an idea in my head, decide what the main point of my post will be, then I just start writing.

The act of writing clarifies my thinking. There have been a couple of times when I’m surprised by what eventually gets posted because it’s so different from what my original “main point” started out as. In such cases, the act of composing my entry helped me realize that the original idea was actually quite lame, and that the real point lay elsewhere.

I write best when I simply imagine myself talking to an old friend. This tactic works for me since I maintain a personal blog, and not a blog for my profession / work.

Nice question. It made me stop and think for a while.

Writing.

I get a germ of an idea in my head, decide what the main point of my post will be, then I just start writing.

The act of writing clarifies my thinking. There have been a couple of times when I’m surprised by what eventually gets posted because it’s so different from what my original “main point” started out as. In such cases, the act of composing my entry helped me realize that the original idea was actually quite lame, and that the real point lay elsewhere.

I write best when I simply imagine myself talking to an old friend. This tactic works for me since I maintain a personal blog, and not a blog for my profession / work.

Nice question. It made me stop and think for a while.

I’m a thinking and a writing blogger. I believe this is because I have two reasons for starting my blogs. Which also may explain why I have two main blogs (TheFemGeek.com and http://thefemgeek.vox.com/). My reasons are for the purpose of the projects I want to do (scripts and articles) and for bringing a closer community together in Chicago as well as having a place to rant and rave. This is actually a great question, it really got me to thinking about my blogs in general.

90% writing blogger. The numbers reflect this.

90% writing blogger. The numbers reflect this.

Thinking blogger… now there’s an oxymoron for ya.

I’m most definitely a writing blogger, talking podcaster, and writing student. In fact, the only way I could EVER write a paper in college was to sit down at the screen. (Yes, a writing process teacher’s nightmare… no outline, T-list or bulleted points for me… rough draft to hand in? No such thing because I create as I’m typing.) I podcast the same way… fire up the mic and let it flow.

I’m most definitely a writing blogger, talking podcaster, and writing student. In fact, the only way I could EVER write a paper in college was to sit down at the screen. (Yes, a writing process teacher’s nightmare… no outline, T-list or bulleted points for me… rough draft to hand in? No such thing because I create as I’m typing.) I podcast the same way… fire up the mic and let it flow.

Workflow kind of dictates think blogger – I use BBEdit for virtually everything, and its method of managing URLs and stuff is really fantastic, so I draft my blog posts, along with everything else, offline first. If it’s going to be a long blog post, or one that requires research, all the more reason to use BBEdit.

Haven’t tried OmniOutliner for blog posts yet, though I hear great things….

I’ve been writing since I was six, writing essays since I was 8, writing research papers since 10, and writing professionally since I was 18. I’m now 40 and still write, this time it’s a weekly column. And every word has come from head to hand to pencil/pen/typewriter/computer keyboard instantly, with little hesitation.

There are upsides and downsides to this behavior. Almost all upsides. I save time, sure, but I also get my thoughts across most clearly. Like they say about True Or False tests, go with your first thought, it’s most likely correct.

Now I know that Hemingway once said “The first draft of anything is shit.” But I also know that Hemingway was a sad man, chasing ghosts and the love of a crazy mother whom he couldn’t ever please well enough. For me, the first draft is the heart and bones of it, and if I bring my A Game, the first draft won’t need more than a quick polish.

But that’s me.

I’ve been writing since I was six, writing essays since I was 8, writing research papers since 10, and writing professionally since I was 18. I’m now 40 and still write, this time it’s a weekly column. And every word has come from head to hand to pencil/pen/typewriter/computer keyboard instantly, with little hesitation.

There are upsides and downsides to this behavior. Almost all upsides. I save time, sure, but I also get my thoughts across most clearly. Like they say about True Or False tests, go with your first thought, it’s most likely correct.

Now I know that Hemingway once said “The first draft of anything is shit.” But I also know that Hemingway was a sad man, chasing ghosts and the love of a crazy mother whom he couldn’t ever please well enough. For me, the first draft is the heart and bones of it, and if I bring my A Game, the first draft won’t need more than a quick polish.

But that’s me.