Here’s to a Livelier Lively Muse

I confess. These last few years I’ve been struggling with creating and sustaining a regular blogging practice. Scores of writers and artists and coaches create lively, entertaining, interesting, and beautiful blogs and they make it look so easy. I want one, too. So when I saw a post on Facebook that my friend and talented artist Jane LaFazio had signed up for the self-study version of Blog Triage with Cynthia Morris and Alyson Stanfield, I signed up, too.

The first assignment was to describe the people I want to visit and read my blog—age, background, geographic location; all those demographic details that help us define our readers. This is what I wrote:

Writers or those who want to write aren’t of any certain age or background, they don’t live in any particular region (except, perhaps in their imagination; the world of ideas and language), all races and many degrees of coolness; experienced, inexperienced, semi-experienced. Pajama-wearers, stilettos, Vans. Keyboarders and writers-by-hand. There’s no demographic that invites immediate links to images of style or culture or geographic location. We’re primarily English-language speakers, that’s something besides writing we have in common.

The assignment asked what other interests readers of my blog and I have in common. I created this list, which is pretty much the basis of what I’ll be blogging about.

  • How-to’s, why-to’s, when-to’s and what if’s about writing and writing practice
  • Tips and suggestions and guidelines and probably some exercises.
  • Writing accoutrements, cool places to write, great programs and apps.
  • Books about writing and events that celebrate writing and books.
  • All things writing practice, including evocative prompts.
  • Gossip. Not mean-girl gossip, but fun, interesting notes on all things literary.
  • Quirky, interesting things about writers and books and the writing process.
  • Writing retreats and contests and places to go to write and meet other writers.
  • Guest posts and interviews with other writers.
  • Interesting items about libraries, bookstores, and other writing-centered places.
  • Excerpts and examples of good writing and links to even more.
  • What else? I’ll ask. I hope readers will tell me what interests them. (Will you?)

Are they comfortable with the blog format? the teachers ask. Probably many more than me; I’m still learning, exploring. And I expect some are in the same place as me—wanting to know more, but still a little shy. And there are those who I’ve been learning from all these years.

Will they comment? I hope so. I’d like The Lively Muse to be a place where dialogues can begin, where I can hear what others have to say, discover new and interesting stuff, and expand my community. I’ve been part of a vibrant in-person writing community for more than twenty years; I want to expand it to include this exciting, though sometimes overwhelming, tsunami of social media.

So, here’s my commitment to creating a more vibrant, more interactive, and much more frequently posted to, blog. Here’s to a livelier Lively Muse.

Are you a regular writing practitioner? Do you hang out in the blogosphere? I’d love to have your comments, thoughts, opinions.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

13 thoughts on “Here’s to a Livelier Lively Muse

  1. Hey Judy!

    No blogs here, my rent payer aka job keeps me chained to the desk so I need all the off time I can get. Having said that I’m known for my acerbic comments on CTV news stories. I hide under the name WriterLinda. That could be anybody right?

    As for writing I find myself getting extremely bored with my novel rewrite (I know the ending et al) so I go through a week of writing followed by — er, a time — of eating cinnybuns (cinnamon buns with that killer cream cheese icing) and thinking about writing. Since you got me started on prompted practice for which I continue to glorify you, I tend to (see how I hedge, tend to all right) do that instead of writing novel and eating sinful buns.

    Your teaching continues to be phenomenal and I think of you every time I — er — want to procrastinate and hedge.

    • I know about the procrastination vis a vis the novel. And I’m an M&Ms muncher. Oh, us writers, so much alike.

      Thanks for writing, Linda, now let’s get back to it, shall we?

  2. Hi Judy,
    I have now bookmarked The Lively Muse so I can get here with no fuss/no muss! As you know, I’m dabbling in The Writer’s Retreat Kit and striving to do so on a regular basis as good writing practice. It’s great fun, so thank you for that and for your comments on my blog. I do so appreciate your feedback and the fact that you take time to visit.

    I began blogging in November 2005 when I spent three months in Scotland with my then fiance, Dave. It was during that time I first entertained The Muse and discovered I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and experiences with others. That blog has since been retired, but I keep active with the two major ones I’m maintaining these days. Seems crazy I’ve been blogging for seven years!

    I look forward to seeing what you have in store for here!

    Regards,
    B.

    • Thanks so much for commenting on this post, Betty. Maintaining two major blogs! Good grief. I think you’ve been blogging about as long as I’ve been working on my current novel. That’s a lot of words. I appreciate all of yours. See you here & there.
      Judy

      • You mean it’s normal for my rewrite to not be finished after one entire year? I don’t have to jump off the dresser because I’m not finished yet? I’m sure glad I went shopping this afternoon and bought some more of those buns. Just for that I think I’ll get back into the draft tomorrow….

  3. I’ve been blogging for a while (I have two blogs and you were kind enough to visit and comment at one: Bountiful Healing), and I also took the Blog Triage course (last summer) to help me pull things together a bit. I learned a lot from it. Just as I’m learning from my daily writing practice using your book (“A Writer’s Book of Days”). Although primarily a photographer, I’ve been wanting to write more, to tie together my own words with my images.

    I really like your list of topics and look forward to reading more posts from you.

    • Robin, I love your photographs. They are stunning. What a delight to receive them in my inbox every now and again. Thanks for posting. I’ll look forward to more photos/haikus from you.

  4. Well, because of you, I’m trying to start a regular writing practice. Wish me luck!! I love you list of blog topics, by the way!

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