Blogging: Do or Do Not
We are currently in the third week of the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging Event. The current theme and writing prompt is staying motivated. Several of my colleagues have already tackled the subject. Kaylriene, Krikket, Naithin and Wilhelm Arturus. There’s certainly a lot to say on the point and people deal with it in their own, unique way. But to cut to the chase I think Bhagpuss has hit the nail on the head and has touched upon the heart of the matter. “If you need to go looking for motivation then you're already in trouble”. Yes, that’s a very good point. Blogging or writing creatively is both enjoyable and rewarding. But it requires focus and effort. Hence for a lot of people the prospect of doing it to a schedule is daunting and effectively determines how they continue to blog. But that’s fine. There is nothing wrong with being an intermittent blogger. I follow numerous blogs of that kind. However, if you desire to write daily or on some other regular basis, then one of two things will happen. You will either do it or you will not.
We are currently in the third week of the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging Event. The current theme and writing prompt is staying motivated. Several of my colleagues have already tackled the subject. Kaylriene, Krikket, Naithin and Wilhelm Arturus. There’s certainly a lot to say on the point and people deal with it in their own, unique way. But to cut to the chase I think Bhagpuss has hit the nail on the head and has touched upon the heart of the matter. “If you need to go looking for motivation then you're already in trouble”. Yes, that’s a very good point. Blogging or writing creatively is both enjoyable and rewarding. But it requires focus and effort. Hence for a lot of people the prospect of doing it to a schedule is daunting and effectively determines how they continue to blog. But that’s fine. There is nothing wrong with being an intermittent blogger. I follow numerous blogs of that kind. However, if you desire to write daily or on some other regular basis, then one of two things will happen. You will either do it or you will not.
Now I am sorry for going all “Yoda” on you all but I feel that this is an honest and realistic appraisal of the situation. Writing regularly requires discipline and there will be days when it does feel like a chore. You may feel uninspired and unfocused. However, if you still successfully manage to write something under such circumstances, then you do get a sense of immense satisfaction afterwards as you hit the publish button. As for the perennial discussion about writer’s block, I have argued in the past that there is always something to write about. More often than not it is a case of you just not wanting to write and you would rather go and do something else instead. Writer’s block does present itself as a convenient “get out of jail” card in such instances. But it also offers an opportunity to reflect upon your relationship with writing and how you want to progress.
If you genuinely want to write on the days when it is difficult then you have to sit down and come up with the germ of an idea. Once you have something written down you can focus upon expanding upon it. To start with, try adding a few points relating to it. Next if you begin to flesh out these ideas into sentences, before you know it, you have the foundations for a post. That’s how you power through these periods when you find writing to be an uphill struggle. It requires focus and determination to take that first step. To sit down at your keyboard and write that first word or sentence and start the process. And I think we all know in advance, whether we’re actually going to do that or not. If you’re not then that is fine. You haven’t failed. You’ve been honest with yourself. In fact you have found the level of writing that you’re comfortable with, which is an invaluable lesson.
Blogging isn’t an “all or nothing proposition”. You write what you want, how you want, when you want. Put aside what you think people might expect from you and focus upon your own needs. If you reach a point where writing is actually causing you anxiety then you need to stop and take stock of the situation. During the course of our lives we try lots of things. Sometimes we find that we like something and it becomes a regular part of our lives. Other times we give a new activity a go but discover that it is not for us, or that we will do it only occasionally, or only on our own particular terms. All of which is fine. So overall, I believe that motivation is a bit of a Red Herring. There are certainly things that you can do that will assist with your writing, such as picking the best time to write and doing so in an optimal environment. But essentially, I think your motivation to write to the level and schedule that suits you, is either there or it isn’t. A subconscious choice that has already been made. Hence, do or do not. There is no try.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 15
At the time of writing we are halfway through the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event. Whenever the subject of personal blogging is raised, there are those who immediately declare that “blogging is dead”. According to Google, out of 1.7 billion websites that currently exist worldwide, 500 million or so of those are blogs of some kind. These generate over 2 million blog posts daily. So I wouldn’t say that blogging per se is done and dusted. However it certainly has evolved considerably over the last 15 years. At the start of the current century blogging was a novel activity providing the means of keeping a personal journal online. Inevitably, popularity and ubiquity led to commercialisation and a necessity to monetise. There was a period of time when clicks, traffic and advertising could generate popularity as well as an income. But other forms of social media offering greater immediacy eventually usurped this potential. Now blogging is seen as more of a niche market activity or corporate tool.
Blogging is dead: At the time of writing we are halfway through the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event. Whenever the subject of personal blogging is raised, there are those who immediately declare that “blogging is dead”. According to Google, out of 1.7 billion websites that currently exist worldwide, 500 million or so of those are blogs of some kind. These generate over 2 million blog posts daily. So I wouldn’t say that blogging per se is done and dusted. However it certainly has evolved considerably over the last 15 years. At the start of the current century blogging was a novel activity providing the means of keeping a personal journal online. Inevitably, popularity and ubiquity led to commercialisation and a necessity to monetise. There was a period of time when clicks, traffic and advertising could generate popularity as well as an income. But other forms of social media offering greater immediacy eventually usurped this potential. Now blogging is seen as more of a niche market activity or corporate tool.
Blogging for pleasure: At present it is the microblogging site Tumblr that dominates the bloggersphere, hosting over 400 million blogs (WordPress hosts 60 million). However, this is not really a platform for in-depth, longform writing. Perhaps that is the main reason for blogging becoming less popular. Writing competently does require both skill and time. Modern social media platforms are the opposite, offering immediacy and brevity. Plus there is far more of a focus upon monetisation and building an audience these days. Hence many bloggers are choosing to write not so much about personal subjects but are pursuing material that is marketable, such as Lifestyle and Travel blogs. Product reviews are another popular subject. Yet despite the fact that there are many commercial prospects available, current data from Google indicates that only about 10% of all bloggers generate any income. Broadly speaking the primary motivation for personal blogging is passion, fandom and pleasure.
Amending existing posts: I wrote a blog post back in May of this year about how the RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was fast approaching ten years old. At that time there was a lot of speculation but no definitive answer as to whether the game developer Bethesda were going to do anything formal to celebrate this anniversary. This has now changed and a Skyrim Anniversary Edition has now been announced. So I updated the post with an additional paragraph and added a date reflecting the amendment. I think that this is a valid policy, providing value for your readers and also maintaining your credibility as a writer. I think it’s especially important if you are writing about a news story and the facts are constantly being updated and possibly corrected. Updating or appending a post is also a useful form of self-promotion.
Changes in traffic sources: Squarespace has an integral analytical service which provides statistics and data for Contains Moderate Peril. I even have an app on my phone that I can check if I see fit. I also have the website linked to Google Analytics which generates and emails to me very useful monthly summary of website traffic. Over the last decade, due to the success of smartphones and tablets, there has been a major shift in how people browse the internet and consume content. Over 46% of those who visit Contains Moderate Peril, do so from a mobile device. Hence it is important as a blogger to ensure that the template you use for your blog is “responsive” and adapts and optimises your content for mobile platforms. There are various sites available that can test your template and provide a preview of what your blog looks like on a mobile device. I would recommend that that all new bloggers look into this to ensure that their site is responsive, so they do not unintentionally exclude potential readers.
Blaugust 2021: Getting to Know You
According to the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging schedule it is “getting to know you week”. Although I have been knocking around the blogging community since 2007 it would be extremely arrogant of me to assume that people know who I am. Plus, as I am allegedly a mentor in the Blaugust event, it is both polite and proper to introduce myself to those who are new participants. I’ve never been especially keen on the whole standing up and introducing yourself thing that comes up from time to time in one’s social and working life but it is a necessary evil. Whenever I used to attend training courses for work, I’d always go first when it came to introductions, just so I could get it out of the way. So with all that in mind let’s tackle this now. Here are a few minor facts about me so that people can “get to know me”, so to speak.
According to the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging schedule it is “getting to know you week”. Although I have been knocking around the blogging community since 2007 it would be extremely arrogant of me to assume that people know who I am. Plus, as I am allegedly a mentor in the Blaugust event, it is both polite and proper to introduce myself to those who are new participants. I’ve never been especially keen on the whole standing up and introducing yourself thing that comes up from time to time in one’s social and working life but it is a necessary evil. Whenever I used to attend training courses for work, I’d always go first when it came to introductions, just so I could get it out of the way. So with all that in mind let’s tackle this now. Here are a few minor facts about me so that people can “get to know me”, so to speak.
Firstly, I use my real name, Roger Edwards, for my writing. I did initially start writing under my gaming handle but found it a somewhat bizarre form of social etiquette. Having conversations with Jubal the Questionable or Cardinal Spleen has always struck me as odd. So I just started posting under my own name which is fairly unremarkable. Plus I did at one point harbour aspirations to be a professional writer. Anyway, I do understand why people wish to compartmentalise their lives and certainly if you’re posting content on the internet, the anonymity helps keep the crazy people at bay.
Captain Scarlet
I was born on 18th December 1967. One week before Christmas. From an early age I discovered that anyone who said anything along the lines of “I’ve bought you a joint birthday and Christmas present” was a cheapskate bastard. 1967 was an interesting year. Sandie Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest with Puppet on a String, Captain Scarlet and The Prisoner were on TV and The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
I live with she who is known colloquially as “Mrs P (short for Mrs Peril). This is the agreed method to reference her online. I have a son who is 29 and three grandchildren. Twin granddaughters who are 6 and a grandson who is 6 months old. I used to be a IT consultant for small businesses but gave up full time work in 2016 to look after my ageing and disabled parents. My Father passed away last September at the age of 91. My Mother is 90 and now the focus of care. I am currently 53. Mrs P’s age is not for public disclosure. She took early retirement from work. We have a bungalow in South East London in what can be described as a “leafy suburb”. Walter lives with us.
Walter
As far as hobbies and interests, I like writing, reading, films, walking for pleasure and exercise. I’m not really interested in sport although I’m not hostile to it. It serves a purpose. I can swim, draw and paint competently. I used to sing and was in several choirs as a child. And then it all stopped and I can’t remember exactly why. I cannot play any musical instruments but I have a great passion for the craft of making music. I find it frustrating that I don’t know the correct terms when trying to write about music. I love words, logical arguments and critical thinking. I eschew ill conceived points of view, emotive debating and the overall infantilization of public discourse. It boils my piss that people will get up in arms about Geronimo the Alpaca but don’t seem disposed towards protesting against child poverty in the UK. Oh and binary, tribal politics is a constant source of irritation.
Here are a few more random facts. Mrs P and I don’t have pets due to health issues. In the past we’ve had dogs and cats. I am currently on a diet and need to shed about 18lbs. I’m trying to get down to 168lbs. I like good food and wine as well as good company. The latter is in short supply at present. I am not a practising Christian, although I grew up in the seventies when the UK was still very much culturally disposed towards that faith. Humour is extremely important to me and I consider it to be a kind of societal safety valve. I am not an extrovert although I can be social, even gregarious when I choose to be. I don’t like small talk and don’t tend to suffer fools gladly. Does anyone? However, politeness is hardwired into my social programming.
I enjoy church architecture
Finally, here is an anecdote from my childhood for your consideration. Around the age of five or six, I was compelled to appear in a school play. You didn’t have a choice in such matters. If you expressed dissent you were beaten (Yay, the seventies). The play was Snow White and I was assigned the role of The Huntsman who lets Snow White go. Dressed in a green felt ersatz Robin Hood outfit, I delivered my lines with all the disinterest of a school careers advisor. I then remember the audience laughing in that patronising “oh isn’t he adorable” parental fashion. Apparently I turned and scowled at all the assembled adults in a manner that my Father subsequently described as saturnine. The reason I mention this is because if I ever commit murder, I shall base my entire legal defence upon this traumatic experience. That and the fact I never got a model train set as a child.
Deciding the Scope of Your Blog
One of the most helpful pieces of advice you can give someone who is just about to take up blogging for the first time is “write about what you know”. Expressing opinions and views on subjects that you’re familiar with or especially knowledgeable enables you to write with confidence. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a more complicated proposition, unless you're writing to specifically document your learning experience. Which is why most of the people that I know who maintain a blog tend to write about the games they’re currently playing. Sometimes if someone is especially enamoured with a particular title, that single video game will be the sole focus of their blog. I did this in 2008 with Misadventures in LOTRO which catalogued my experiences playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It was a fun starting point and being focused on a single subject, kept me engaged with my writing.
One of the most helpful pieces of advice you can give someone who is just about to take up blogging for the first time is “write about what you know”. Expressing opinions and views on subjects that you’re familiar with or especially knowledgeable enables you to write with confidence. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a more complicated proposition, unless you're writing to specifically document your learning experience. Which is why most of the people that I know who maintain a blog tend to write about the games they’re currently playing. Sometimes if someone is especially enamoured with a particular title, that single video game will be the sole focus of their blog. I did this in 2008 with Misadventures in LOTRO which catalogued my experiences playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It was a fun starting point and being focused on a single subject, kept me engaged with my writing.
However, there is an obvious downside to putting all your eggs in one basket, especially with regard to video games. What happens when you tire of the very subject that is integral to your blog or you just want to write about something else? This can be particularly troubling if you have found a niche for yourself and have built an audience through your writing. Will they stay if you diversify your writing? One possible solution is to set up a separate blog but that requires a great deal of discipline as you now have double the work, effectively having to produce and promote content for two sites. When I found myself in this situation I decided to broaden my blog’s remit and cover a wider spectrum of games. However, I didn’t feel that my existing blog could accommodate subjects such as films, TV, books etc so I set up a second site. As time progressed and I became more confident with my writing, I saw the sense in posting all my material on a single site. I wish in some respects I’d done this initially but sometimes you have to learn through experience.
You may wish to blog exclusively about Etruscan pottery
Therefore, my advice to anyone setting up a new blog is to keep the scope of your writing as broad as possible unless you have very specific goals associated with a single subject or are targeting a specific niche. At first glance a food blog or fitness blog may seem like subjects with clear lines of demarcation but that is actually not the case. A food blog can explore cooking, recipes, ingredients, world cuisine and much more. Writing about fitness allows the writer to discuss not only exercise but associated products, the social aspect of keeping yourself in shape and wider topics such as diet and general wellbeing. It’s the same if you blog about travel, sport, fashion and lifestyle. There is plenty of wiggle room in those subjects, affording the writer the opportunity to vary their content and hopefully prevent them from getting bored or burned out.
If you do maintain a “variety blog”, you can segregate content if you prefer, allowing your readers to focus on the material they like best. This is not an issue as many blog templates support such a magazine approach. Writing on a multitude of subjects is also beneficial for developing your overall writing skills. How you write about your experiences in a particular game is not the same as writing a book or film review. Running a varied blog means you can write think pieces, essays, reviews, streams of consciousness and other types of posts. All of which can help with refining your writing technique. The other benefit of writing about multiple subjects is that it adds depth to your writing persona and the way you as a writer are perceived. If you intend to write professionally, a blog with a spectrum of different content can be an important part of your portfolio.
Contains Moderate Peril circa July/June 2015
Some bloggers will cogently argue that blogging about a very specific subject or occupying a clearly defined niche is a lot easier to monetise. It also makes search engine optimisation a lot easier. However, I suspect that neither of these two points are necessarily driving factors for the new blogger who is just starting out. Most bloggers just want to come up with a snappy title for their new blog and to try and find a writing schedule that they can manage and that they’re comfortable with. I therefore cautiously suggest that establishing a fairly broad remit of things to write about will certainly be helpful in discovering the latter. It should also help keep so-called “writers block” at bay. However, choice is not always a good thing and some bloggers prefer to have the focus of a single subject blog. As ever there is no “one size fits all” solution. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what the scope of your blog is to be, so pick what works for you the best.
Should You Monetise Your Blog?
If you search online for advice on “how to monetise your blog” you’ll find a wealth of articles claiming to have all the answers. There’s a veritable cottage industry out there offering guidance and help on how to make money from your writing. Such posts range from proven business advice to utter bilge peddled by the worst sort of snake oil salesmen. Yet good or bad, there is a strong demand for this sort of information because blogging is still perceived by a lot of people as a means to make money. It would appear that the idea of setting up a blog, making a living off it and quitting your day job is still a common goal and the various “lockdowns” we’ve all experienced in the last 18 months have only boosted such perceptions. Some people have been successful with their home businesses in 2020, although I would argue that the market has been anomalous, to say the least.
If you search online for advice on “how to monetise your blog” you’ll find a wealth of articles claiming to have all the answers. There’s a veritable cottage industry out there offering guidance and help on how to make money from your writing. Such posts range from proven business advice to utter bilge peddled by the worst sort of snake oil salesmen. Yet good or bad, there is a strong demand for this sort of information because blogging is still perceived by a lot of people as a means to make money. It would appear that the idea of setting up a blog, making a living off it and quitting your day job is still a common goal and the various “lockdowns” we’ve all experienced in the last 18 months have only boosted such perceptions. Some people have been successful with their home businesses in 2020, although I would argue that the market has been anomalous, to say the least.
I have maintained a writing presence online since 2007 and despite growing a modest audience have never made a red cent from my blog (although I have been paid for my writing elsewhere). In fact Contains Moderate Peril, The Gaming Blog Nexus and sundry podcasts such as Burton and Scrooge always have been and remain to date a financial black hole. I’ve written in the past about the financial realities of running a blog or similar online platform as the costs do add up over time. In purely notional terms, I would welcome a means to recoup my operating costs. Unfortunately, I have not found a method to do this that I find acceptable. However, as the purpose of the blog post is to address this very question, let’s indulge in some critical thinking and see if we can come up with some valid ideas regarding how to monetise your blog.
Is there value in your content? This is a complex question. It requires a degree of introspection and self scrutiny which might make you uncomfortable. However, value is a very open ended term and people find merit in all sorts of things. If you’re writing gaming guides or collating data from public test servers for a popular game, then you may well have a very clear market. Providing commentary on a popular topic or making yourself the “go to” news source for something specific also can make your writing of value. Sometimes it may come down to whether your readers like the “cut of your jib”. Also it’s not just about what others think about your writing. Your own opinion is important. If you are confident that your body of work is marketable then why not try and monetise it. Other aspects that may well have a bearing on this matter are your writing schedule, how unique your work is and how much content you are offering.
Optimising your writing for monetisation. If you’re looking to make your writing commercially viable, then you need to decide who you’re writing for. If you are looking to cover popular trends and the latest talking points then that is a distinctly reactive process. You may also have to consider “optimising” your writing to fit the broadest of demographics. Things such as your personal opinion and taste may well have to be sidelined as you go where the audience currently is. All of which are perfectly acceptable things to do. You are still providing a service, just one that is driven by the needs of your readers as opposed to your own likes and dislikes. There may well be occasions when those two positions overlap. The reverse of this is writing purely for yourself, which can be immensely preferable from a personal perspective but comes with the caveat that your readers may not always share your passion. However, writing for yourself may benefit if you have a strong writing persona.
How to monetise your writing.
The most obvious is advertising although the rise of ad blockers has had a real impact upon this option.
Affiliate marketing is another longstanding solution, although you need to make a lot of referrals to third party websites and hope those referrals make a purchase.
Influencer marketing can be lucrative but you need to reach a critical mass of followers before that becomes viable, so it’s certainly not an option with a quick ROI.
Creating an eBook is another option. This may suit writers who write reviews or write longform essays.
Offering premium content behind a paywall can work well for those who write prodigiously and have an established audience.
Sponsored content doesn’t necessarily mean selling your soul to the Devil, as long as you hold such material to the same editorial standards of your other content.
Patreon and other subscription services can generate revenue but again requires you to write specific additional content for paying customers.
Blog to promote another primary business. This is a very particular business approach but it can prove beneficial. This approach works best if you offer some sort of online service.
Offer bespoke writing services. Again this is more of an option for an established writer.
Have an online “tip jar”. Possibly the most benign and optimistic way to try and monetise your writing.
Out of the ten options listed I only feel that three are applicable to myself, if I decided to try and monetise my writing. I have considered in the past expanding some of my film reviews and creating an eBook. It certainly seems like a logical progression. I have also previously considered using Patreon, specifically when I was producing a regular podcast. The editing process makes producing two versions of a weekly show quite straightforward and in principle it seems like an easy idea to market. I also like the concept of a “tip jar” as I’ve been surprised by readers' generosity in the past. In 2014 when Contains Moderate Peril exceeded the bandwidth restrictions of its then hosting package, I was taken aback by how many people offered to help with the cost of migrating to a more expensive, yet viable solution. The other options mentioned above just don’t seem to fit my needs. Ultimately asking your readers for money is a big ask and you’ve got to feel right about it. That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t done it so far. However times can change.
Your Writing Persona
People bookmark sites and regularly visit blogs for a multitude of reasons. If you’re writing guides for a specific game then you may well gain traction within the appropriate community. Writing reviews or providing commentary on pop culture issues can also attract a growing audience. Some bloggers find themselves simply at the right place at the right time with regard to their writing activities and then later find they’re the “go to” site on a given subject. Never underestimate the importance of diligence and hard work. Writing regularly, interacting with others and building up a back catalogue of material does yield results. There is an element of truth in the old adage that if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it will eventually stick. But content is not necessarily the only defining factor of a blog’s popularity or success. There is the matter of the writer’s persona.
People bookmark sites and regularly visit blogs for a multitude of reasons. If you’re writing guides for a specific game then you may well gain traction within the appropriate community. Writing reviews or providing commentary on pop culture issues can also attract a growing audience. Some bloggers find themselves simply at the right place at the right time with regard to their writing activities and then later find they’re the “go to” site on a given subject. Never underestimate the importance of diligence and hard work. Writing regularly, interacting with others and building up a back catalogue of material does yield results. There is an element of truth in the old adage that if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it will eventually stick. But content is not necessarily the only defining factor of a blog’s popularity or success. There is the matter of the writer’s persona.
Unless you deliberately seek to make your writing as anodyne as possible, aspects of your personality will bleed through into your blog posts. It may be your sense of humour, your boundless passion or a fleeting admission of something personal that resonates with others. Some bloggers go a stage further and actively seek to create a deliberate persona through their content. Either way, it can be an important facet of blogging and integral to building a rapport with your readership. There are several bloggers who I admire and respect who frequently cover subjects or write about matters that I am not immediately interested in. However, it is their written style, personality or blogging philosophy that keeps me engaged and reading their content, even if it is about crop rotation in the 14th century. I just enjoy their turn of phrase, acerbic wit or just down to earth outlook upon life.
A writer’s persona may be obvious or it can be enigmatic. Some specific or non-specific aspect of their prose that resonates with the readers. It also doesn’t have to be something positive. I’ve followed some particular bloggers in the past just to see what outrageous nonsense they’d be pontificating today. Being controversial does sell although I’d argue it paints you into a corner and does make you a bit of a one trick pony. So perhaps this option is one to avoid. But whether you seek to cultivate a persona or not, readers do latch on to the tiniest of things and they will endeavour to humanise you. It is in our nature as a species to try and find similarities and common ground with those we encounter in real life, so it really is no surprise that we do the same online. Hence a passing reference to your cat, dog or children suddenly provides a psychosocial bridge and a window into your own humanity. Next thing you know you’ve gained regular readers.
People are nosey. I am. One of the many reasons I enjoy my online social relationships and reading blogs from all over the world is that they provide such a wonderful window into other people’s lives and personal experiences. These things are often paradoxically the same but at the same time different. I thought I had a good handle on what life in America was like but when I started doing a weekly podcast with my good friend Brian, it proved to be a fascinating insight into the cultural differences between the UK and US. This is why I like blogs that have a broad remit and will at times cover wider subjects. I love reading about how someone went on a hike, spent the day at a Renaissance Fayre or is undertaking some major home improvements. I find all these things relatable and the moment that happens I find reading their blogs far more intimate and friendly. It ceases to be just a post but becomes more of a conversation or catching up with a friend and having a coffee.
As to my own blogging persona, it isn’t really that different from the one I present to the world in day to day life. I speak pretty much the same as I write. I like words and am happy to use them. I use humour as a tool to navigate the choppy waters of social interaction and the discussion of those controversial cultural talking points. I will be profane if I think it’s relevant or necessary. Someone once described the Contains Moderate Peril podcast as two grumpy old men, sitting in far side chairs, wearing smoking jackets while they give vent to their loquacity through extraneous bombastic circumlocution. Whether that was the case or not (okay it was) they kept listening. I think a better example of a natural writing persona is that of Justin Olivetti AKA Syp who writes for Massively Overpowered and has his own blog BioBreak. He has an easy going, measured style but that does not mean it’s lacking in substance. He is generous, thoughtful and seldom gets annoyed. He’s kind of like the James Stewart of video game blogging.
Your writing is an extension of you. You have a personality. Therefore your blogging will have one to a degree. However, that is not to say that it is something to fret or fuss over. You may want to write solely about Etruscan pottery and keep purely to the topic in hand, ensuring that any details of your personal life are kept out of your content. That is fine. Be an enigma, although that in itself is a distinct persona. But whatever way in which you express yourself will still have an impact upon your readers. Hence you will develop a perceived writing persona regardless of what you do. However, unless you are deliberately spreading unrest, or actively trolling a community then I don’t think this is anything to be feared. Be genuine in your writing and that is what your readers will see. And think yourself lucky that you’re not a live streamer as your online persona has a far greater bearing in that particular medium.
Blogrolls
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
After writing online for over a decade, I consider blogrolls to be both an asset and a social minefield. In principle they provide a list of online resources that others can use for reference. In fact if you find a site with a comprehensive blogroll it can become a major asset with regard to keeping abreast of others writing. However they can also have some less desirable consequences. Some people see them as a popularity contest or a self indulgent backslapping exercise. There is also a strange sort of internet etiquette associated with them. Sometimes bloggers feel snubbed if they find that their site is absent from their peers' blogroll. If someone adds your site to their blogroll are you obliged to reciprocate? It may sound all very inconsequential but you’d be surprised at the little things that some people choose to get annoyed over.
When I moved Contains Moderate Peril from a hosted WordPress site over to Squarespace, I decided to review whether I should maintain a blogroll. Due to the template I chose and its lack of a sidebar, the matter pretty much resolved itself. I could set up a separate page with a list of blogs but it lacks the convenience of having it on the site homepage. Back in early 2012 I set up The Gaming Blog Nexus, as a more practical means to aggregate blog content and keep track of the latest post published. It proved to be a popular website and successful resource but like so many online projects, it was subject to increasing operational costs. After two and a half years I decided to close the site, which at the time listed over one hundred and twenty gaming related blogs. Although I do not regret my decision, as I do not have unlimited funding for my online projects, I do miss its practical benefits.
If you’ve decided that you wish to maintain a blogroll on your website, here are a few tips for your consideration. If possible present your blogroll in order of new posts or alphabetical site names. If your blogroll is simply a list of hyperlinks then the latter is possibly the best option. Fancier addons or plugins may offer more complex ways to tabulate and collate the blogs listed on your roll. Decide in advance what your policy is to be with regard to which blogs you add to your roll. If you choose a quid pro quo approach then stick to it. If you decide to be more particular, bear in mind that some people may question your policy. Also remove sites from your roll that have become inactive or you know are “dead”. A year is a fair benchmark. If you do these things and manage your blogroll well, you may see a spike in your website traffic. Just bear in mind it may be due to the well maintained resource that you’ve curated, rather than the quality of your prose.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 14
By the time that August rolls around this year, I will have been actively blogging and generally sharing my writing online for 14 years. Prior to that, back in the eighties, I was involved in the production of several fanzines. That was indeed a labour of love and although I was happy to write the content, the work involved in physically creating the actual pages was tough. The printing costs were also an early lesson in how writing is not an immediate path to fame and fortune. All things considered, writing has been a major aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. I used to enjoy writing stories as a child and then as I got older I discovered the pleasure of a well constructed essay. I was fortunate to have three very good English teachers during my time at school, who were passionate about their job and very encouraging.
By the time that August rolls around this year, I will have been actively blogging and generally sharing my writing online for 14 years. Prior to that, back in the eighties, I was involved in the production of several fanzines. That was indeed a labour of love and although I was happy to write the content, the work involved in physically creating the actual pages was tough. The printing costs were also an early lesson in how writing is not an immediate path to fame and fortune. All things considered, writing has been a major aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. I used to enjoy writing stories as a child and then as I got older I discovered the pleasure of a well constructed essay. I was fortunate to have three very good English teachers during my time at school, who were passionate about their job and very encouraging.
Since the New Year I have struggled not so much with writing but more with my motivation to write. I don’t have a shortage of ideas. As ever there’s plenty to talk about. However, there seems to be an ongoing decline in longform posts, providing criticism and analysis. You’ll still find them on commercial websites such as Kotaku but they’re not so prevalent among the blogging community. Some bloggers do still tackle the big subjects and the controversies that so often accompany them but in my experience, lengthy thoughtful posts seem to be falling out of favour. Furthermore, due to the cyclical nature of popular culture and the various leisure industries, all too often you find yourself repeating yourself as a writer or covering familiar ground. The things that I enjoy and love to write about have become as partisan as other parts of public discourse, which does rob them of their charm.
Hence, the current malaise I’ve experienced has had an impact upon my productivity. However my output has remained the same for the last six months. I usually write about 16 or so posts a month although I have recently started trying to maintain a daily schedule. However, since May I have noticed a noticeable drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Statistics are not my primary motivator when it comes to my writing but they do play a part. It is reassuring to know that posts are being read and that an audience does exist. However, after giving this matter some thought, I think the drop in traffic is due to people returning to their formal places of work and rather than losing pageviews, the numbers are simply returning to pre COVID-19 levels. So in the last week or so I’ve felt more positive about writing. I have especially enjoyed a couple of posts that I’ve written that just seem to pour out of me without any problems.
Today the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging was formally announced. I shall compose a more comprehensive blog post “bigging up” this enjoyable community activity in the next few days. However, it has already had a positive effect as new members have signed up to the event and also joined the Discord server. Meeting new writers and sharing ideas is a major shot in the arm and provides a lot of encouragement and motivation for all concerned. It is important to encourage more people to write and express themselves as it is an invaluable life skill. Plus there is a natural attrition that happens within the blogging community. Writing is a commitment that takes time and effort and real life often competes with both of those things. Hopefully this year’s Festival of Blogging will be well attended and received, drawing attention to the merits of writing, ensuring that our community continues to survive.
Write Now, Edit Later
"Don't get it right, just get it written". James Thurber. This is a quote that is often bandied about with regard to creative writing. I was watching a documentary last night about a guy trying to find financing for an independent film he was making and a variation of this philosophical statement came up. I suppose that the reason it is so commonplace is because it is true. All writers at some point find themselves procrastinating to a greater or lesser degree. While writing this simple blog post, I’ve been distracted by incoming email and a message notification from my phone. Sometimes I will draw the curtains in my office so I don’t end up aimlessly staring out of the window at life’s rich pageant or the bird on Mrs Coletart’s roof. Because I am an organised person and like to plan, sometimes I focus too much upon the detail of my writing, rather than just getting the raw ideas down. Hence even the most simplistic of blog posts can at times take an hour or more to get written.
"Don't get it right, just get it written". James Thurber. This is a quote that is often bandied about with regard to creative writing. I was watching a documentary last night about a guy trying to find financing for an independent film he was making and a variation of this philosophical statement came up. I suppose that the reason it is so commonplace is because it is true. All writers at some point find themselves procrastinating to a greater or lesser degree. While writing this simple blog post, I’ve been distracted by incoming email and a message notification from my phone. Sometimes I will draw the curtains in my office so I don’t end up aimlessly staring out of the window at life’s rich pageant or the bird on Mrs Coletart’s roof. Because I am an organised person and like to plan, sometimes I focus too much upon the detail of my writing, rather than just getting the raw ideas down. Hence even the most simplistic of blog posts can at times take an hour or more to get written.
One of the first things I learned when writing is not to correct your work as you go along. If you do, you end up obsessively re-writing the same sentence over and over again. It is very inefficient and far less enjoyable. Hence "don't get it right, just get it written" is such good advice. Especially so if your writing style is more of a stream of consciousness. I tend to favour bullet points when creating a post. These can be used for ideas or an argument and then counter argument. Later, they can then be developed into paragraphs or combined to make wider points. I also create a lot of draft documents. If an idea comes to me then I open a new document in Google Drive, give it an obvious title and then add a few points that are relevant or simply write the original thought(s) that came to me. This way, good ideas have a better chance of coming to fruition and becoming fully formed blog posts.
A dilemma I often wrestle with is exactly how much to write on any given subject. There are different schools of thought on this and it very much depends who you are writing for. Commercial writing is usually far more targeted and specific. Hence brevity and the use of easy to understand language is important. I prefer a more substantive approach and enjoy using my vocabulary, creating metaphors and making obscure pop culture references. I like my arguments to be clear and backed up with supporting data. However, there’s longform writing and then there’s just being verbose and I worry that I drift too often into the latter. Thankfully, this is why we edit and as a writer one has to be ready to make hard choices with regard to what stays in the final version of your post and what gets cut out. I am currently trying to hone my editing skills, to be more ruthless and produce more succinct posts.
With all this in mind, I am going to do some experimentation with my writing over the next few months, to see if I can produce shorter posts and to also try and speed up my writing process. But it can be hard to break yourself of certain habits. For example I have an odd attitude towards writing three paragraphs or less in a post. I feel that it is too insubstantial and even lazy. Yet other bloggers I know produce concise and on point material and I don’t think the same of them. So I’m going to try to do things differently. This has the added benefit of making the actual process of writing a little more interesting and adding a sense of variety. Because writing like any other task, takes focus and discipline and at times can be a chore. Trying to transfer the thought, idea or point that is abundantly clear in your mind, onto the virtual page is not as easy as it sounds. But that is also part of the fun. It also brings me back to the James Thurber quote. "Don't get it right, just get it written". Make this your mantra.
Building Communities
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was intended to offer both convenience and choice to listeners. It was also supposed to foster and promote a collaborative ethos among the blogging community that had spawned it. As well as the individual shows, TGEN also produced its own quarterly round table podcast with a panel made up of members of each show. It was at times a little chaotic but the discussions were always fun due to the diverse spectrum of participants. Overall my memories of my involvement with the show are positive. Simply put they were good times. However, real life often trumps one’s aspirations. After three years, some of the podcasts started to fall into decline or stop altogether. Braxwolf, like so many of us, struggled to find the time to maintain the site while juggling work and family life. Inevitably TGEN finally closed and folk moved on. Not everyone though. Belghast and Scormus still regularly produce podcasts and Battle Bards is still a fixture of the community.
Setting aside the nostalgia, I guess what I really wanted to do was reference an example of collaboration between individuals from a shared community and highlight that such projects can be a success as well as a great deal of fun. I’ve been blogging for one and a half decades now and I was most fortunate to start at a time when blogs and podcasts were beginning to gain wider traction. From 2007 to about 2014 I was involved in such projects as The Newbie Blogger Initiative, the aforementioned The Gaming and Entertainment Network as well as the The Gaming Blog Nexus. All of which proved to be learning experiences and a great opportunity to meet and hangout with like minded people. Sadly, many have come and gone over the years but that is the nature of blogging. It has a very high rate of attrition. Some still soldier on, doggedly writing or producing shows. From time to time, someone long gone returns unexpectedly which is always a great surprise. Unfortunately, some members of the community have tragically passed away and left us too soon.
I really did enjoy the sense of belonging that came from the game blogging community back then. It’s still present today but it is a lot different because things change, especially myself. One can never recapture the events of the past but sometimes you can encourage others to try something, in the hope that they will also have a positive experience. I put a lot of stock in grass roots, community driven projects. So if you are a blogger, YouTuber or streamer and have a hankering to work collaboratively, build a community or simply just hangout with others, then don’t just think about it. Reach out to others and take the first steps. Doing is so much more rewarding than just endlessly planning. Even if things don’t work out at least you’ve tried and learned along the way. But there’s also a chance of creating something of value, finding new friends and making a lot of happy memories.
Nothing Further to Say?
Today, I was going to write a post about the controversy surrounding the video game Six Days in Fallujah. I read up on the relevant background material and then started making bullet points regarding my own personal opinion. While doing so I had a sense of deja vu, so I started looking back through previous posts I’ve written on comparable subjects. And my suspicions were confirmed. The basic points I wished to raise, I had previously explored in a post about “the trivialisation of World War II”. So I decided to abandon the planned post about Highwire Games new FPS, because I wasn’t really offering anything new to the debate, as far as I was concerned. Subsequent reflection upon this matter has led me to the inevitable conclusion that once you regularly write about certain subjects for a decade or so, you eventually reach a point where you don’t have a lot further to say because you’ve probably said it already. Well, I think that’s where I’m at.
This image has no “bearing” on the post
Today, I was going to write a post about the controversy surrounding the video game Six Days in Fallujah. I read up on the relevant background material and then started making bullet points regarding my own personal opinion. While doing so I had a sense of deja vu, so I started looking back through previous posts I’ve written on comparable subjects. And my suspicions were confirmed. The basic points I wished to raise, I had previously explored in a post about “the trivialisation of World War II”. So I decided to abandon the planned post about Highwire Games new FPS, because I wasn’t really offering anything new to the debate, as far as I was concerned. Subsequent reflection upon this matter has led me to the inevitable conclusion that once you regularly write about certain subjects for a decade or so, you eventually reach a point where you don’t have a lot further to say because you’ve probably said it already. Well, I think that’s where I’m at.
I am fully aware that not all of those who read Contains Moderate Peril and au fait with my previous posts. In fact, my website statistics show that a lot of readers are passing traffic that found the site due to a Google search. Hence it would be arrogant to assume that readers by default are familiar with my positions on various subjects and talking points. However, a percentage of my readership have followed my work for a while, in the same way that I have followed theirs. They leave comments both here and on social media. And I wonder if they’ve noticed my penchant for repetition? I do find that my film reviews often follow a pattern. I frequently complain about weak screenplays, underdeveloped stories and characters. It does make me think, do I need to broaden my thoughts or have I effectively reached a point of “nothing further to say” on certain subjects?
Zippy is a popular character from the UK children’s TV show Rainbow
I wrote recently about the cyclical nature of the video games industry and despite certain technical advances, many of the problems from gaming twenty years ago are still with us today. I am beginning to think that this is the same for many other aspects of day to day life. Be it pop culture or politics. The pace of technological change shows no sign of slowing down but many traditional problems, usually those associated with human behaviour, remain conspicuously unchanged. Hence I still find myself referencing recurring issues such as corporate shenanigans, bandwagon jumping, consumer culture and that perennial favourite of confusing fandom with some sort of ownership. And once you become aware that you are repeating yourself, it does become a bit tiresome both for writer and reader. I don’t mind having a particular style but I don’t want to end up a one trick pony, so to speak.
I like Sparks
So what can we conclude from this post which now seems like some written form of self therapy? Well I think I may have to just give some subjects a rest for a while. I am thankful that I made a choice back in 2008 to diversify my blog so that it covered more than just one game. I will still write about video games but I think I shall be far more particular from now on so I don’t just end up sounding like the old guy who sits, alone at the bar, banging on about the same old stuff. I think it’s also time to think outside the box and ensure that my film reviews are less formulaic. I shall also write more about real life stuff. For example, I had a hankering recently to write about property TV shows. I even have a post still sitting in the “drafts” folder about beds and the importance of a good night sleep. So don’t be surprised if some “weird shit” turns up in the next month or so. Oh, by the way. Does anyone else feel like this and that they’ve pretty much said their piece on a given subject over the years?
Thoughts on Blogging Part 13
I mentioned not so long ago the possibility of a website revamp. I was concerned that the general layout of the blog was not optimal and that readers couldn’t easily find old material. In the past I even went as far as to write a guide to navigating through Contains Moderate Peril and using the categories to find old posts. Well I got a few emails and Twitter DMs about this and it would appear that folk like things just as they are. So I have reviewed my position and decided to leave things as they are at present. I did a little digging though my website stats, both from Squarespace and Google Analytics and it would appear the summary blocks at the bottom of each post are used and that the bounce rate for my site is not exactly as it first appears. Seems that readers do peruse other articles and the search facility is being used more often, especially for finding film reviews. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I mentioned not so long ago the possibility of a website revamp. I was concerned that the general layout of the blog was not optimal and that readers couldn’t easily find old material. In the past I even went as far as to write a guide to navigating through Contains Moderate Peril and using the categories to find old posts. Well I got a few emails and Twitter DMs about this and it would appear that folk like things just as they are. So I have reviewed my position and decided to leave things as they are at present. I did a little digging though my website stats, both from Squarespace and Google Analytics and it would appear the summary blocks at the bottom of each post are used and that the bounce rate for my site is not exactly as it first appears. Seems that readers do peruse other articles and the search facility is being used more often, especially for finding film reviews. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
However, although I no longer have to immediately worry about overhauling my website, I do currently have an issue with productivity. I used to write a blog post everyday but that hasn’t been a regular fixture for six months or more. It’s not that I have a lack of ideas or material. On the contrary, I’ve pages of notes on films that I’ve watched recently that can easily be used for a review. I also have numerous lists of bullet points and prompts for blog posts on gaming and a wide range of other subjects. The main issue at present seems to be a question of motivation and actual physical stamina. The latter is a matter under current medical investigation which I may write about shortly. The issue of motivation is a perennial problem for bloggers. For me, it comes down to a mixture of discipline and routine. I do my best writing in the morning and free from disturbance. Effectively I need to get up and write straight away and sadly I haven’t been doing this.
As previously mentioned, I’ve been using the statistical analysis of traffic to Contains Moderate Peril and have been trying to find out exactly what data it can yield. Squarespace has a default analytical package that produces some interesting information but Google Analytics proves to be the more detailed of the two. Despite now only posting every other day, traffic to the site is growing at present. Popular UK TV station Talking Pictures TV, which broadcasts a lot of vintage, classic and niche market film content, has inadvertently caused an increase in visits to my blog. Many of the films that they show, I have existing reviews for. Viewers are perusing Google, searching about these titles and finding my work. All of which indicates how review posts can have shelf life beyond their immediate publication. Hence an increase in review posts may well prove beneficial in generating further traffic and growing the overall site audience.
Redesigning Contains Moderate Peril
I moved Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace from a hosted WordPress service in August 2015. The main selling points of a platform such as Squarespace are its resilient infrastructure and simplicity to use. Over the last five and a half years there has been no downtime, no software to update, no addons and plugins to manage and no additional charges due to traffic increase. Overall I like the service and therefore do not feel the need to change it. However, I think the site could do with a cosmetic overhaul. At present posts tend to look better on mobile devices than they do on PC. I also think the blog needs some additional functionality added that allows older content to be found more easily. However, I do not want the cosmetic changes to overshadow the content. The design needs to be clean, intuitive and functional. The focus of any blog should always be the writing.
I moved Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace from a hosted WordPress service in August 2015. The main selling points of a platform such as Squarespace are its resilient infrastructure and simplicity to use. Over the last five and a half years there has been no downtime, no software to update, no addons and plugins to manage and no additional charges due to traffic increase. Overall I like the service and therefore do not feel the need to change it. However, I think the site could do with a cosmetic overhaul. At present posts tend to look better on mobile devices than they do on PC. I also think the blog needs some additional functionality added that allows older content to be found more easily. However, I do not want the cosmetic changes to overshadow the content. The design needs to be clean, intuitive and functional. The focus of any blog should always be the writing.
I have collated a list of simple visual changes as well as some additional functionality that I wish to see added to Contains Moderate Peril. At present searching the site is a little rudimentary. As a blogger I not only want people to read my current content but to peruse older material. Therefore readers should be offered a selection of related material at the end of a post The system that is currently in place is somewhat basic. Images are important when writings about films or video games and so I want to be able to present pictures in a more versatile fashion than the current format. I would also like to be able to segregate content and be able to present exclusive material for subscribers. Finally, I want a greater degree of social media features. I need to make it easier for readers to leave comments and share posts. I’m also considering unified branding which raises the issue of a new logo.
In the past I have used Fiverr for minor design projects and voiceover recordings. Sadly, my last experience using this service was not a good one and the commissioned work was left incomplete. Hence for this forthcoming redesign, I will be employing a Squarespace specialist to undertake these changes. I have a sensible budget to work with and a short list of suitable candidates. Hopefully these proposed changes can be implemented by May. I have some ideas for some further projects but I think it’s best to focus on this redesign first. As ever with my life, there’s quite a lot going on at present, so I need to concentrate on writing and ensuring that new content is posted as often as possible. In the meantime, if there are any features or functionality that you’d like to see added to Contains Moderate Peril, then please leave a comment.
Blog Comments
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
As it’s the New Year, I decided that as I read my Feedly RSS feed each morning, it would be “chummy” to leave comments and to try and reinforce that sense of community that only seems to come to the fore during writing events. Hence this morning, I left a few positive words on one website and everything worked just fine. I believe I logged in using my Twitter credentials. However, when I tried to do the same thing again on another blog, I couldn’t login and post anything. The process ground to a halt during the validation stage and after about two minutes, I got bored and moved on. It’s not the author of the blog’s fault. This just seems to be a random issue associated with some platforms. Even if you opt for a different method of logging in, such as Google or Facebook, the problem can often persist. And then if you wait for 24 hours it will work fine the next day.
This also happens on my Blog. As a host, Squarespace provide some useful functionality but this really isn’t the case with comments and “likes”. I will sometimes notice that a post has been “liked” several times but have absolutely no idea by whom. Which kind of makes the process somewhat redundant. Some folk have found leaving comments “problematic”, although I can never determine whether there’s a common factor to this. Thus, this is the current status quo. I am trying to leave more comments, something I’m usually really bad at doing but the circumstances are conspiring against me. I could leave a similar comment on the Blaugust Discord server, assuming that the author is active on that server and will see it. Not the best solution but the best I can come up with at the moment. Certainly want to maintain the positive feedback ethic, as I feel it’s needed at present.
This Year's Plan
This is a public service announcement. Don’t waste your time with traditional, grandiose, pie in the sky New Year resolutions. The key to success is to set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Further incentivise them by including some sort of reward upon their completion. If involving a third party makes it more likely that you’ll achieve these endeavours then do so. Don’t waste your own time and sell yourself short by chasing things you know are patently unrealistic. Pursue things that are beneficial or even pragmatic. Also, ignore others who publicly set prestigious goals. You know the “type”. Those tedious over achievers who feel the need to compete on absolutely every level. Do not concern yourself when they hit their targets. It’s not about them. It’s about you. Life is relative. Focus on what you can do and then go about doing it. I’ve said this all before in previous New Year blog posts but sensible advice merits repeating.
A pop culture reference about plans
This is a public service announcement. Don’t waste your time with traditional, grandiose, pie in the sky New Year resolutions. The key to success is to set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Further incentivise them by including some sort of reward upon their completion. If involving a third party makes it more likely that you’ll achieve these endeavours then do so. Don’t waste your own time and sell yourself short by chasing things you know are patently unrealistic. Pursue things that are beneficial or even pragmatic. Also, ignore others who publicly set prestigious goals. You know the “type”. Those tedious over achievers who feel the need to compete on absolutely every level. Do not concern yourself when they hit their targets. It’s not about them. It’s about you. Life is relative. Focus on what you can do and then go about doing it. I’ve said this all before in previous New Year blog posts but sensible advice merits repeating.
I usually try to set myself some goals at this time of year. Sometimes I like to plan a new project. I tried live streaming last spring and discovered that it wasn’t for me. I would very much like to return to podcasting on a weekly basis. However, I’ve given a lot of thought to this and a few other potential projects and decided not to pursue any of them. This is due to several reasons. The pandemic isn’t going to vanish overnight and I believe that the restriction currently imposed where I live will continue. Hence I shall continue to be confined to my home and therefore must consider Mrs P and our shared environment. Mrs P is currently unwell and awaiting seeing her cardiac consultant. Her health and well being are a priority. And then there’s my current state of mind. I am tired and still processing a bereavement. I don’t feel that it’s wise to go all in on a project when I should be dealing with more immediate issues.
Tom Hanks collects typewriters
So upon mature reflection I’ve decided to do the following for the immediate future. Maintain a more organised daily routine, continue writing as often as I can and pursue a straightforward weight loss and health regime. I’m going to start going to bed earlier and consequently getting up at a fairly regular time. I think 7:00 AM should be manageable. My smart band gives me details on the quality of my sleep and it’s not that good. As soon as I’m awake I shall get cracking as I find I’m at my most productive in the morning. I shall also keep a basic “to do” list and ensure that tasks do not get deferred or overlooked. I may try and find some podcast to gatecrash and if there are any writing events in 2021 I shall participate in them. But I’m keeping my ambitions simple so that they can be maintained. My long term plan to adapt The Golden Voyage of Sinbad into a West End musical has been deferred for practical reasons.
A Year in Blogging
Despite the tumultuous events of the last twelve months and the accompanying emotional fallout that has followed in their wake, I’ve managed to keep writing throughout 2020. My output has been somewhat inconsistent this year and I’ve noticed some changes in what I write about. This is inevitable as one’s tastes and focus changes naturally change over time. I’m finding it tougher to write enthusiastically about the video games industry per se, as it has hardly covered itself in glory this year. However, I still enjoy writing film reviews although I haven’t set foot inside a cinema for over a year. I suspect that this will remain the case for much of 2021. My writing has broadened in its scope and I find myself writing social commentary about various aspects of life, rather than just posting articles about my hobbies. Sharing my thoughts on the pandemic itself and “caring for the elderly” has proven very cathartic. But as I’ve stated many times before, writing is one of the ways in which I make sense of the world around me.
Despite the tumultuous events of the last twelve months and the accompanying emotional fallout that has followed in their wake, I’ve managed to keep writing throughout 2020. My output has been somewhat inconsistent this year and I’ve noticed some changes in what I write about. This is inevitable as one’s tastes and focus changes naturally change over time. I’m finding it tougher to write enthusiastically about the video games industry per se, as it has hardly covered itself in glory this year. However, I still enjoy writing film reviews although I haven’t set foot inside a cinema for over a year. I suspect that this will remain the case for much of 2021. My writing has broadened in its scope and I find myself writing social commentary about various aspects of life, rather than just posting articles about my hobbies. Sharing my thoughts on the pandemic itself and “caring for the elderly” has proven very cathartic. But as I’ve stated many times before, writing is one of the ways in which I make sense of the world around me.
There were two writing events that I participated in this year, along with a wealth of other bloggers, live streamers and content creators. Blapril and Blaugust were both designed to encourage writing and other forms of online material as well as promote the work of all involved. Both events were well received, especially in light of the various national lockdowns, which afford all participants more leisure time than usual. The sense of community that these endeavours create, really does help sustain peoples engagement. I certainly produced more material during Blapril and Blaugust and this was mainly due to my interaction with others and the mutual enthusiasm that was generated. Sadly, the death of my father after a period of illness monopolised a lot of my time in late summer and the start of autumn and somewhat sapped my positivity. However, I found adopting a schedule of writing every alternate day, to be beneficial.
2020 confirmed something I’ve suspected for a while. That I get my best writing done in the early morning. For me that usually means between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM. I also find that maintaining a routine really helps. So I get up early, have a shower and make myself a drink and then sit in front of my PC from about 7:30 AM and start writing my thoughts. If I’m lacking ideas, then I check Feedly to see what others are writing about or whether any interesting talking points have emerged. Of course, life doesn’t always allow me to do this. Sometimes I’ll still be typing away after 22:00 out of necessity but I don’t consider that an optimal writing situation. Also, real life conspired against me and I was unable to record any podcasts this year. However, I’m not prepared to let this go so it is something that remains on my to do list for 2021. I may try and gatecrash someone else’s show as a preliminary plan.
It’s been four years since I migrated Contains Moderate Peril over to Squarespace. In many ways this was a complete reset for the website as I couldn’t import all my old posts. So I recycled a lot of the movie reviews as well as long form essays and started from scratch with my gaming commentary. Overall I feel this was a wise decision. I never have to worry about server capacity which was an issue with previous hosting plans. Web traffic continues to grow yearly and having a back catalogue of content is beginning to pay off. There have been several spikes in traffic recently. Talking Pictures TV, a retro UK TV station, shows a lot of “classic films”, many of which I have already written about. Viewers searching Google subsequently find my reviews. It’s the little things like this, along with the robust sense of community that still prevails, that helps keep me writing. My only plan with regard to next year, is to continue doing so.
Essential Technology
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Telwyn wrote “the PC is one of my main sources of entertainment” and that is the same for me as well. When I wake up in the morning, I meander into “the office” and fire up my PC before ambling off to the bathroom to get washed and dressed. I then go to the kitchen and make breakfast for myself and Mrs P and return to my desk where I busy myself catching up with Twitter, Feedly and the Blaugust Discord server. I do all my research and writing at my PC. Administrative tasks such as banking and prescription renewals are all done online and via my PC. If Mrs P wants to watch something different to me, I use my PC as a second TV. And naturally I am a member of the PC “master race” when it comes to gaming. As I said in a previous post, I find sitting at my desk, in front of my PC to be one of the most comfortable and relaxed environments that I know. On the few occasions that my PC has been offline due to technical issues, I wander the bungalow like a lost soul.
Another piece of modern technology that has become essential in my life is the smartphone. I know that this is not a particularly imaginative or original example but the fact remains that this device has had a seismic impact upon our lives and culture in just 13 years. Mobile phones per se have existed for considerably longer but it was the smartphone, with its wider range of functionality, which brought the internet to our pockets. And I use my smartphone in a similar fashion to my desktop PC. I won’t bore you with the multitude of tasks I use it for but I love how I can be out and about somewhere new with Mrs P and within minutes determine where’s there’s parking, a nice restaurant and what the local property prices are like (co’s we’re seriously considering moving soon). The modern smartphone offers communication, information and a wealth of services at your fingertips. I’ve also never been an especially accomplished photographer. But now I can produce at least one decent photo per day trip, thanks to my phone. I just hate it when people call me on it.
Finally, I need to mention dishwashers. I’m not sure if they’re considered standard “white goods” in the UK yet. A quick Google search shows that as of 2018, only 48% of homes have them, so may be not. I’ve been using a dishwasher for about a decade now and I consider them invaluable. For me one of the seven circles of hell is a hot kitchen with a small sink, filled with tepid, greasy water, trying to scrub a roasting pan with a worn plastic brush with splayed bristles. I hate washing up. It ruins your hands and I detest having to do manual labour after a heavy meal, when I should be relaxing in a fireside chair enjoying a large glass of port. My parents have an “old person’s” house, by which I mean that everything in it actively conspires to hinder you. They do not have a dishwasher and it’s like going back to using dial-up internet, except that it involves the use of Brillo pads.
For reasons of brevity, I’ve kept this post to just three examples of what I consider to be indispensable technology. However, here are a few other “honourable mentions” that I think deserve to be referenced, due to the impact they’ve had upon the quality of life in general.
Sat Navs
Wireless Blood Sugar Monitors
Tamagotchi
View-Master
George Foreman Grill
The Lament Configuration
Video 2000
Teletext
PalmPilot
Computer Battleships
Fandom Memories
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
But as the question is about “core fandoms” I think I’ll reference a more contemporary example. One that I can recollect more clearly and so provide a more specific anecdote about. So I’d like to talk about my love of the horror genre and how as I got older, became a consummate fan. I’ve recently written about how during the 80s and 90s the UK home video market endured some rather restrictive regulations that lead to a lot of horror films being unavailable or heavily edited. Due to magazines such as Fangoria and Starburst, fans would be aware of both mainstream US and independent productions long before they were released in the UK. Hence we’d often become aware of those occasional titles that had already caused a stir “stateside” or in Europe and would therefore naturally run into distribution and censorship issues when it came to a British release. How could such films be shown in the UK? The answer was the “film festival”, which provided a limited or one off showcase, where the audience could be strictly regulated. Such events weren’t providing mainstream national distribution.
Now film festivals per se are always a great occasion for fans. I find that watching a cult classic with a like minded audience in a traditional movie theatre setting, rather than watching at home on your own, is a superior way to enjoy a film. I believe there is some truth to the “shared experience”. For example I feel the slapstick shenanigans of Charlie Chaplin work a lot better when viewed with a group. Bearing this in mind, on Saturday 24th February 1990, not only did I get the chance to indulge this theory by going to my first film festival but I was afforded the oppurtunity to see a controversial film that was heading into trouble. That film being Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. The Splatterfest 90 film festival was held at the Scala Cinema, in Kings Cross, London. The venue was a known private cinema that excelled at hosting such events, as well as regularly showing bizarre and baroque movies.
I remember quite clearly, the atmosphere in the cinema. The Scala was a sumptuous but somewhat dilapidated 1920s building, which lent itself well to its niche market purpose. Between films it was quite noisy with fans talking and constantly going to and fro to the lobby. But when Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer started the audience settled and fell silent. The film was a gruelling 83 minutes experience which left the audience shocked, uncomfortable yet utterly engaged with the proceedings. I subsequently learned that several examiners from the BBFC had attended the screening as an opportunity to “research” a movie they knew would be “problematic” when it eventually sought a formal UK theatrical release. There was a very interesting Q&A with director John McNaughton which shed a lot of insight into the film and its production.
There were several other movies shown that night making Splatterfest 90 a very enjoyable film festival. Brian Yuzna’s Bride of Re-Animator which is a great sequel to the original Re-Animator, was very well received. As was the excellent documentary Document of the Dead, which was made during the filming of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. However, one film did not go down particularly well. The Comic, a “psychological drama” about a stand up comedian who murders his way to success in a dystopian future, was met with derision, objects hurled at the screen and cries of “for fuck’s sake, turn this shit off”. Director Richard Driscoll was due to be interviewed after the screening but bid a hasty retreat after his film’s suboptimal reception. Overall Splatterfest 90 was a very good introduction to film festivals and was certainly a “grassroots” experience of fandom. I’ve been to many similar events since then but none have had quite the same impact or left such memories as this one.
Your Writing Environment (Again)
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
My desk as of August 2020
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
In 2016, having moved, I started using the spare bedroom in the Peril household as an office. I live in a Bungalow and the bedrooms are at the front property. This is a common foible of buildings of this type from the 1930s. It’s a robust, red brick built home with a South facing garden. Consequently, the “office” faces North and is cool in hot weather. The window looks out into a busy tree lined avenue. I wrote in a previous blog post on this subject about how my original plans were “thwarted” by the arrival of my twin granddaughters. At the time I had to share my “creative workspace” with two travel cots. Hence I initially chose a very small desk. However, the twins are now 5 years old and so the travel cots have gone. There is now a single bed in the room, which has a second pull out mattress in the base. I have now expanded “my domain” and got a bigger desk. One that is the right height and has adequate room for me to type or write longhand.
Ignore the cable management and focus on Pliny and Magnus
I like a tidy and organised work space. My desk is laid out in accordance with my needs.I have a single document tray for my paperwork. There’s a headset available for impromptu online chats. It is an analogue model that plugs into a 3.5mm jack. I have an extension cable that ends in a female socket to hand under the monitor stand. There’s an Xbox controller for those games that require one. I have my internet router under my monitor so I can address any issues, should they arise. This model has greatly improved the wireless network in the home but my PC is attached via an ethernet cable. I have my Fire HD 10 to hand and my phone in a wireless charging cradle. Notebooks and pens are available should they be required. I also have an HP printer, copier, scanner next to my desk. I’ve had the same computer chair for 4 years and have already replaced the gas cylinder. It is getting a little worn but I’m reluctant to part with it as it is very comfortable.
When writing I tend to prefer a quiet environment. If I shut the office door and Mrs P does the same in the lounge then neither disturbs the other. Sometimes if I find my attention wandering and I’m spending too much time watching the shenanigans of “punch above his weight man” who lives across the road, or some other example of life’s rich pageant, then I’ll draw the curtains. I’ve recently started getting up earlier in the morning and now try to do the majority of my writing before 11:00AM. Because I am very much at ease with myself when I’m at my desk and I feel it’s a place where I 100% belong, I’ll often get lost in my writing. On the days when the ideas come and I’m invested in the subject I’m writing about, I can be quite productive. Some days when I’m outraged by something I’ve seen on the news or online, my office is a haven of reason to retreat to. Having been self-employed in the past and regularly worked from home, I can effectively compartmentalise my time. If I’m supposed to be writing then there’s no skiving allowed. Gaming (which I do on the same PC) is allotted to specific times of the day and can only be indulged in when all other obligations have been met.
The beer on the desk is a semi-permanent fixture
I consider myself very fortunate to live in a home that has a spare room that I can use in this way. Shit, I think I’m fortunate to even have a home but that’s a subject for a separate blog post that I may tackle at a future date. Simply put I have a decent sized room in my home that I can appropriate and use simply to write, record podcasts (which I haven’t done for a while), play video games and watch pointless but amusing YouTube videos. One a month or so, my granddaughters come to stay for a night or two and I can’t use “the office” from 8:00 PM for about twelve hours. It’s hardly an inconvenience. Many of my fellow bloggers and content creators do not enjoy this luxury. Families, especially young children take up space. Therefore there may not physically be a room or area to claim for indulging your artistic muse. Or there may be a corner or snug but it needs to be cleared out or maintained before it can be used. Try doing that after pulling a 12 hour shift. And if you rent, then you may find there are restrictions in your leasing arrangement.
Often, the space we'd like to have for our creative endeavours and the one we actually use are not the same thing. However, despite the reality of the situation many bloggers, podcasters, streamers, vloggers and online creators manage to regularly produce good quality material without the benefit of a designated office or bespoke studio. They get by the best way they can and it could be argued that having to create on the fly, guerilla style, is why they create such good material. But I won’t belabor that point because I’m sure many would most certainly like a suitable “den”. I also should add that I’m lucky that Mrs P hasn’t seen fit to use “the office “ as her “sewing room”, “Kabaddi Dojo” or some such similar creative undertaking. If that were the case, I’d be back to writing via the lounge table, on a laptop. How would I be able to see the birds on Mrs Coltart’s roof?
Walter
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
Walter is a cuddly Panda soft toy or plushy as they call such things “across the pond”. He’s about 3 feet and has his own chair, which is positioned in the lounge, next to the TV. His origins are somewhat mysterious. Walter first appeared in my home roundabout Easter 2014. Mrs P saw him in a charity shop window for the bargain price of £3 and in a fit of generosity, bought him for £5. I woke up to find him looking at me and thus began a strange and interesting symbiotic relationship. I have often wondered about Walter’s previous life before he became part of the Peril household but he has remained uncommunicative about the subject. He likes to give the impression that his past is enigmatic but I suspect he was given his marching orders by his previous “owners” for taking up too much room. Walter doesn’t help out with household chores, preferring to “hold court” from his chair. He watches a lot of TV and has strong opinions on popular culture.
Now if you have a 3 foot cuddly Panda, knocking about your abode, it’s only a matter of time before you decide to take a photo of them in a comical situation or with some kind of droll caption. Hence Walter made his first appearance in a post I wrote about the perils of playing Mortal Kombat. NB This featured on a previous iteration of the Contains Moderate Peril website but the post was updated and republished here. Naturally, readers were curious about my new companion and he made further appearances both on the blog and Twitter. His dry sense of humour gained him a degree of traction with readers and followers alike and I started getting requests for him to feature more often. Hence I decided to try a small experiment and planned a series of tweets featuring Walter watching classic movies and TV and making informed pronouncements upon the proceeding. There are some very good online tools available for analysing social media traffic, so I created #WalterWatches as a means of tracking the experiment.
If I may quote Spandau Ballet, to cut a long story short Walter’s viewing commentary generated about four to five times more online activity than my regular tweets. Season 1 (for want of a better phrase) of #WalterWatches ran from March to May in 2019 and proved that if used properly, then social media can really “boost your signal”. Season 2 ran from January to February 2020 and stopped mainly due to the lockdown. Naturally, I have genuinely considered creating a separate Instagram and Twitter account for Walter. Mrs P even suggested making outfits for him (she’s a dab hand at sewing and dressmaking). However, all these ideas have withered on the vine. Walter’s popularity is due to him. I’m not sure if trying to crowbar his persona into promoting my work would be so well received. Plus making outfits, videos and setting up photos is time consuming and I struggle enough to write consistently. Plus now that Walter’s cousin Finwë has come to live with us, the pair of them are too busy and not especially fussed about becoming “influencers”.
There may well be a lesson to be learned in this tale, although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly. Certainly mascots are a great marketing tool but I suspect you have to have a clear idea of how to use them effectively to get the most out of them. And before I end this post I will share two further Walter related anecdotes. Firstly, Walter got his name because if you look at him from the right angle (and with the help of alcohol), he looks like the actor John Noble who played Walter Bishop in the TV show Fringe. Secondly, in late summer 2014, I was ill with Swine Flu. At one point I was running a very high temperature and beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. I awoke from a lengthy sleep to find a wet towel tied not around my own forehead but Walter’s. I’ve never quite got to the bottom of what happened and he’s never felt disposed to say anything. It’s just another of the many unanswered questions surrounding him. I’m still trying to figure out how come he’s got his own special chair and I haven’t?