A Year in Blogging
So far I have written 135 blog posts in 2022. Not much compared to previous years, but frankly I’ve become a little despondent with writing in recent months (I shall expand more upon that in a moment). Hence, since October I have been enjoying a break from regular blogging. I have written sparingly and pursued other leisure activities. Given that my post output has gone down, it would be logical to assume that there has been a commensurate drop in web traffic to Contains Moderate Peril, but this is not the case. Overall, my monthly statistics have remained the same, proving once again that most of my readership find my written content via Google searches, rather than reading new material on a daily basis. This has given me much food for thought and added to my ongoing reflection upon my writing activities.
So far I have written 135 blog posts in 2022. Not much compared to previous years, but frankly I’ve become a little despondent with writing in recent months (I shall expand more upon that in a moment). Hence, since October I have been enjoying a break from regular blogging. I have written sparingly and pursued other leisure activities. Given that my post output has gone down, it would be logical to assume that there has been a commensurate drop in web traffic to Contains Moderate Peril, but this is not the case. Overall, my monthly statistics have remained the same, proving once again that most of my readership find my written content via Google searches, rather than reading new material on a daily basis. This has given me much food for thought and added to my ongoing reflection upon my writing activities.
Bloggers write for different reasons and their motivations are equally diverse. I write primarily for myself but I see no shame in wanting others to read it too. Afterall, the medium is a form of communication and that process is a much more enjoyable experience if it is multilateral. It’s the same with podcasting. It all seems a waste of time if you script, record and edit a show and no one listens to it. So it may be unfashionable to say so but one of the reasons I have become fed up with blogging after 15 years is because I do feel at times that I’m just spitting in the wind. Am I talking about internet fame and fortune? No. As a wise man once said “Fame, it’s an empty purse. Count it, go broke. Eat it, go hungry. Seek it, go mad”. What I am referring to is building a healthy audience and contributing to a community. I used to feel that was the case about a decade ago. It just doesn’t quite feel that way anymore.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. I happily wrote continuously for a month during this year’s Blaugust event. Which sheds some insight into my personal psychology. I will happily fail to meet my own targets and goals, but when I make a commitment to a third party I cannot break it. It’s funny how I’m socially conditioned this way but that is another blog post entirely. Back to the matter in hand, I am currently considering a staged return to writing. This time of year makes it a lot easier because I can write a lot of pieces that are all variations of “a year in (insert subject matter here)”. I am also ruminating upon a new project. Something I can channel my energies into. Perhaps it is time to step outside of my normal comfort zone of writing and podcasting and do something different. We shall see. The New Year is fast approaching.
"I Feel I Need a Holiday"
According to Spock “change is the essential process of all existence”. I have certainly faced my share this year. The death of my mother in August after decades of declining health didn’t come as a shock, but was no less upsetting. In the immediate aftermath, I had to deal with the practicalities of arranging a funeral, engaging a solicitor to settle my mother’s estate and then determine whether I should return to full time employment or retire. After much deliberation, I chose the latter. Now that the most pressing needs have been addressed, I find myself coming to terms with my own grief, while considering my future. I am very tired, both physically and mentally. I am still waiting for the cardiologist that I saw recently to make their pronouncement on my health. However, I do feel somewhat refreshed after my recent 3 day break on the Isle of Wight. I am also thinking about moving, as well as returning to education and pursuing a qualification. I will be 55 in December and feel that I am at a major crossroads in my life.
According to Spock “change is the essential process of all existence”. I have certainly faced my share this year. The death of my mother in August after decades of declining health didn’t come as a shock, but was no less upsetting. In the immediate aftermath, I had to deal with the practicalities of arranging a funeral, engaging a solicitor to settle my mother’s estate and then determine whether I should return to full time employment or retire. After much deliberation, I chose the latter. Now that the most pressing needs have been addressed, I find myself coming to terms with my own grief, while considering my future. I am very tired, both physically and mentally. I am still waiting for the cardiologist that I saw recently to make their pronouncement on my health. However, I do feel somewhat refreshed after my recent 3 day break on the Isle of Wight. I am also thinking about moving, as well as returning to education and pursuing a qualification. I will be 55 in December and feel that I am at a major crossroads in my life.
However, I am not especially enthusiastic about writing at present. At least not about the normal things I blog about. I still take pleasure in video games and films, but I now view them from a different perspective and their importance has changed. Furthermore, after 15 years of blogging and a dozen spent podcasting, I feel somewhat spent creatively. It takes quite a lot of focus, energy and brio to consistently produce content on any platform and then there’s the actual work that has to be done. At present I don’t have the stamina required nor the time. The latter is a finite commodity in everyone’s life and I am currently using my allowance to do other things. And so to quote Bilbo Baggins, “I feel I need a holiday” and am taking one. This is the first post I’ve written for a fortnight and it is mainly due to the fact that I feel obliged to let the few hundred daily readers that I haven’t totally abandoned Contains Moderate Peril.
Abandon Blog?
I’ve learned from past mistakes and changes in my relationship with writing, so I am not going to close the website or do anything rash. I did that once before in 2015 when I was suffering from burnout and I ended up bitterly regretting the decision when I had a change of heart. Having to start from scratch again, a few months later, was hard work. So in the meantime, I will continue to pay the operating costs and effectively just leave Contains Moderate Peril to lie fallow, so to speak. I may well publish the occasional post, when the fancy takes me but I certainly won’t be maintaining any sort of regular schedule. As and when I do write something, they may well be very niche market posts, mainly about the things that are bugging me at present. Beyond that, all bets are off. It very much is a question of wait and see. Perhaps this is just a hiatus. Perhaps it’s time to call it a day.
Time For a Change?
The Blaugust 2022 blogging event is entering its final week and the writing theme for this climatic period is “lessons learned”. According to the event schedule “this week is a reminder that the goal of Blaugust is to refresh the content creators out there for the coming year, and not to burn them out in the process. Some folks are going to cross the finish line and immediately go dormant and others will want to process their thoughts about the proceedings. This space is reserved as a bit of a cooldown lap so that you can share your own experiences”. For me Blaugust has not only reinvigorated my enthusiasm for blogging it has also improved my writing schedule. Furthermore it has given me an opportunity to consider some potential changes to Contains Moderate Peril. Changes that I now need to decide whether to implement or not.
Someone is not good at Scrabble
The Blaugust 2022 blogging event is entering its final week and the writing theme for this climatic period is “lessons learned”. According to the event schedule “this week is a reminder that the goal of Blaugust is to refresh the content creators out there for the coming year, and not to burn them out in the process. Some folks are going to cross the finish line and immediately go dormant and others will want to process their thoughts about the proceedings. This space is reserved as a bit of a cooldown lap so that you can share your own experiences”. For me Blaugust has not only reinvigorated my enthusiasm for blogging it has also improved my writing schedule. Furthermore it has given me an opportunity to consider some potential changes to Contains Moderate Peril. Changes that I now need to decide whether to implement or not.
Within a few years of starting blogging, I found writing about one subject extremely limiting. So I opted for a so-called “variety” blog to allow me to pursue a broader range of subjects. This has served me well for many years but I am now finding as I get older that I am not quite so enthusiastic about certain subjects. My interest in gaming is not as strong as it used to be and I find it difficult to wax lyrical about many aspects of the industry. I prefer writing social commentary, discussing the major social and political talking points of the day. I also still have a passion for films and can happily write film reviews or longform articles about aspects of filmmaking, till the cows come home. It is this change of focus that has got me thinking whether I should run two separate blogs? Or alternatively put all my energy into one online project and focus solely upon that.
Change can be very tempting at times. As can planning for change. As someone who considers themselves organised I love to draw up a plan and prepare everything required for it. Implementing it is another matter altogether (insert Airplane gag here). Preparation can be fun. Actually “doing” is not so enjoyable. So setting up another separate blog sounds initially like a good idea. I get to choose a new blog template and tinker with the look and feel of the site. I can also hire someone from Fiverr to design new logos and branding. But upon mature reflection, the realities of maintaining two different websites also means twice as much work and possibly producing half as much output. It also means incurring further expense which is something I am cautious about in the current economic climate.
As ever in life the most pragmatic solution is to compromise. Rather than relocate specific blog posts to an alternative site, perhaps simply segregating them on the existing blog is a better alternative. I shall investigate to see if it is possible to have a submenu under the blog button on the top toolbar of Contains Moderate Peril, so those who want to read only movie related content can do so. Vice versa with games and any other relevant category. I’m sure the template can be structured in such a fashion to make this possible. Maybe then, someone who is visiting the site to read a film review may investigate further if only shown material of a similar nature? And somewhere in the back of my mind there’s another voice reminding me of a very old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. These changes I’m pondering have not been requested by any readers. Perhaps I should just leave well alone and move on.
Motivation and Being Realistic About What You Can Achieve
I’ve written posts in the past that take quite a “scorched earth” approach to the subject of motivation and maintaining a regular writing schedule. You can come at this subject from numerous angles, offering advice couched in psychology, gentle encouragement or cold hard logic. However, I find that blogging comes down to one thing and one thing only. If you want to do it, you’ll find a way. And believe me, I don’t say this out of some misguided sense of superiority or smugness. I have skipped numerous days of blogging because I chose not to. I wasn’t too busy or strapped for ideas. I just couldn’t be bothered or wanted to spend my time on something else. That’s not to say that the encouragement of others and events such a Blaugust don’t have any impact upon people’s writing output. I believe they do. But the biggest factor determining when you do and do not write is you.
Does this include arson, genocide and making another Air Bud movie?
I’ve written posts in the past that take quite a “scorched earth” approach to the subject of motivation and maintaining a regular writing schedule. You can come at this subject from numerous angles, offering advice couched in psychology, gentle encouragement or cold hard logic. However, I find that blogging comes down to one thing and one thing only. If you want to do it, you’ll find a way. And believe me, I don’t say this out of some misguided sense of superiority or smugness. I have skipped numerous days of blogging because I chose not to. I wasn’t too busy or strapped for ideas. I just couldn’t be bothered or wanted to spend my time on something else. That’s not to say that the encouragement of others and events such a Blaugust don’t have any impact upon people’s writing output. I believe they do. But the biggest factor determining when you do and do not write is you.
However, there are some things we can do to make writing on the days when we’re not that motivated a lot easier. I find that there are certain types of blog posts that are easier to write than others and that sitting down and producing one of these doesn’t present as much of a struggle as more complicated think pieces. Film reviews are one example. I have a longstanding and abiding passion for films and the wider industry and feel I have some knowledge of the subject. As writers we’re always told “write about what you know” and there is wisdom in these words. Hence, a film review is something I feel comfortable writing. It also helps that such posts usually have a standard structure to them, affording them a very procedural quality when it comes to sitting down and writing. If you’re at all interested, here’s a link to how I write reviews.
I said Magnum Opus not magnificent Octopus
Something that regularly comes up in blogging circles is that it is often the spur of the moment posts that can sometimes get the most traction. Conversely, the post that one labours over, conducting research and continuously revising, is usually the one that goes unnoticed. All of which reinforces the argument that it is best to write with no expectations about the wider outcome. Hence, if you’re running low on enthusiasm, don’t make matters worse by seeking to write your magnum opus, instead just focus on writing something that you find enjoyable. IE Whatever is your equivalent of writing a film review. This is why stream of consciousness and personal blogs have an advantage, insofar as even if you’ve had an uneventful day, it can at least be catalogued and explored as to why it was so.
An event such as Blaugust treats blogging as a hobby and not a job. It’s an important distinction. If you choose the option to make it a more formal undertaking, then adopting a more business-like mindset will inevitably make you more productive. However, the trade off is replacing casual spontaneity with structure and discipline and that can sometimes kill the joy. Ultimately with a hobby and pastime such as blogging, you find the level that suits you. If you are honest with yourself, you can usually determine that quite early on. You know exactly how much leisure time you have and what you can reasonably expect with regard to written output. Blaugust may well boost that to a degree but I think it does a better job of just focusing bloggers and keeping them engaged. Trying to sustain something that you know you cannot necessarily do is counterproductive. Which is why there’s sense in the phrase “you do you”.
You Are Your Own Brand
I’m sure I’ve written directly or indirectly about this subject in the past but some things bear repeating, so here goes. You are your own brand when it comes to blogging, streaming or podcasting (other forms of content creation are available). It doesn’t matter if you write exclusively about some niche market subject or produce videos solely about a single aspect of fandom, your personality will inevitably bleed through into the content you post and your audience will sooner or later pick up upon it. Humans are social creatures and we are naturally curious about each other. I certainly am. I follow numerous blogs and a substantial part of their appeal is their individual and unique styles and personalities. I will happily read blog posts or watch videos about subjects I’m not especially interested in because I like the content creator and the way they express themselves.
A joke about brands
I’m sure I’ve written directly or indirectly about this subject in the past but some things bear repeating, so here goes. You are your own brand when it comes to blogging, streaming or podcasting (other forms of content creation are available). It doesn’t matter if you write exclusively about some niche market subject or produce videos solely about a single aspect of fandom, your personality will inevitably bleed through into the content you post and your audience will sooner or later pick up upon it. Humans are social creatures and we are naturally curious about each other. I certainly am. I follow numerous blogs and a substantial part of their appeal is their individual and unique styles and personalities. I will happily read blog posts or watch videos about subjects I’m not especially interested in because I like the content creator and the way they express themselves.
Globalisation and the internet tend to make us think that we’re all broadly living the same life and to a degree that is true. We all go to school or hold down a job, have family and friends and eat, drink and sleep. What I love about blogs is the way a simple post can inadvertently highlight regional, social and cultural differences. This can be innocuous as a brand or product that there is no direct equivalent where I live in the UK, to the complexities of local government, social etiquette and the tumultuous waters of national politics. These are the things that make you blog engaging and give it a distinct personality. It can lead to comments, conversation and friendships. You have to be an especially anodyne writer to remove all traces of nuance from your prose. Why would you want to do that anyway?
A branding iron
On a less light-hearted note, often a blog can be an invaluable source of insight into the daily struggles that many face. It comes as no surprise to me that numerous bloggers have personal issues, difficult circumstances and family problems that they’re dealing with on a daily basis. Often a blog provides a platform for some self-therapy and catharsis. A means to clarify one’s thoughts, decompress and try and rationalise what is going on in life. Furthermore, sometimes a supportive comment left can make the difference between someone having a bad day or getting through it. I believe that it is important to be aware of each other’s life and that it’s not all one, happy and level playing field. What is normal and everyday for me is not the default for everyone else.
So despite what you may think, your blog is a window into you as a writer, even if you reveal very little about what you do, where you live and your own personal life. You end up with an online persona that may be a true reflection of you, or a stylised caricature. You can if you see fit, curate and control this to a degree. So do not underestimate the significance of this. You are your own brand and it can serve you well. A question that has been raised during many previous Blaugust Festival is “I want to write about something different but I’m not sure if readers will like it”. This usually stems from someone writing about a single subject or a specific aspect of fandom and then finding that they want to spread their wings and try something else. The good news is that you can. Not all but the majority of your readership will read posts that are different from your regular content. Again this comes down to the fact that they’re invested in you and your style of writing.
A popular brand
Naturally, there is an element of caution associated with the notion that you are your own brand, as much as all the positive aspects. Some bloggers find themselves producing other online content as well and end up maintaining a sense of brand continuity. For example, there was a time when Contain Moderate Peril produced daily posts throughout the year, along with a weekly podcast. In such circumstances, always think about how you express and conduct yourself online. Especially if you are trying to generate revenue from your material. Be mindful of associations and affiliations because mud can stick. But these are just common sense considerations. Overall, there are more upsides to being your own brand than downsides. I certainly enjoy the more personal rapport I’ve built up with those who read my musings, over the last decade or so. Hopefully the fact that you’re not just perceived as a faceless blogger will help encourage you with your writing.
Draft Posts
If you write in any sort of capacity, you will no doubt have a virtual folder somewhere that is filled with draft posts. Posts containing ideas that either ran out of steam or never quite coalesced to your satisfaction. Such posts may be just a few words long or a fully developed article. A list of bullet points, a lone paragraph devoid of context or an unedited stream of consciousness. Yet whatever the posts format it remains incomplete or unpublished. Sometimes the reason for abandonment is clear. The premise was wrong, the moment has passed and things have moved on. Perhaps the subject has been sufficiently elsewhere. Hence these posts languish in blogging purgatory. Undeveloped but conspicuously not deleted. Who knows, maybe you’ll return to one or two of them some day. Sadly, the reality is quite different. Once a post is consigned to the draft folder, it seldom escapes. Just like people from poverty.
If you write in any sort of capacity, you will no doubt have a virtual folder somewhere that is filled with draft posts. Posts containing ideas that either ran out of steam or never quite coalesced to your satisfaction. Such posts may be just a few words long or a fully developed article. A list of bullet points, a lone paragraph devoid of context or an unedited stream of consciousness. Yet whatever the posts format it remains incomplete or unpublished. Sometimes the reason for abandonment is clear. The premise was wrong, the moment has passed and things have moved on. Perhaps the subject has been sufficiently elsewhere. Hence these posts languish in blogging purgatory. Undeveloped but conspicuously not deleted. Who knows, maybe you’ll return to one or two of them some day. Sadly, the reality is quite different. Once a post is consigned to the draft folder, it seldom escapes. Just like people from poverty.
Such is the unspoken law of draft posts. And like so many informal and nebulous “rules” it’s bullshit. Sure I have some posts in my drafts folder that match what I have just described but that is not the majority of them. The bulk are film reviews, think pieces about gaming and its associated culture, as well as one off articles that took my fancy at the time and may well do so again. Your draft post folder is not the same as the recycle bin on your PCs desktop. A draft post is not exclusively a failed post (although it can be). Often it is just work in progress that has been temporarily delayed because something more pressing came up. Some blog posts are time sensitive and need to be written and published while a talking point is still relevant. Gaming culture is very fast moving, hence you may give such posts priority. A review or a stand alone longform article has no such restrictions and can be set aside to be returned to at a later date.
The reason so many bloggers effectively write off any post that has lingered in the draft folder too long is because we’re conditioned to do so by blogging culture. It’s all part of the ephemeral, disposable mindset and culture that runs through the internet like shit marbling in a rancid block of cheese. However, rather than seeing a draft post folder as the Phantom Zone for blog posts, why not consider it an ideas repository. A creativity bank in which potential material is stored, which can be accessed on those occasional days when you’re shit out of ideas. I currently have 138 draft posts waiting to be used. Not all will necessarily be published but many will eventually see the light of day. The film reviews have no expiry date. Some of the more specific pieces may be repurposed into content for other posts. Nothing goes to waste.
The modern computer tools we use for writing make the process very easy. You can type or speak directly into your phone or tablet or sit for 10 minutes while you have a sandwich and quickly type your ideas into Google Docs. It’s a far cry from writing longhand on paper, or typing away on a manual typewriter. However, because we can revise, edit and start again so easily we have possibly lost sight of the fact that everything written down has potential use. Technology provides convenience and convenience is often synonymous with disposability. But that is not the case. As a writer the fundamental starting point is to get your ideas out of your head and onto the virtual page. Once you’ve done that, waste nothing. What doesn’t work today, may work tomorrow. Therefore, don’t squander ideas, first draft or your miscellaneous notes. Change the relationship you have with your draft posts folder. It is your ally.
Getting Your Writing Environment Right
For my first post of Blaugust 2022 I am returning to the subject of your writing environment, as I believe it has a significant bearing upon one’s writing (or whatever other content that you create). This is the third time I’ve tackled the subject. I initially wrote about my new desk in 2016, when I first tried to set up the spare bedroom as my office. This plan was partially thwarted by the arrival of my twin granddaughters, who needed to use the bedroom when they stayed overnight, resulting in a logistical compromise. I published a second post four years later and by that time the children’s cots had been replaced by a single spare bed allowing me to use the room as a proper office. As of today, my desk is now pretty much how I want it and provides a suitable environment for me to write and conduct research. It also accommodates a lot of my leisure activities as I am a PC gamer.
For my first post of Blaugust 2022 I am returning to the subject of your writing environment, as I believe it has a significant bearing upon one’s writing (or whatever other content that you create). This is the third time I’ve tackled the subject. I initially wrote about my new desk in 2016, when I first tried to set up the spare bedroom as my office. This plan was partially thwarted by the arrival of my twin granddaughters, who needed to use the bedroom when they stayed overnight, resulting in a logistical compromise. I published a second post four years later and by that time the children’s cots had been replaced by a single spare bed allowing me to use the room as a proper office. As of today, my desk is now pretty much how I want it and provides a suitable environment for me to write and conduct research. It also accommodates a lot of my leisure activities as I am a PC gamer.
However, not everyone has the luxury of a desk or spare room that doubles for a home office. Often we have to use the environment that is immediately available to us, rather than the one we would like to have. So for practical reasons, needs must when the devil drives as the expression goes. Therefore, if using a laptop on the kitchen table is the only practical work space you have access to, then it will have to suffice. Fortunately, there are still a lot of things that you can do to improve your immediate writing environment, allowing you to focus on the task in hand. You don’t even have to spend any money if you don’t want to. Here are a few simple and straightforward ideas and working practices that, if sensibly applied, can improve your working environment.
Eliminate noise and other distractions. Find a place to write where you can control the environment, especially with regard to noise and other day to day distractions. Some people like to write with the TV on in the background or while listening to music. That’s fine but it is preferable to be able to manage such things, rather than have them inflicted upon you. The ability to be able to pull the curtain or blinds can be invaluable. Especially if like me, you find your attention wandering to events outside. Close the door if necessary so that others know that you’re busy. You may also wish to keep your pets out although this is often a losing battle.
Lighting. I like writing in a well illuminated room and favour LED bulbs of about 1600 lumens (the equivalent of 100 Watts). My office window looks North so doesn’t directly face the sun. This does have some advantages regarding light reflecting onto my monitors. It helps if you take some time to consider where you place your laptop or computer screens in your writing environment, to ensure you have sufficient light and minimal shadows.
Ergonomics. If you’re writing, streaming or working on your laptop or PC, you're going to spend a fair amount of time sitting down. Ensuring that the desk, table or worksurface you’re sitting at is an appropriate height is important to avoid back and neck strain. The chair that you're sitting on needs to be suitable for the job. Office chairs are best. Avoid stools and anything that doesn’t offer upper body support. The addition of a humble cushion can make a world of difference, as can wrist rests. Remember to take a break every hour and ensure that you have a drink to hand. If you have the budget for a computer chair then invest in something suitable. If you’re budget conscious, charity shops seem to have a lot of home office furniture these days.
Temperature and ventilation. Everyone has a preferred temperature. One where you feel relaxed and comfortable. A writing environment that is excessively hot or cold is just another excuse not to write. However a fan, open window or a closed door can make a lot of difference. It is also worth remembering that a PC and other electrical equipment produce a lot of heat which can raise the temperature in a room. Do what you can to manage these.
The right tool for the job. This is a mantra that I feel is pertinent to most situations. Often the key to a successful outcome is using the right tool for the job. Cheap screws will strip, cheap clothes fall apart and cheap PC peripherals and associated equipment will fail or produce inferior results. Do what you can within your budget to get the right tools for what you’re doing. Sometimes the top of the range is not required and there are good mid-range alternatives. Also, don’t get by with jury-rigged solutions. If you can’t reach your laptop properly, don’t precariously balance it on a stack of books. Invest in a stand that can be adjusted. Writing regularly becomes a lot easier if the means to do so are efficient and accessible. A problematic mouse or a monitor that has a tricky HDMI cable can all potentially turn an agreeable experience into a chore.
With regard to my own writing environment, I have discovered that I feel the same way about my desk as I do about internet bandwidth. You always want more capacity. I recently replaced my ageing speaker set up with a convenient soundbar in an attempt to free up more deskspace and reduce excessive cabling. Yet even after removing a cup full of pens, an in tray and various other bric-a-brac I still have insufficient room to work. So I now find myself looking at office furniture online and daydreaming about expanding my office empire. However, despite some minor niggles, I do enjoy my home office and find that it meets my needs with regard to writing. Ultimately, this is what you need from your writing environment. A space where you feel comfortable and can concentrate on getting your thoughts written down. Get that right and you’re more likely to write regularly and confidently.
Get Ready For Blaugust 2022
Yes, it's that time of year again. When our community of bloggers, streamers and podcasters come together for Blaugust 2022. The event is intended to celebrate independent content creators and their work, as well as encouraging those who are new or and returning to the field. Blaugust 2022 is all about offering a helping hand, sharing each other’s work and having fun. It is an event I participate in every year and one that I find personally very beneficial. It is a great way to meet and support new writers and make friends. I also find that Blaugust is key to revitalising my own enthusiasm for writing, which flags from time to time. I’ve been blogging in some shape or form for over 15 years and like any hobby, my relationship with it ebbs and flows. At present I’m not writing as much as usual and finding it harder to find subjects I wish to explore.
Yes, it's that time of year again. When our community of bloggers, streamers and podcasters come together for Blaugust 2022. The event is intended to celebrate independent content creators and their work, as well as encouraging those who are new or and returning to the field. Blaugust 2022 is all about offering a helping hand, sharing each other’s work and having fun. It is an event I participate in every year and one that I find personally very beneficial. It is a great way to meet and support new writers and make friends. I also find that Blaugust is key to revitalising my own enthusiasm for writing, which flags from time to time. I’ve been blogging in some shape or form for over 15 years and like any hobby, my relationship with it ebbs and flows. At present I’m not writing as much as usual and finding it harder to find subjects I wish to explore.
The last few years have been tough economically, politically and socially. The pandemic compounded these issues further hence many people currently feel that they’re struggling up a hill, rather than riding along on the crest of a wave. My enthusiasm for many of my hobbies and interests is somewhat low at present. I am far from impressed with mainstream filmmaking and frequently struggle to find anything that is more than adequate. TV offers a lot of choice but I prefer self contained stories that have endings, rather than shows that just run and run. Politics and social issues are partisan and acrimonious, as is the public discourse associated with them. Hence writing about such things is not particularly desirable at present. Constructive criticism can be valid but a continuous diet material that is essentially negative is exhausting. Hence, I need to broaden what I write about.
Blaugust provides helpful advice
Fortunately, Blaugust 2022 provides a useful vehicle for such change. Firstly, the event offers some writing prompts which are always useful if you’re coming up short on ideas. Replying and engaging with other writer’s posts is also another useful source of inspiration. As I’ve stated in the past, I’m a sucker for internet questionnaires. I always enjoy the challenge of answering some thoughtful (or frivolous) questions. If you don’t want to answer any questions you can always set some instead. As someone who writes, streams or podcasts, you have far more freedom to explore a range of subjects than you imagine. Especially if you’re not exclusively wedded to one game or particular subject. Your audience follows you often because of your personality and they will give you a lot more leeway than you imagine. I read a lot of blogs that discuss subjects that I’m not that interested in but I like the way the author thinks and expresses themselves.
So with all this in mind, I’m hoping to get back into my writing groove and see if I can blog everyday for the entirety of August. I am looking forward to reading new blogs and possibly seeing some former bloggers return to the fold. If you’re interested in participating in Blaugust 2022 then please read Belghast’s post which tells you everything you need to know about the event. Bel is the Shaolin Master of the event and an integral part of the social glue that keeps it going. There’s a FAQ that explains the purpose of this yearly event, details of where to sign up, the month’s schedule and a lot of useful resources. There’s also a Discord server that is very friendly. And remember, Blaugust is about having fun and participating. There are no “rules” and the event schedule and writing prompts are for guidance only. If you want to take part you’re welcome to do so in any manner that makes you happy.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 17
I was sitting in my office over the weekend, half-heartedly typing up a blog post about table manners and dining etiquette, when I paused and lapsed into a state of self examination and introspection.
“Isn’t Contains Moderate Peril supposed to be about gaming, movies and popular culture”? “Yes”, I replied to myself via my inner monologue.
“So what the hell am I doing writing about table manners, then?” my inner contrarian retorted.
“Well it is part of our culture, although I wouldn’t argue that it is a defining aspect of the zeitgeist at present” my conciliatory alter ego responded.
“Frankly, I’m getting bored with all of this per se” a third voice stated. It was at this point, I stopped arguing with various facets of my id and went to the pub.
I am currently having a R.J. MacReady moment
I was sitting in my office over the weekend, half-heartedly typing up a blog post about table manners and dining etiquette, when I paused and lapsed into a state of self examination and introspection.
“Isn’t Contains Moderate Peril supposed to be about gaming, movies and popular culture”? “Yes”, I replied to myself via my inner monologue.
“So what the hell am I doing writing about table manners, then?” my inner contrarian retorted.
“Well it is part of our culture, although I wouldn’t argue that it is a defining aspect of the zeitgeist at present” my conciliatory alter ego responded.
“Frankly, I’m getting bored with all of this per se” a third voice stated. It was at this point, I stopped arguing with various facets of my id and went to the pub.
While consuming a chilled libation I reflected upon these matters and contemplated the wider issue underpinning them. Does collating my thoughts for a blog post help me understand a subject better. Does writing allow me to make sense of the world and the human condition? Does maintaining a blog make me happy and provide a sense of purpose? The fact that I am writing this blog post surely indicates that the answer to these three questions is not “no”. However, it wasn’t a resounding “yes” either. If there is a single word that summarises my current emotional, philosophical and political disposition at present it is “ambivalence”. I have mixed feelings about a lot of things. Video games, the industry that creates them, film and TV, popular culture, contemporary politics, the state of the world, the rest of my life.
The pleasures of working working in retail
I have recently realised that I am at a crossroads in my life. After speaking to a financial advisor, I have decided that I won’t be returning to the job market. I am going to retire. Working part time may well improve my finances but I don’t believe it would improve the quality of my life. Work means directly or indirectly accepting a degree of bullshit into your life. This may be a problematic boss or problematic colleagues. Then there’s issues such as leave versus staffing schedules, potential stress (especially if dealing with the public) and lines of demarcation. I’m used to working within the parameters of a clearly defined contract. Yet working culture now seems to permeate one’s life outside of office hours. That is not for me. Plus, I’d be a square peg in a round hole in the modern work environment. A job is a quid pro quo; a means to make money. I have no interest in an employer's vision and how I can contribute to that.
Thus, as I am part of the “great resignation” and am not going back to work. I am focused upon what I intend to do with the years that I hopefully have left. Fortunately, I am never at a loose end and still have lots of interests. Mrs P and I also have numerous activities that we wish to do together. We also realise that we’re very fortunate to be in such a position. However, we have to temper our plans according to our finances, age and health. Hence, if something isn’t positively contributing to the quality of our lives, then it may well need to go. Which brings me back to my penchant for writing. It was once a career goal, then a form of therapy, now it is a hobby (possibly even an indulgence). And hobbies have an arc of their own. For the present, Contains Moderate Peril is going through a quiet patch because so am I. When I next become enthusiastic about something, the blog may well pick up.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 16
March has been a challenging month for several reasons and as a result I’ve written very little. Furthermore, the recently revived podcast has also ground to a halt after just six episodes due to scheduling issues that are beyond myself and Brian’s control. At the end of February, Google made changes to their search algorithm which have had a major impact upon traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Visits are down by over 20%. I’ll make no bones about the fact that this has really pissed me off. Several years of growth has been unceremoniously swept away at the drop of a hat. So all this, plus the rapidly changing situation regarding my Mother’s care, has found me ill disposed towards writing. To be clear, I’m not talking about writer’s block. I have plenty of ideas and a folder full of draft posts. I just haven’t wanted to write because I feel that I’m just spitting in the wind.
March has been a challenging month for several reasons and as a result I’ve written very little. Furthermore, the recently revived podcast has also ground to a halt after just six episodes due to scheduling issues that are beyond myself and Brian’s control. At the end of February, Google made changes to their search algorithm which have had a major impact upon traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. Visits are down by over 20%. I’ll make no bones about the fact that this has really pissed me off. Several years of growth has been unceremoniously swept away at the drop of a hat. So all this, plus the rapidly changing situation regarding my Mother’s care, has found me ill disposed towards writing. To be clear, I’m not talking about writer’s block. I have plenty of ideas and a folder full of draft posts. I just haven’t wanted to write because I feel that I’m just spitting in the wind.
I’ve been writing and maintaining a blog of some kind since early 2007. In 2014, after seven years of writing everyday and building an audience, I secured a sponsorship deal from a hosting company. Maintaining such a schedule and producing a weekly podcast was great fun but hard work. However, the main problem with “free hosting” is that you’re dependent on the goodwill of those that supply it. When the company was bought out, the sponsorship was terminated and I had to find a new home for Contains Moderate Peril. Due to compatibility issues, rather than migrate the existing site I ended up having to start from scratch. Needless to say by March 2016 I was burned out and went on a three month hiatus. During that time I came close to throwing in the towel. I’ve started feeling that way again, recently. Is it all worthwhile or am I just screaming into the void?
But as the expression goes “this won’t buy the baby a new hat”. I have two options open to me at present. I can either continue to be annoyed, not write and subsequently watch years of work wither on the vine. Or I can get back on the horse, drink my milk or whatever the hell John Wayne suggested. Just to clarify, I am opting to continue writing. “Normal service will resume shortly”, so to speak. Which means imposing a bit of discipline upon my writing schedule and ensuring that I write early in the morning when I feel engaged and productive. I’ve also decided to do some experiments with certain types of posts to see if they gain more traction with readers. I have quite a few other ideas but I think I’ll keep them quiet for the present. Best not to promise too much and then fail to deliver. For the present I’ll focus just on writing as often as I can. Focus on what’s ahead, not behind. Oh and fuck you Google.
Thanks Google Page Experience Update For Desktop
Last Tuesday, I noticed a drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. As I’m currently only writing every other day, I assumed that it is normal to have occasions when visits to the site may decrease. However the decline has persisted and to date, works out broadly as a 20% reduction of traffic to my blog. At present, I have a lot going on in my life so blogging and website growth are not my highest priorities. However, I am a firm believer in cause and effect and so a situation like this must be down due to other external factors, rather than just the capricious nature of my readership. So I searched online to see if Google had made any changes and I subsequently found that they had rolled out an algorithm update starting on Tuesday 22nd February 2022. Apparently Google Page Experience Update For Desktop “is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences. Page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account. Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes”. I beg to differ.
Last Tuesday, I noticed a drop in traffic to Contains Moderate Peril. As I’m currently only writing every other day, I assumed that it is normal to have occasions when visits to the site may decrease. However the decline has persisted and to date, works out broadly as a 20% reduction of traffic to my blog. At present, I have a lot going on in my life so blogging and website growth are not my highest priorities. However, I am a firm believer in cause and effect and so a situation like this must be down due to other external factors, rather than just the capricious nature of my readership. So I searched online to see if Google had made any changes and I subsequently found that they had rolled out an algorithm update starting on Tuesday 22nd February 2022. Apparently Google Page Experience Update For Desktop “is designed to highlight pages that offer great user experiences. Page experience remains one of many factors our systems take into account. Given this, sites generally should not expect drastic changes”. I beg to differ.
Please feel free to search about Google Page Experience Update For Desktop and to read exactly what it’s supposed to do and how it “works”. I have and it is simply beyond my skill set to fully comprehend it. From what I can ascertain it’s supposed to ensure that the best content continues to appear in search results, which is the usual corporate mantra. My real concern is whether it’s fair and if the system can be manipulated. Will smaller content creators be able to equitably compete with the big players. Well, it looks like the answer is “no”. I am not the only person to see a drop in traffic. I have found several posts over at SEO subreddit and they squarely point the finger at Google for this change. There also seems to be growing concern over Google’s continued push for standardised criteria governing content creation. If your site doesn’t entirely comply with these it will have difficulty being found. Sadly, a poorer quality site that is compliant, will rank higher in search results.
Statistics are not the defining reason why I and many other people write online. But let us not be coy. Finding an audience is important and you cannot do that if your website is not visible. However, whether anyone finds Contains Moderate Peril ultimately is a matter out of my hands. I could slavishly follow the prevailing content writing styles and SEO trends in an attempt to “game the system”. However, I like to write in the same manner in which I express myself in real life. Having to conform to a specific regulated standard to reach a broader readership is a double edged sword. You may gain accessibility but at the expense of nuance, maturity and character. Personal blogs are often not just about the content but the content creator as well. However, all of this is academic while we deal with the reality of Google Page Experience Update For Desktop. Perhaps it is naïve to expect an equitable process and a level playing field from a corporate entity such as Google.
Stuff to do in 2022
Regular readers will already know my position on New Year’s Resolutions. I think unrealistic, kneejerk commitments to hare-brained schemes that you know damn well won’t ever get done, are crass and tiresome. So let’s not waste each other’s time going down that route. I like sensible, realistic, attainable goals and that is exactly what I am setting myself for 2022. I want to increase my writing output this year because my drafts folder is filled with posts and ideas that haven’t quite been completed. Essentially this comes down to making the time to finish these articles and possibly embracing a somewhat briefer writing style. I’m also going to try and see if I can grow the existing audience for Contains Moderate Peril. I have some ideas as to how to do this and none of them really require any additional resources. It simply comes down to doing the required work and staying motivated. I believe that I meet both of those requirements.
Regular readers will already know my position on New Year’s Resolutions. I think unrealistic, kneejerk commitments to hare-brained schemes that you know damn well won’t ever get done, are crass and tiresome. So let’s not waste each other’s time going down that route. I like sensible, realistic, attainable goals and that is exactly what I am setting myself for 2022. I want to increase my writing output this year because my drafts folder is filled with posts and ideas that haven’t quite been completed. Essentially this comes down to making the time to finish these articles and possibly embracing a somewhat briefer writing style. I’m also going to try and see if I can grow the existing audience for Contains Moderate Peril. I have some ideas as to how to do this and none of them really require any additional resources. It simply comes down to doing the required work and staying motivated. I believe that I meet both of those requirements.
I’m 5’11 and weigh 189lbs (13st 7lb/85.7kg). According to the UK NHS BMI calculator I have a BMI of 26.4 which is a little too high. For a person of my height, age and ethnicity I should have a BMI between 18.5 and 25. My weight theoretically should be between 132lbs (9st 6lb/59.8kg) and 179lbs) (12st 11lb/81.1kg). However, BMI index is a disputed and inaccurate measure of body fat content as it does not take into account muscle mass, bone density and overall body composition. Yet the reality remains that at present, my clothes are all a little too snug and the “extra weight” which I carry on my chest gets in the way and has an adverse effect upon my physical activity. Hence I shall be changing my eating habits in the months to come and aiming to lose about 14 to 21lbs. I’ve done this before and I need to do it again. Structured meals, no snacks and a substantial reduction in my alcohol consumption is the way forward. No excuses, just adherence to a sensible regime.
Mrs P bought me a pair of walking shoes as a birthday gift a few weeks ago. Specifically Men’s Trailstorm Mid Waterproof Walking Shoe from Columbia Sportswear. Due to life getting in the way, I only just got around to walking any distance in them. Thankfully my research paid off and they have proven to be a good fit and offer exactly the sort of support that my feet need. Most of the walking that I do is through woodland and grassland, hence I didn’t need heavy footwear for rocky trails and mountain hiking. The Trailstorm is robust, comfortable and able to keep out the elements. Also, having opted for a black pair, they can be worn with a wider variety of clothes without looking too out of place. I intend to do at least one major walk each month this year. I am currently looking at existing trails and paths in my immediate vicinity. London is fortunately filled with plenty of open spaces and parks, so I’m spoilt for choice.
Looking back at last year’s plan I did manage to broadly adhere to it. My writing routine did improve when I got up at a fixed time each morning and started preparing posts for the day ahead. Unfortunately real life messed up my schedule. Keeping a physical “to do” list in a journal certainly paid dividends. Admin tasks and paperwork were kept under control in 2021. Mind you a lot of it was the sort of bureaucracy that you can’t afford to ignore. I even found a podcast to gatecrash and I’m very grateful to both Braxwolf and DJ Pimp Daddy for allowing me to appear on Beyond Bossfights. Sadly my dream to adapt The Golden Voyage of Sinbad into a West End musical still remains unrealised. Obviously this is still due to the pandemic and has nothing to do with my lack of musical ability. This idea remains on the proverbial back burner, along with Twister on a duvet cover and travel kabaddi.
Goodbye 2021
When I wrote Goodbye 2020 a year ago, I endeavoured to be philosophical and sanguine in my approach. It was a challenging year for all of us and for me it was further compounded by a bereavement. However, I strove to keep matters in perspective and tried to look at things in a broader context. I cannot be as even handed this time. 2021 has been a very difficult year for myself and my family and I will be glad to see the back of it. Nationally speaking, things haven’t been much better. I feel that we’ve squandered the initial progress that the COVID-19 vaccines offered. Obviously, I cannot do anything about the problems that the UK faces in 2022. However, I certainly intend to address some of the issues that I and my immediate family are facing. I am going to tackle some specific problems that need to be laid to rest and set myself some tangible goals to achieve. 2022 isn’t going to be something that just happens and I passively sit back and watch.
When I wrote Goodbye 2020 a year ago, I endeavoured to be philosophical and sanguine in my approach. It was a challenging year for all of us and for me it was further compounded by a bereavement. However, I strove to keep matters in perspective and tried to look at things in a broader context. I cannot be as even handed this time. 2021 has been a very difficult year for myself and my family and I will be glad to see the back of it. Nationally speaking, things haven’t been much better. I feel that we’ve squandered the initial progress that the COVID-19 vaccines offered. Obviously, I cannot do anything about the problems that the UK faces in 2022. However, I certainly intend to address some of the issues that I and my immediate family are facing. I am going to tackle some specific problems that need to be laid to rest and set myself some tangible goals to achieve. 2022 isn’t going to be something that just happens and I passively sit back and watch.
Rather than focus on the negatives, let’s reflect upon the positives. One of the best things that did happen in 2021 was the Blaugust Festival of Blogging. I really do find this yearly event to be very motivating and it is always a pleasure to see new writers starting out and absent friends return. Trying something new, especially something creative is always a lot easier if you have a community to draw upon for advice, support and friendship. It’s also very encouraging to see over 40 blogs in my RSS feed, still actively writing on a regular basis, sharing their thoughts and ideas. It certainly counters that persistent and erroneous narrative that blogging is dead. Furthermore the Discord server created for Blaugust continues to be active throughout the year, which is also very gratifying. A community that continues talking and sharing after the event is clearly a success.
I managed to maintain a fairly regular writing regime this year although that went awry in December due to illness in the family. I intend to increase my output in 2022 as I still feel that I have things to say on a great many matters and that all too often I miss the opportunity to do so just through poor time management. I shall therefore attempt to return to a morning writing schedule, as that seems to be the optimal time of day for me. I have also planned some side projects that I will be announcing in due course. Often it is all too easy to become more enamoured with planning a project rather than actually starting it. I intend to avoid this pitfall this year. I shall also try to be more encouraging to others. I know so many talented people with interesting ideas, who sadly never follow through on them for one reason or another. Perhaps a little nudge will provide the impetus needed.
Usually the closing paragraph of these sorts of posts are either philosophical, motivational or sarcastic. A pithy summation of events of the previous year and one’s hopes and aspirations for the forthcoming one. Frankly, I’m just keen to draw a line under 2021 and move on. I recently hit 54 and I’m very conscious that I am now embarking upon a very different phase of my life compared to that which has gone before. There are important matters that I need to sort out to ensure that life is both manageable and tolerable. I certainly feel motivated at present and so I need to capitalise upon that. Best wishes to all who have supported Contains Moderate Peril over the last twelve months. It is satisfying to know that I’m not just yelling into the void. I’m going to just keep going. I hope that you do the same.
Blaugust 2021: Lessons Learned
It is the final week of the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event and the current theme and writing prompt is lessons learned. As a long term writer I do not have much to say on this matter. That’s not because I know everything and think there’s nothing new for me to come to grips with. You can always discover relevant and pertinent advice throughout your blogging journey. However, I do now have a fairly orderly writing regime and it serves my needs. The thing that most often derails this process are other demands upon my time. Overall, I think I have a positive approach to writing and it continues to bring me many benefits. With regard to lessons learned, I find it far more interesting to read others' thoughts on the matter. Especially those who are new to blogging or are trying to rekindle their passion for it. Krikket, Blockade85 and Aywren share some personal thoughts based upon their unique experiences.
It is the final week of the Blaugust 2021 Festival of Blogging event and the current theme and writing prompt is lessons learned. As a long term writer I do not have much to say on this matter. That’s not because I know everything and think there’s nothing new for me to come to grips with. You can always discover relevant and pertinent advice throughout your blogging journey. However, I do now have a fairly orderly writing regime and it serves my needs. The thing that most often derails this process are other demands upon my time. Overall, I think I have a positive approach to writing and it continues to bring me many benefits. With regard to lessons learned, I find it far more interesting to read others' thoughts on the matter. Especially those who are new to blogging or are trying to rekindle their passion for it. Krikket, Blockade85 and Aywren share some personal thoughts based upon their unique experiences.
Over the years, events such as Blaugust and the original Newbie Blogger Initiative have shown me that many people are writing as a means of self discovery, personal challenge or even self therapy. I understand this as I use writing as a way to order my thoughts and ponder the many of the issues that face us in life. I find that writing my thoughts, as opposed to face to face debate with others, is beneficial as it can be conducted without rancour. One has time to research a subject, reflect upon it and then form a considered opinion. However, I appreciate that others are blogging to do more than this. They are trying to conquer self doubt, work through a problem or test themselves. Blogging certainly does appear to be a valid form of cognitive behavioural therapy. It can have very restorative properties and be a source of support and community. I like to think that Blaugust contributes a little to these.
With all this in mind, I think there is another aspect to blogging that needs to be mentioned. It is a very personal undertaking. Yes, you can write under a pseudonym if you prefer and many people do. You can control to a degree who gets to see your writing. But there is still an element of “baring one’s soul” to it all and I think that is quite brave in some respects. We live in an age where we all have a degree of unparalleled reach due to social media and the internet. Yet that comes with a degree of risk in so far as the moment you stick your head above the parapet, then people may well take pot shots at you. There’s no shortage of angry people online and hatred is sadly an all too common currency these days. Yet I read blogs where the authors talk about their personal struggles be it physical or mental health, or the realities of their day to day lives which can be challenging. That takes courage as far as I’m concerned.
Which is why I think Blaugust in its final week should be short on criticism and long on praise. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t quite hit the target you set yourself or that you haven’t quite yet achieved global domination from your volcano lair. At least you posted some blog posts and have a swivel chair. You’re a step further along the road and that’s much better than not doing anything. Maybe you’ve discovered if blogging is for you and what you will do next. Plus hopefully you’ve found some new blogs and added them to Feedly or whatever list you keep to stay abreast of what is happening. The Blaugust Discord server is active all year round and you can always find people to offer advice and talk to. Hopefully, upon mature reflection the lesson learned by all participants over the course of the previous 30 days is “I’m glad I did it”.
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.