Projects
Roundabout this time last year, I started a couple of new website projects. The idea was to do something different to Contains Moderate Peril and write about other subjects. One was about UK politics and the other was about a Panda watching films and TV and making wry comments. I like to cast a wide net. I also wanted to take the opportunity to develop some new skills. It was certainly interesting creating two websites from scratch, using such diverse tools as Wix and Blot. The former provides the means to construct a very modern website with all the latest features. The latter is quite the opposite, providing a lean and minimalist service. Twelve months later, both projects have proven very useful and I have a better understanding of what is required to maintain an online presence in 2024. As they have now served their purpose, both sites are now offline.
Thoughts on Blaugust 2024
Approximately 110 bloggers signed up to the Blaugust: Festival of Blogging this year. 60 of those were new to the event. They were either just starting out on their blogging adventures or trying to revitalise their existing activities. I fell into the latter group as I decided to use this yearly activity as a means to return to writing regularly, after a nine month absence. 31 days later I think the event has been a learning process and a voyage of self discovery for a lot of people, myself included. No matter how well you extol the virtues and merits of writing online, you cannot get away from the fundamental facts that it requires a commitment to write and that it will eat into your leisure time. Many people have a genuine urge to write but just get hamstrung by the finite nature of their free time. That is not a personal failure. It is just the nature of modern life. Therefore, if you just managed to get one post published over the last month, then well done. It’s 100% better than none.
10 Wise Quotes
The last time I wrote a post about quotes I only included one proper example. That was because it was somewhat lengthy. So I filled the remainder of the article with film quotes, which I found amusing because I do like a good pop culture reference. However, it can be argued that they weren’t really in the spirit of the original writing prompt. So this time round I have collated ten proper quotations from various intellectuals, celebrities and bon viveurs. I also made sure that they’re not all from people who are dead. Many of them do come across as somewhat smug and self satisfied. Such is the nature of quotes. I think the main reason we sometimes feel this way is because a really good one hits home with its sage wisdom. So here are a few that I find interesting. I’ve added a brief annotation as to why I particularly like each one.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 19
I’ve been writing online for 17 years. During that time a modest audience has read my posts and occasionally commented on them, which is the accepted dynamic of blogging. Some of my posts are ephemeral. Others, such as film reviews, have greater longevity. Naturally I want people to read my output and I’ve noticed that the film reviews seem to generate a fair amount of traffic. After consulting my website analytics package, it would appear that the majority of readers find my reviews by searching Google. Promoting my writing via social media does very little. Another issue is that readers tend to read the post they found via their search and then leave. Despite there being links at the bottom of the post to similar material. Currently, my blog does not have an effective means of searching older posts. The landing page has only 20 posts listed. There are approximately 2,500 archived.
Stop Overthinking and Write
This post is an experiment, insofar that I haven’t planned it. That is the central theme of the piece. Sometimes, when you have an idea, just run with it. Don’t overthink things. Don’t obsess over style. Don’t worry about mistakes. Just get your ideas down and see where they take you.
Blogging and AI
This year’s Blaugust: Festival of Blogging has been presented with a very curious and contemporary conundrum. To put it succinctly, one of the participants uses AI to generate their blog posts. Hence, there is now a debate among the Blaugust community as to whether this is appropriate or not. At first glance, participating in an event that exists to promote creative writing with content written via a third party AI or Large Language Models, seems contradictory. Yet upon further reflection, such technological services are ultimately tools, albeit complex ones. Is it therefore right to take a fundamentalist stance against their use? Seeking a new perspective on this matter, I thought it would be novel to ask this question of an AI, itself. So I put the following question to ChatGenie. I found its response most interesting.
My Current Writing Environment
During the course of previous Blaugust events, I’ve discussed my writing environment several times. Where and how you write is a subject that is worth revisiting because having a place where you can work unimpeded is an important factor in blogging regularly and successfully. Some people are very easy going when it comes to when and where they write. They will blog on a phone or tablet while commuting, or on their laptop while eating lunch in their work cafeteria. Others prefer a quiet office, free from distractions where they can collate their thoughts in comfort. I personally favour the latter and use the spare bedroom in our bungalow as an office. Looking back over my prior posts, it is clear that my physical writing environment seems to be growing over time. Curiously, despite acquiring more peripherals, the basic tools that I use to write have broadly remained the same for the last decade or so.
Blaugust and Me
I wrote a personal introduction for Blaugust last year which still serves its purpose, so I hope you’ll forgive me for not repeating such a post. I thought instead I’d talk a little about Blaugust and my relationship with blogging. I have always enjoyed writing, both creatively and analytically, since school. I was very fortunate to have had several very good English teachers that fostered in me a love of verbal expression and good books. It was therefore only logical that I kept journals and diaries in my younger days and when the internet came along, moved onto writing online. This August, I will have been blogging in some shape or form for 17 years. This blog, Contains Moderate Peril, has existed in several previous iterations. The current site, hosted via Squarespace, has been around for nine years. I believe it has over a thousand posts of varying quality. Then there’s the podcast that accompanied the blog for many years. That is currently on an extended hiatus but who knows, it may make a return one day.
Preparing for Blaugust 2024
Because I have taken a nine month break from maintaining this blog, I thought it would be a good idea to give Contain Moderate Peril a makeover prior to Blaugust: Festival of Blogging commencing on 1st August. Initially I intended to outsource the work but the cost was prohibitive. So I made some changes to the existing blog template myself and had a new logo created via a designer from Fiverr. The changes are sufficient to quash my subconscious concerns and I am now in a position where I won’t obsess (too much) with the look and feel of the site. There is still some work to be done. I have to repost all previous instalments of “Walter Watches”” and ensure that the existing domain for that site points to its new home here. I also have to tweak the blog archive page, so that older content can be found easily. There are over a thousand posts published but it is immediately apparent.
Starting a Blog
I’m sure if I search through the various posts on blogging that I’ve written over the years, I’ll find one pretty much identical to this. But good advice bears repeating. Plus, as the years go by, there are more options available to new bloggers. So here’s some simple, straightforward and candid advice for those who are considering starting a blog. Some of it is universal and you’ll find similar tips on most sites about blogging. Others derive from my personal experiences of writing online over the last 17 years and being part of a community of bloggers. I do not claim to be an expert but I also do not see myself as a “noob”. My advice is exactly that. Advice. It’s purely optional and at the end of the day “you do you”.
Blaugust 2024
Every year, Blaugust: Festival of Blogging comes around and I happily participate. I also try to encourage others to do so by giving reasons why writing and being creative in general are worthwhile pastimes. At times it does feel that I’m repeating myself, so this time round I shall keep it very simple. Writing is fun, regardless of how you do it. The benefits of being part of a friendly and supportive community are so obvious, do I really need to list them? Blaugust is always one of the high points of my year and I’ve never regretted the time I’ve spent participating. The “rules” are simple. You do as little or as much as you see fit. You share your content and if you wish to, can interact with others over on the community Discord. There’s no pressure from anyone and if you approach the event with the right mindset, you don’t need to put any pressure on yourself. So follow the link above, read Belghast’s post and consider signing up? To quote Alexei Sayle, “you’ve nothing to lose but your wafers”. No, I have no idea what it means, either.
Blaugust 2023: Lessons Learned
This is the last week of Blaugust 2023: Festival of Blogging and it is customary at this point to reflect on the event and one’s own contribution to it. For me, the stand out aspect of this year is the number of people participating and the diversity of blogs. I find it most reassuring that so many people have chosen to express themselves online and share their thoughts and insights. It has also been most gratifying to see so many people join the Discord server. There have been a lot of interesting and enjoyable discussions over the last few weeks. I hope that the support and resources available have proven useful for new and returning bloggers and that the event has been beneficial for them. I always find that Blaugust is good for bolstering my enthusiasm for writing and getting me back in the proverbial saddle.
Blaugust 2023: Staying Motivated
I have participated in Blaugust numerous times over the years and also in several other similar events. I have therefore written about the subject of “staying motivated” quite a few times already and as a result it is quite hard to come up with a new angle on the problem and not to sound like a scratched record. I also appreciate that my rather hardline and fundamentalist message of “stop complaining and just write, no excuses” may not necessarily resonate or inspire everyone. We all have to tackle this problem in our own unique way. So today, I’ve decided to adopt a more conciliatory stance and offer five straight forward and practical points that may help the aspiring blogger to keep on writing in the weeks ahead.
16 Years of Blogging
Today is my blogging anniversary. I have been inflicting my thoughts upon the world for 16 years. I started writing online regularly in March 2007, although my early blogging projects were somewhat scattershot as I struggled to find an appropriate niche. August 16th standouts because it was the date I registered my first domain name, in a fit of enthusiasm. In the previous seven months, I created and abandoned three sites before I finally found a subject that I could focus upon and that would sustain my writing. Hence for practical reasons I consider August 16th my starting date as I spent money on my hobby, which I believe shows some kind of commitment. I won’t bore readers yet again with my origin story as I’ve covered that before. To keep things short and sweet, I’ve kept writing this long because I enjoy it. Maybe in a different life, I would have liked to have made it my career.
Creator Appreciation Week: Cool Dudes Walking Club
It's Creator Appreciation Week (August 13th – August 19th) for those participating in Blaugust: Festival of Blogging 2023. What does that mean in plain English? It means I am going to write a post specifically about someone or a group of people who create content that I enjoy. Now that is not a short list. I subscribe to dozens of YouTube channels and even more blogs via Feedly. However, it is not practical to try and write about all of these. So I have had to think long and hard about selecting one creator to highlight. It’s quite a difficult choice because I enjoy a multitude of content for different reasons. However, I have chosen one which regularly keeps me entertained, has a good community associated and also offers an element of interaction which is quite unique. It is this last factor which has tipped the balance.
Blaugust 2023: A Personal Introduction
The first thing that springs to mind with such a post is the song “Introduce Yourself” by Faith No More, from their 1987 album of the same name. Ah, the power of word association. I was twenty back in 1987. Young, optimistic, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life. I finally joined the UK civil service the following year as it was a practical solution to an unresolved question. But I digress. My personal employment history is not the point of this post as I don’t think I am personally defined by my line of work. So what actually does define a person? Their actions? The company they keep? John Saxon’s character, Roper, in the film Enter the Dragon.said “a man's strength can be measured by his appetites. Indeed, a man's strength flows from his appetites”. But he was wearing flared trousers so I remain sceptical of such a philosophy. As for me, I like to write. Always have done.
Welcome to Blaugust 2023
Blaugust Festival of Blogging is finally here. A month long celebration of blogging and bloggers that is open to all. The idea is to encourage those who are just starting out with writing online or those who are returning to the scene after a break. It is also about those who already write online content and who might be feeling a little burned out, renewing their enthusiasm. Blaugust is a community driven event that encourages people to express themselves in the way that is best for them. It doesn’t advocate a “one size fits all” approach and is very much about horses for courses. There is advice, support and activities available and participants are at liberty to do as much or as little as they wish. Blaugust has been running for a decade now and I’ve participated in all previous events as I find it an invaluable experience, each time.
Blaugust 2023
It is a fact of life, like death and taxes, that our passion for our hobbies will wax and wane overtime. All too often, the realities of daily life just get in the way. The enthusiasm you have in the morning for a great idea, may vanish by the evening when we finally have time to do it. Furthermore, if you do something often enough, sooner or later you’ll either want to (or need to) take a break. Regardless of how much you may love that particular pastime. Hobbies take time, energy and discipline. Sadly, not only can these factors take a toll upon your ongoing participation but they can also potentially stop you from even starting. I suspect that I am preaching to the proverbial choir and that many of those reading this will have experienced both scenarios. You’ve either struggled to sustain a “passion project” and have burned out, or you’ve fallen at the very first hurdle and not progressed beyond your initial excitement to try something new.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 18
As a blogger we are often told by our peers not to obsess over website traffic and statistics in general. There is a degree of sense in this. We should be primarily focused on writing, maintaining an equitable schedule and staying motivated. Stats can have a negative effect on the latter. However, one cannot ignore the subject either. As a writer, at some point you do want people to actually read your material, or else what is the point? I have therefore always kept an eye on traffic and have attempted to grow my readership overtime. The results have been varied. In my experience, you do slowly build up an audience by being persistent with your writing. But you also have to promote your work, which is a job in itself. It’s also something that not everyone is comfortable with. “Therein lies the rub” as the expression goes. How do you attract readers without compromising your own standards?
"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.