Linkage: Bloggers Anonymous, and six ways to avoid it (Dale)

This one goes out to our friend Bill, a.k.a. the Maverick Philosopher, a.k.a. blogger on sabbatical.

It’s going to be long month! 🙂 “Just one little post, one little post!”

Seriously, I completely understand Bill’spain. Blogging can prevent one from following up on and developing ideas all the way through – as in all the way through to publication. I would like to find a way to have blogging feed and encourage my more serious writing. How might that actually work though? This is what I’ve determined so far.

1. Resist posting every day. This hurts the readership, I’m sure. But one a day, I’m guessing, becomes twice and three times a day. And that probably entails a lot of web-surfing.
2. If you’re an academic blogger, don’t pay to much attention to readership. You’re about truth (let us hope), not the number of eyeballs witnessing your posts. If you really wanted the latter, you’d be posting gossip about movie stars.
3. It’s easier to stay at your work when your blog is narrowly focused, like this one. Then at least some of your posts will be somehow relevant to what you’re doing, now or later.
4. Develop that idea by doing a whole stinkin’ long series on it. But keep each post short.
5. Group blogging is better. Let others drive. Riding still takes time and energy, but less.
6. Share the love. Not every post has to be some sort of virtuoso display of your own abilities. Don’t take it too seriously. When you see some fellow blogger doing something interesting, say to yourself – “Mmmm… that looks like some good Linkage.” Then, link it. Quick post. Now back to work.

I’ve thought of posting paper drafts. But that sort of violates the writing standards of this medium… Ladies and gentlemen – other suggestions? Prosblogion dudes?