We all have rules about how we blog, or at least guidelines. This month I’ve been thinking about what we don’t talk about on our blogs.
Obviously, the scope of this blog is about books. So how much should I write about non-bookish things? I like to incorporate a few non-bookish things in my monthly wrap-ups. I’ve thought about what are the things I know something about and that others might be interested in, like travel or yoga or education or not having children. But it’s a book blog, why would you be interested in those things?
And then there’s the privacy issue. When I started this blog, my husband asked for only a few things: limiting personal photos and identifying information, including his name, our family, and what we do for a living. I don’t find that too limiting, although I’m frustrated by referring to him as “husband” – I long for a catchy nickname but haven’t invented one yet. Suggestions? Cheryl Strayed, aka Sugar, used “Mr. Sugar” in her columns, so I suppose my beloved could be Mr. CurlyGeek. That’s a mouthful though!
The question is always how personal to get on the blog. I’m always conscious of not wanting to share too much personal information, mainly because I know my family and my in-laws read the blog (as well as some people I work with). How much do you hold back because of who reads your blog?
Of course, book reviews don’t tend to get too personal. But sometimes they do, or they could. For example, reading David Nicholls’ Us really made me think about my parents’ relationship and their divorce. But knowing they’re reading makes that a topic I’m not going to write much about.
I want you as readers to know who I am, and that’s not easy to convey through book reviews. Sometimes I just have the urge to write about more personal things, but I’m not sure this is the place. I’ve thought about trying a once a month post on a more personal topic.
Again, that goes back to who’s reading the blog, and that will limit what I’m willing to talk about. But maybe it’s time to stretch a little bit.
There’s a recent post on The Blogess (I love her blog) about what it means to blog, and who you’re writing for. Jenny Lawson is brilliant, and what she’s learned from her blog and her two books is that people care more about her struggles and weaknesses than when she’s just being funny. In fact, talking about her struggles HELPS people.
But that’s not me — sure, I have childhood issues, family issues, work issues, confidence issues, and just the general this-freaks-me-out-and-I-don’t-know-why kinds of issues. But you don’t want to hear about that, do you? This is a book blog, after all.
For my fellow bloggers, what do you NOT write about on your blog?
The Book Blogger Discussion Challenge is hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction. Check out this link for other great discussions about blogging and reading.
