I am a social geek/ nerd/ cave person. I know this about myself and I am okay with it. I can live with being semi- social phobic and not all that chatty in large groups of unknown people. Some would call it shy. It isn’t really. It’s more like intimidated and growing up polite – not cutting into the conversation. (One of my pet peeves, which I do not talk about, is being interrupted when I am trying to say something).
Anyway, this is one part of my character which does not go well with blogging, the promoting part of blogging. Some say they are shameless self-promoters. This is not me. I am more like a shy, rebellious self promoter. Half of me does not even like all that advertising/ marketing/ commercial and sales stuff and the other half thinks it would be much nicer to just keep writing and not bring attention to myself. This does not work really well. It is detrimental to several of my blogging and fame seeking goals.
Still, I know myself. I know where my difficulties/ challenges are. Do you?
What is your challenge as a blogger? I won’t assume you are all in if for the fame, like myself. (I will pretend I’m not, but I know I want the glory and gusto of fame, deep in my quietly shy heart). Anyway, is your challenge something personal or something like spelling which can be helped with proofreading (unless you are one of those anti- rule reading types who thinks proofreading is for sissies).
We all have these little challenges. No one is perfect. No matter how perfect you think someone else is, just ask them, if you catch them in an honest mood. Everyone can tell you their story of woe and less-than-perfectness.
Word Grrls is my mad science experiment, my adventures with fame and world domination (politely). This is where I inspire people to create: invent mutations, cause change, bring colour into your world. Web writer since 1998. Find me on StumbleUpon , and Tumblr.
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I found you through IComLeavWe, and I couldn’t resist leaving you my very first comment. (Hey, commenting is not easy for me — I’m not going to talk unless either I have something real to say, or I’m posting to my own blog.)
I wonder how many bloggers face the same challenge that you do, of not wanting to bring attention to themselves while wanting the fame as writer. Could it be the reason why many of us become bloggers? Blogging gives us the opportunity to put our writing and our ideas out there, and then to sit back quietly and anonymously while we wait to see if anyone notices our blog.
I know for myself, I need to remember that it is a challenge to balance the two sides of my personality (fame seeker vs cave-dweller). And I thank you for the reminder of that.
I’ll be coming back often for more advice and help.
I’m intimately aware of my frailties. It’s funny, though… doesn’t seem to help me change them
My difficulty in blogging?
(1) Putting up interesting stuff that will make people think but not offend them.
(2) Keeping it short and sweet (although, maybe I am sometimes a little to terse).
My challenges are proof-reading, I often post before doing that one last read and then often have to go back and edit when one of my blogging buddies who is a writer pings me to tell me there is a problem with my post. My second challenge is finding the fine line between sharing just enough and sharing too much. My husband is French and they guard their privacy fanatically, so out of respect for him I have to be careful not to share too much about him. Andi (IComLeavWe)
I hate being interrupted too! I have two older sisters and didn’t like interrupting people, so I’d raise my hand at the dinner table if I had a hard time being heard.
I think my biggest challenge as a blogger is not coming up with creative stuff to write. Nablopomo has been really fun, even though I thought it was going to be a big challenge. I’m not really into blogging for the fame or anything, I think that’s more pressure than I want to deal with, having people *counting* on me to write something daily. I do it just for fun, but I still want to have stuff that gets comments and keeps people coming back.
Dropping by via icomleavwe. Great post! Have a good one!
Since my blog involves my art, I’d say that my greatest difficulty involves having enough energy left to write about my art after spending so much up making it.
My biggest blog challenge is all the little ones. All the little things that MUST be done until I realize I haven’t written or worked on my photo art for days.
I work hard at trying to grow my following because I know my partnership blog is helpful to others. And I just get overwhelmed with trying to be a business person when I just want to blog!
Blogging has always felt self-indulgent to me, but that’s part of the reason why I do it. It’s taken the place of journaling for me, which isn’t to say that I blog what I would be journaling. Rather, blogging lets me see the world with different eyes, and I love to issue the phrase “OMG, That’s SOOOO going in my blog!” In other words, blogging makes my world go ’round, floats my boat, and it mos’ def’ my cup of tea.
Nice to meet you! Thanks I ComLeavWe!
I am not a very good self promoter, either. My biggest weakness is going through spells of not wanting to talk to anybody! Because I tell stories before audiences for a living, I get tired of chatting.
On the blog, when I am feeling overwhelmed, I just stop answering comments. Then I get to deal with my guilt. But, all I really want to do is just write stories and walk away.
YOU will become famous as a blogger, even with your shyness
It seems to me that most bloggers are at least a little shy and introverted. People tend not to believe I am both of those things. I act like I’m bold and extroverted, but it’s just because I have learned not to care so much about the possibility of social rejection.
I can understand your feeling about fame seeking. I blog because I want to be heard and understood. Otherwise, I would write in a notebook. I wouldn’t want to be a household name. As much as I dream of being a novelist someday, I don’t need to be *big* author like Stephen King or *shudder* James Patterson. I would want the same thing I want blogging – readers who understand what I’m trying to express and want to come back for more.
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