As I write this I’m listening to problogger interviewing Seth Godin on productivity and blogging. Is an interesting interview.

The concept that is speaking out for me is talking as a solution to the writer’s block. He mentioned that the solution to his writers block is to write like you talk. Learn to talk in full sentences (with something to say!) And then write that way.

As one who wishes she wrote more, thought deeper and broader etc etc this might be useful advice. Particularly in my case because I use voice recognition software, which works better if you can think at least in phrases–or at least not turn the microphone on until you know vaguely what you’re going to say. I get complimented on my writing when I talk it rather than typing it.

It may not have been how I was taught to write, sentence structure parts of speech and such. But it does work.

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Following the lead of others I like this new look

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I was looking through my NetNewsWire collection of blogs and came accross this concept on C Beth’s blog. Six word Saturday.  Described more fully here, its basically to describe your life in that moment or a thing in your life in a phrase containing 6 words. During this disciplined blogging exercise I thought I’d try it.

My six words

Slightly sniffly slow Saturday sans romance.

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I like this idea.

I can relate to what Beth talks about. I have tended to be one of these writers;

There are times when my mind is filled with more blog posts than there are days in the week, when everything in my life can be easily put into a witty and/or meaningful bit of writing.

I remember just before I “seriously” started blogging a friend looked on the domain of my email address at the time (it was puzzling), expecting I think because it wasn’t a telco account that I might have a blog and telling me that it’d be a fascinating read if I did blog. I’m glad she did. I wonder though if like most bloggers, I feel a pressure to be fascinating every time. Indeed the catch cry that “content is king” is championed on many a blog.  I have often waited till I had the post in my 3rd draft stage with a beginning, a middle, and an end before I have started typing or I have just ranted.

I recently applied for membership of BlogCatalog; a blog directory similar to Technorati. It was hard for me to find which category of theirs I would “fit in”. (Oh where have I heard that before?) I was rejected. I’m fine with it. I think they look at the blog on a few days in a row and it might have been during my last “bloggers block”. The email read in part:

Your blog is brand new and/or doesn’t have enough content to make it truly valuable.
If this is the case, please resubmit after you have made more postings.

Ouch… But getting more disciplined is something that I want to develop anyway.

I’ve always used my work and confidentiality as an excuse. That’s true, but it needn’t be an excuse.

So;

Blogging with discipline doesn’t mean you have to blog every day or that you can’t ever take a break. It means blogging regularly–whatever that means for you. It means sitting down and trying to develop a blog post idea instead of waiting until a perfectly-written post is already floating around in your brain.

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Whilst assessing my statistics the other day, I noticed that after nominating myself one month to the Down Under Feminist Carnival I find I have once again been nominated for this.  I’m thrilled. Thanks Mynxii. 

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with no thanks to iinet I am back in the land of the blogging. Been an interesting few weeks and will right write more of it when my broadband box arrives.

Thanks all for your patience

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Ok so this is a shameless plug. I am an Amazon Associate as demonstrated by the search bar to the right of this page. If you plan to buy products from Amazon.com (and yes they deliver most things to Australia), if you could come here first and start your shopping experience by searching here that would help me cover the costs of keeping the blog. It doesn’t cost you extra.

For this week, Amazon are having the Black Friday Sale. Following this link takes you to some great bargains (not just books) and helps me out. Here’s some useful information about the Black Friday sale with deals of up to 75% off.

With Amazon, the advantage is that you don’t have to wait in line, find parking spots or wake up early since you can shop in front of the computer with your pyjamas still on and with a click of the mouse.

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It started with early morning garbage collection this time without swearing or very loud male gossip. From bed with the laptop on the floor I checked my BlogTracker stats. I got a huge pleasant surprise: my stats and hits had gone up quite markably. This as a result of FWD/Forward picking up this post on identity and disability as part of their recommended reading for today (US  time). Wow.

This on the back of the recent inclusion of the organic fruit piece as part of the Down Under Feminist Carnival, this time hosted by Jo. Thank you. Feminist or not this these articles represent some wonderful thinkers and dialogue. It is nice to think my words may add to discussions.

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In September 2005, while traveling I started this blog. That was a long time ago in both time and headspace.

I have had many hiatuses from this medium, hence the four years to get here. I have had a variety of topics, many self serving muses. But I’m still here and I enjoy it.

The choice of The View from Down Here as a title was always designed as an autantonym. On the one hand the reference was to the fact that I hail from, and in fact live “down under” in Australia. Certainly then and in many ways now the blogersphere felt very “top heavy”. Discussions of current affairs seemed to occur in a lively fashion in America and to a lesser extent the UK. I wanted to be part of intelligent issues-based dialogue, and perhaps to contribute to some aussie led conversations. While I’m now aware of more Aussie bloggers, I don’t think we engage in the same way or as regularly. However we are part of the dialogue now. Many who may not be bloggers comment privately or offline, so the discussion starts. even if technorati doesn’t seem to know i exist at the moment. (by the way any linking you feel like doing to raise my authority — greatly appreciated. Having no “authority” in technorati terms after 3 years is pretty sad. )

On the other side of the coin is the reflection that as a woman who views the world waist high, that is from a wheelchair. I guess my perspective might be different on a whole range of topics in the very obvious way and in a whole lot of subtle ways. In the ebb and flow of life those differences are sometimes a lot more obvious to myself and others than at other times. That has been reflected here. All that notwithstanding, my perspective is my perspective, regardless of what informs it, just like everyone else. There are as it turns out a few people who use wheelchairs who are bloggers now too, but I didn’t know that then.

So after 100 posts and 4 years that’s why I blog. A shout out to Jaqi who once asked why I didn’t blog, Rebecca who answered a question and others like Tony who showed me how to do it with grace.

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In a vague half hearted attempt to find blog statistic tracking tools for this blog I found this. It’s a discussion of the trends around blogging; whose doing it, whose reading them, how often people update and burn out rates. Its an interesting read which traces the rise and it believes fall of the phenomena. It quotes predictions that the micro blogging tools of things like Twitter will take over, owing presumably to the speed factor. The article also contends quite sadly that,

Most people do not like writing, even if they have something to write about. Many people do not have time to blog on an ongoi the ng basis in a way that attracts a substantial audience.

The time thing I get. I often as anyone who cares to go through these archives will soon discover, had long hiatuses from blogging. Life gets busy. But as a quick trip to any of the blogging search engines will tell you, there is a lot of power in the writing parts of so called citizen journalism.

I enjoy writing. I always have. There are dozens of half filled journals scattered around as testament to that fact.I use these writing to sort my priorities my interests and my locus of focus.

I now enjoy the process of writing small bits online. Do I think I will become a household name or make millions by the endeavor? No. Nor was that my objective. (But if you want to donate to the costs of upkeep feel free; click on the coffee cup).

I write online to contribute to a larger conversation. In a deliberate act of consciousness even of simply fun contribution. I write here to be disciplined about my words and my thoughts. To help me articulate those bits floating in my brain and give my feedback in a meaningful way.

Here’s hoping we can all do that.

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