Comments on: Rethinking / Refocusing http://www.davecrainonline.com/rethinking-refocusing.html Positive. Growth. Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:10:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: John Ettorre http://www.davecrainonline.com/rethinking-refocusing.html/comment-page-1#comment-1328 John Ettorre Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:20:56 +0000 http://www.davecrainonline.com/?p=1220#comment-1328 People do indeed need to hear from the authentic you. Nothing else is very interesting, and readers pick up on when you're not being yourself. You've actually hit on a subject that occupies many writers: this idea that it's really a waste of time trying to figure out what people want to read about, which is like a cat chasing its tail. You never really can catch it. Eventually, it dawns on you that you should just write about what you care about, and others will too, since there's so much of universal importance with so many of us. Readers don't want you to take a poll about what they want; they want to read something powerful from someone who really has something to say, whatever that might be. People do indeed need to hear from the authentic you. Nothing else is very interesting, and readers pick up on when you’re not being yourself. You’ve actually hit on a subject that occupies many writers: this idea that it’s really a waste of time trying to figure out what people want to read about, which is like a cat chasing its tail. You never really can catch it. Eventually, it dawns on you that you should just write about what you care about, and others will too, since there’s so much of universal importance with so many of us. Readers don’t want you to take a poll about what they want; they want to read something powerful from someone who really has something to say, whatever that might be.

]]> By: Dave http://www.davecrainonline.com/rethinking-refocusing.html/comment-page-1#comment-1327 Dave Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:13:40 +0000 http://www.davecrainonline.com/?p=1220#comment-1327 John, Thanks for the insightful comments. Seven years? Wow! I've asked myself many of the same questions, and interestingly come to many of the same conclusions. For me, at least this go 'round, I re-focused on writing about what I enjoy and like to write about, rather than things I thought I <em>should</em> write about. It seems so simple, yet I think sometimes it's too easy to get off track. Your question about the "personal riffs" is an interesting one. When I first started this blog I was going through some personally difficult times and vented online in a few posts. Luckily, only a couple friends of mine were reading at the time and the posts were quickly deleted. But while those posts were too personal, I do think it's good to share some personal thoughts occasionally. I think it makes that community you speak of only stronger, and helps the people that visit you understand you better. One of the changes I'm making to my blog is to include a category called "Personal Passions". The Born to Run book review was the start of filling in that category and I look forward to writing more on my passions of running (fitness in general), music and art. John,

Thanks for the insightful comments. Seven years? Wow!

I’ve asked myself many of the same questions, and interestingly come to many of the same conclusions. For me, at least this go ’round, I re-focused on writing about what I enjoy and like to write about, rather than things I thought I should write about. It seems so simple, yet I think sometimes it’s too easy to get off track.

Your question about the “personal riffs” is an interesting one. When I first started this blog I was going through some personally difficult times and vented online in a few posts. Luckily, only a couple friends of mine were reading at the time and the posts were quickly deleted. But while those posts were too personal, I do think it’s good to share some personal thoughts occasionally. I think it makes that community you speak of only stronger, and helps the people that visit you understand you better. One of the changes I’m making to my blog is to include a category called “Personal Passions”. The Born to Run book review was the start of filling in that category and I look forward to writing more on my passions of running (fitness in general), music and art.

]]> By: John Ettorre http://www.davecrainonline.com/rethinking-refocusing.html/comment-page-1#comment-1325 John Ettorre Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:33:04 +0000 http://www.davecrainonline.com/?p=1220#comment-1325 An interesting post, Dave. Since I'm coming up on seven years of daily blogging (next month), it's a question I ask myself regularly, but especially at annual anniversaries. I ask myself these questions: Should I get rid of the occasional personal riffs and stick only to my narrower subject? Should I be making this a group blog by inviting guest writers? Should I somehow monetize the following I've developed over time? Should I simply pack it up and go on to other things? In the end, since much of my evangelizing to other writers and aspiring writers is about persistence and the benefits that derive from that, I always decide that the thing to do is to model the behavior I suggest, and I keep at it. If you do it right--and I think you do--a good blog can do several things that I think help anyone: It builds a community around your work It attracts people to your ideas, and their participation in turn further hones and sharpens my ideas It focuses your own thinking on who you are, what you're most passionate about, and what your sustainable competitive advantages really are. If I get all of that, and more, out of blogging, why not continue? An interesting post, Dave. Since I’m coming up on seven years of daily blogging (next month), it’s a question I ask myself regularly, but especially at annual anniversaries. I ask myself these questions:

Should I get rid of the occasional personal riffs and stick only to my narrower subject?
Should I be making this a group blog by inviting guest writers?
Should I somehow monetize the following I’ve developed over time?
Should I simply pack it up and go on to other things?

In the end, since much of my evangelizing to other writers and aspiring writers is about persistence and the benefits that derive from that, I always decide that the thing to do is to model the behavior I suggest, and I keep at it. If you do it right–and I think you do–a good blog can do several things that I think help anyone:

It builds a community around your work
It attracts people to your ideas, and their participation in turn further hones and sharpens my ideas
It focuses your own thinking on who you are, what you’re most passionate about, and what your sustainable competitive advantages really are.

If I get all of that, and more, out of blogging, why not continue?

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