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Bloggers Are Not Writers

There are exceptions, okay. But very few bloggers can actually write. Bloggers pander to a crowd trying to satisfy the hive mind. Blogging is entertainment. Many bloggers are good at marketing, building community, relationships, and especially aggrandizing self-promotion, but not writing.

Crowdsourcing is a bloggers’ anthem. I remember my first blog. I deleted it. The posts didn’t get commented on and weren’t passed around. That wasn’t the point. But for bloggers, that is their mission; to create 500-word packages, bold-faced and headlined, read and digested in two minutes or less, bursting with lackadaisical opinion and junk epithets.

“Blogging is not writing,” the author of You Are Not a Gadget Jaron Lanier agrees. “It’s easy to be loved as a blogger. All you have to do is play to the crowd. Or flame the crowd to get attention. Nothing is wrong with either of those activities. What I think of as real writing, however, writing meant to last, is something else. It involves articulating a perspective that is not just reactive to yesterday’s moves in a conversation.”

Blogging is in its essence, not about originality, but about the aggregation, recycling and digesting of ideas. It is the darling of the open culture ideology of the web, where mediocre collaborations have produced a destructive new social contract, reports the New York Times.

“The basic idea of this contract,” Lanier argues, “is that authors, journalists, musicians and artists are encouraged to treat the fruits of their intellects and imaginations as fragments to be given without pay to the hive mind. Reciprocity takes the form of self-promotion. Culture is to become precisely nothing but advertising.”

We posit ourselves into believing that we’re taking down the establishment, but we’re only contributing to the dull masses, eager for mega numbers of comments, subscribers, fans and followers, and other easily influenced analytics. In an age where anyone can be famous with the push of “Publish,” we have lost the creation of enduring legacies that enthuse, provoke and delight.

Bloggers are not writers, nor are they press, or superior to old media. Where disintermediation in the media shines, where a cadre of reporters has eliminated the need for a specific background (say, a degree in journalism or the need to pay dues at the right newspapers), is not evidence of bloggers taking over the world, but rather that the term blogger is now so broad that its definition no longer suits the myriad stacks of people and posts underneath.

Take a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, a reporter for the Huffington Post, a novelist, a Mashable blogger and a Gen Yer typing about their quarter-life crisis. They are not the same, nor equal, and certainly not held to the same standards or expectations. They are, despite the fact that we’d like to give little credence to the notion, entirely different.

“It’s as if culture froze just before it became digitally open, and all we can do now is mine the past like salvagers picking over a garbage dump,”  Lanier writes. “Creative people — the new peasants — come to resemble animals converging on shrinking oases of old media in a depleted desert.”

Blogging is entertainment. Maybe it didn’t use to be. Maybe when bloggers were first getting started, it was about thought and connection. But increasingly, it bows to the “appeal of a new online collectivism that is nothing less than a resurgence of the idea that the collective is all-wise.”

Writing is something more. And it is in the reading of such writing that enduring ideas, observations and philosophies satiate what we spend hours a day trying to glean from skimming any number of blog posts.

There is nothing wrong with blogging. But let’s give credit where it’s due – to the true writers, journalists, novelists, reporters, columnists, and others who inspire us to boil their ideas down in an effort to hold onto them just a little longer.

Written Word.

By Rebecca Healy

My goal is to help you find meaningful work, enjoy the heck out of it, and earn more money.

107 replies on “Bloggers Are Not Writers”

Well, I guess that’s true, but I don’t think bloggers care to be official writers as known to journalist, novelist, and the likes.

Blogging is more than just entertainment, blogging is conversations, sharing- it is writing. Of course it’s writing; the application of the written word.

Many times in the course of history, forms of art change because of evolution and perhaps because something stands out and is abnormal.

Maybe the “true” writing will become archaic and classic (and treasured as like those of Thoreau’s and Emerson’s, etc) and the new ways of communicating through blogs, tweets, & status is the new trend.

So many authors and artists break the mode of their time, only to be modern in a future generation. (Ie. Ferdinand-Celine’s Journey to the End of the Night, Andy Warhol, MOMA)

Consider blogging as a human culture evolution. And we’re all apart of it.

Blogging IS writing – but in a much different sense than actual writing (if that makes sense). There’s plenty of room for both.

My blog is a platform for community collaboration and discussion – the writing might not always be innovative or brilliant, but it elicits discussion amongst a group of readers. Where as my “writing” (the writing I develop on my own time, away from the blogging world, with the intent to pitch to a publisher some day) is much different.

In short, there are many different forms of writing – and much to gain from participating/reading/engaging in both blogs and printed publications/books. Bloggers are writers – with “writer” being a word of many meanings.

@ Thanh – I don’t disagree that blogging is important and will change society as we know it (it already has). What I take issue with is that we’re ignoring the validity and importance of writing in other forms. And the idea that blogging is sharing and writing is not is strange to me. Writing is sharing too, we say blogging is about sharing because as I mention in the post, it is more about talking to the collective than spreading ideas… Thanks for the comment!

@ Matt – Yes, of course, there is room for both. The problem comes in when you elevate one form over the other, when they’re simply different. Again, as I mention above, why we think blogging is more conducive to starting conversations is strange to me. “Writing” produces those conversations too, just like blogging can be a form of excellent writing. But bloggers tend to believe blogging is superior. I don’t buy that.

I completely disagree with this post. As a professional with over 30 years work experience and who’s a serious media reader, I’ve been impressed with the quality of blogs. Sure, there’s a lot of junk in the blogoshere. But there’s also a significant portion of the mainstream media that masquerades as journalism. There is no excuse for “professional journalists” when it comes to weak research, poorly written articles, and clearly biased commentaries. For many journalists, a return to English 101 would be beneficial.

@ Amy – Funny you should comment like you did since I believe yours is one of the few blogs that showcases great writing. Curious, do you think you do?

@ Jim – Ouch! I feel bad for journalists now, haha. Here’s what I think: there is some amazing writing in the blogosphere. What is popular in the blogosphere however is not indicative of that. It is easier for me to point to quality writing in old media than it is in new media because of the way they are both structured. What do you think?

My definition of writing is the physical act of recording thoughts, you know, pen to paper jazz. My definition of a writer is someone who takes part in writing on a regular basis, regardless if it’s strictly for personal enjoyment, to make a statement, or to connect with others. With that said, very few writers are “professionals” who make a living through publication.

But, I see your point Rebecca. I consider myself a blogger NOT a writer, but I do tell people I write. On that note, I think most people should write because the process of writing is so beneficial to both the mind and the soul.

I agree, mostly. My blog writing is different from the novel I’m working on in that it tries to cater to both the purpose of my blog and my audience, which I perceive as those who leave comments.

When I sit down to write a blog post, there is a sense of urgency and, as you noted, trying to package it so that it is interesting to someone hoping to read something useful to them in 5 minutes or less. When I work on my novel, there’s more of a sense of permanence and, more or less, I write it for me.

However, you say that most bloggers are not writers, but I’d edit that and say that unsuccessful bloggers are not writers. You need to be able to draw people not only with the way you package a blog post, but with what lies within, the actual writing. I’d say that I’ve read very clearly-structured and pretty blog posts that I had no interest in and ugly, horrible, posts with no paragraph breaks that I couldn’t stop reading.

Rebecca,

I can sympathize with the frustration you’re sharing, but I wonder if the distinction you’re making between writing and blogging is the most effective one…if we want to improve our understanding and share our knowledge.

I think there are several “genres’ of blogging, the most common of which is the one that you describe above: short, recycled, playing to the crowd, momentary aha, uncertain lasting value.

There are other genres too– one of which is the confessional (quite popular), and another is blogging about blogging (even more popular).

But there is another genre that I think is distinctive, and that makes a contribution, and that is ‘long form’ blogging.

This is a terrible label (though I can’t think of a better one)… but the idea of the long-form is that:
it isn’t short bits, but rather longer thoughts.
Not predigested and repackaged, but rather original with new insights.
Not entertaining but thought-provoking, and
Not timed to today’s headlines but rather resonant with current concerns.

I would not apply your criticisms, or Lanier’s criticisms of blogging to this form.

Also, let’s keep in mind that ‘blogging’ is a medium, a delivery channel, across which lots of different kinds of communication can occur. Not to *separate* medium from message, or process from content, but to note that they are not identical. We need to continue to play with the difference, and not feel ‘locked in’ to the dominant forms and uses.

cvh

Totally agree, but you already know that :) There is a lot of junk in the blogosphere. And the ones that get attention are not necessarily those that showcase good writing but those that can provoke their audience enough to get comments. Although I love Brazen, I think they’re a good example of that: they front-page content that they know will provoke someone and get lots of comments, even if it is poorly written. To some, I guess that’s all that matters with blogging. But I don’t think anyone should ever confuse that with good writing.

This is a really great discussion point, Rebecca. I see plenty of terrific blogs out there with fine content.
However, the line is being blurred nowadays because, collectively, we are getting our news from blogs that have former newspaper reporters and television journalists. I agree with you: I don’t think blogs are superior, but they are certainly held in higher regard.
As far as blogs being entertainment, I disagree. What about the reporter that blogs AND writes a daily column? I take sports writers for example. The ones I read write both a column and a blog. It’s not just a cut-and-past job from what they put in the paper either.
Thanks for starting the frank discussion..

I disagree with this post wholeheartedly.

Just like there are shitty romance writers whose books you can find in the pharmacy checkout line, just like there are sensationalist hack reporters and just like there are pandering (the previous form of crowd sourcing) columnists, there are sub-par bloggers.

Some bloggers may seem as hobbyists, but that doesn’t take away from their ability or desire to be writers.

I give credit to journalists, novelists and poets for taking a career that’s hard to (if not all together impossible) to get rich doing. Their writing skills are shared by novelists, bloggers and other writers. The skills are transferable, it’s the approach, passion and motive behind each person that is different.

Writing is writing, Rebecca. Blogging is just another form of writing. If you’re a blogger, you’re a writer. You’re just a different kind of writer with a different set of rules (your articles don’t have to be approved or be reviewed by editors and they can publish immediately).

Good angle though my friend.

Kudos to you for the provoking topic.

Blogging in general has a bad name with the public. An example of this is a line from last week’s SVU: “bloggers and important? Now that’s an oxymoron!”

Bloggers are young adults with no lives who blog about their relationship problems, biology tests, Thursday night’s bomb ass party, and the like.

Except you and I know that’s not always the case.

People put blogging on a pedestal when it’s really nothing more than online newspaper or magazine articles. The difference is the discussion element. When you read a provoking article on the front page of the Trib or some great gossip on page 6 of People, you can either call your friend to voice your opinion or just move on.

Blogging makes discussion much easier by allowing you to instantly leave your opinion and keep discussing.

I agree with you that most blogging is crap and I think this is due to the fact that the barrier to blogging is so low, everybody and their brother calls themselves a “blogger”. And to be honest, I think blogging is one of the lower quality forms of writing. There are very few blogs that are REALLY well written and that I would use to defend blogging as a platform.

But that’s not to say blogging isn’t an awesome platform, because it is. I think it has it’s own place at the moment, and isn’t replacing newspapers fully, magazines fully, the nightly news fully, etc. Blogging has grown a ton this past decade and will continue to do so (increasingly so) in the next decade.

What about writers, authors and journalists who start a blog? It’s just another medium to let their writing be heard, a source of information, maybe a collection of short stories or poems. A different kind of blog?

@ Andrea – I love your point, because I think it speaks fairly to the definitions of blogging and writing. I would prefer to be a writer, not a blogger, but like you, I tell people, I’m a blogger and I write. Part of the issue comes in that we don’t have sufficient words to describe different areas.

@ Vicki – Thanks so much for sharing your perspective. The idea of permenace and urgency is quite interesting, and there is where a lot of the differentiation lies for me. Funnily enough, I would say most successful bloggers are the worst writers because they’re writing is dulled down so much, but I know what you mean : )

@ CVH – Great points and I think your comment illustrates the larger issue at hand that there needs to be better vocabulary for what each of us is doing, as well as more mindfulness of the usefulness of each area. Thanks for the comment!

@ Nisha – Yes, totally. JR (who commented below) picks the Brazen posts, so you should let him know that : ) Although Brazen is less about the blog posts to me now and more about networking, which is what the blogosphere is about. It’s social, not writing.

“Blogging is entertainment.” Really? Strange words coming from a blogger. I actually think of you as being a writer, a teacher, a researcher. I find most bloggers to be in the same ilk as newspaper columnists. Not journalists, where things are supposed to be “neutral” and “unbiased” but columnists reach a wide audience by sharing personal stories and observations of the world around them.

And bloggging is not just entertainment. It is community. It is education. It is emotional support. It is personal and meaningful. It defies boundaries. It’s fun too, but I don’t write my blog to “entertain” anyone. I use it because I feel my story will help people.

Through that, my audience has grown and I know have influence in certain communities, namely diabetes. I may not write for the Wall Street Journal, but mainstream press is awful at writing about an illness it doesn’t understand. They water things down and get it backwards. Diabetes *bloggers* are the ones that know how to explain to people with diabetes and their loved ones exactly what is going on in our industry and how it will affect them.

Please do not belittle blogging. It has transformed lives.

Awesome discussion going here. I have a tough time swallowing this post — I agree with it on certain levels, but I also agree with quite a few commenters that blogging is a medium, that there are terrible examples of journalism and novel writing out there, and that there are some incredible blogs out there, too.

I believe the informality of blogging has had a greater impact on journalism and “writing” than we’d expected. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing (although the lack of fact checking is out of hand), but I agree with you that there’s a distinction between blogging and formal literary writing.

At the end of the day, though…writing is writing. Whether you publish it or not, whether you write to garner fans or you don’t, if you put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) in an effort to express an idea and add your perspective to the world, then hey, more power to you.

While I hate that there is so much crappy writing available to painfully absorb, I think we best serve the writing community by using our blogs as platforms for great content and leaving the critiquing to someone else.

Can you tell I’m not sure where I stand? Yeah, I think you can. Great post, Rebecca.

I agree in the overall theme that Bloggers are not Writers. I for one “write” or “blog” about my industry, trends and marketing in general. It helps me create a personal brand and a network. At this time I do not consider myself a writer, but I do consider myself a knowledgeable contributor to my industry.

Your point of view becomes interesting when you look at the power a site like Mashable or Tech Crunch possesses. They have the ability to spread news and drive traffic faster then most resources including the above mentioned resources. They writers may not have the degree, technique or experience as a classically trained writer has but the power at their finger tips is just as great if not more.

I think its really hard to blanket this opinion over all bloggers- sure, some bloggers are not writers…. But there are hundreds, thousands of bloggers who are amazingly fantastic writers. Its just a different outlet for them to share their creativity. In fact, I don’t think that it necessarily changes the style of writing at all, that depends on the person. I don’t believe you can simply boil it down to “bloggers are not writers” its just not that simple. I agree with JR.

Hi Rebecca –
I actually agree with you on this one. Most of 2009, I largely read blogs in my free or non-free time and ignored books. I started to think that books were becoming obsolete even while I organized my old collections in our apartment. I was thrilled that I could find so much info on personal finance and know about so many people all from only reading blogs!! But by the end of year, it started to dawn on me that blogs can only make me begin to think of an idea or at best give me a small piece of info. To understand that idea more, we need the type of discussion that only books allow – the detailed analysis. I realized that I could never have understood my engineering class material without the help of those iconic texts and discussions with those who know more in real life, face-to-face. So, for 2010 I am reading more already!
I actually just finished “Bread Givers” and what I experienced while I read it is not comparable to reading even the most profound blog post. A well told story that draws me in and makes me cry for the character that is cruel and kind at the same time, that feel is hard to achieve in a 500 word post. That being said, I still love blogs…just because I can ask bloggers questions and state my opinion and they often reply. Nothing like personal interaction to boost my ego!! :)

@ Jason – Yeah, why do you think bloggers are held in higher regard? I’d be interested to hear this. Thanks for the comment!

@ JR – Thanks for sharing your perspectiv, and I’m glad someone brought up the different classifications in writing, because you’re right, they are similar. I guess what I take issue with is the crown-wearing by bloggers that they’re superior. Do you see that or is that just another result of the different types?

@ Dan – Yes, of course bloggers are writing in a literal sense. But I was speaking more the permanence that certain kinds of writing has (take your blog vs. your book). Thanks for weighing in!

@ Tim – Love your thoughts and appreciate you sharing. I too believe what is interesting about blogging is the platform, not necessarily the writing that comes out of it. And as the New York Times and others include the discussion element on their old media platforms, that is increasingly interesting. Perhaps bloggers are threatened just as much as journalists? Could be : )

@ Grace – I don’t want to speak for other writers, authors and journalists, but I’m guessing most would say that the process of writing a blog and the process of writing a column or book are quite different. I keep going back to this idea of permeability as the best way to describe it…

@ Allison – I love that you brought up the idea of 1) bloggers have opinions and 2) that it transforms lives. I wholeheartedly agree and it wasn’t my intention to belittle blogging, but rather to say that those ideas aren’t exclusive to good writing, and really, have little to do with it. Thanks for sharing your opinion, always good to hear!

@ Teresa – Thanks for commenting even though you go back and forth because that’s how I feel too. As a blogger, I feel it’s important, and that sometimes I write really amazing stuff, but other times, I feel that I’m just conversating (I made that word up, ha). I’m really looking forward to how things will shape up in the future. Any predictions?

@ Justin – Great comment. The idea of power in blogging and also building your personal brand is really interesting. I think this is where the trend of disintermediation becomes so important. Hopefully I made the point that as control is put back into the power of the people, we can’t forget the leaders.

@ Chelsea – Fair enough. I just read so many bloggers per day (right now I’m subscribed to 369, which is on the low end for me), that I find it difficult to see through the collective. As I said in my first sentence, there are exceptions. I wish there were more : )

@ TD – Thanks for the comment and sharing your story! I think it probably mirrors what a lot of us experience. We’re star-struck by blogging, the internet and all of its free information, but as Lanier points out, good writers need to get paid.

It’s funny. I’m a blogger with a degree in Journalism. When I started my blog, I wrote about how I had been conditioned to look skeptically at bloggers in my Journalism classes. I think that some bloggers are writers, and some just think they are.

Personally, one of the primary reasons I blog is because I love to write. Sure, I like to have comments on my posts, and RTs on Twitter, but not to boost my ego. Those things show me that I’m reaching people, that they are connecting with what I have to say. If I don’t think people will get something out of a post, I don’t publish it.

So, I consider myself a blogger and a writer. Maybe that’s because I have a background in writing, and maybe that makes me one of your exceptions. I don’t know. Clearly this post has gotten me thinking, so thanks for writing such a thought provoking post!

@Rebecca, I think the crown-wearing, self-professed superiority isn’t legitimate. Blogger self-righteousness is obnoxious and I can understand the sentiment behind your post. However, the relativity behind what makes good blogs, good novels and good articles is too fine to apply an “x is better than y” argument. It’s like trying to say rock music is better than hip hop is better than country is better than bluegrass…

@ Sam – Appreciate you sharing your perspective. I too consider myself a blogger and a writer, and while some posts I believe are examples of really good writing, some are clearly pandering to the collective. I don’t exclude myself. Interesting that you were taught to look down on bloggers… what made you change your mind?

@ JR – I think that is too simplistic though. Good is certainly subjective… I suppose that’s what makes the discussion so interesting.

@ Rich – I personally find it entertaining… I’m surprised no one else brought it up before you : )

The point is not that bloggers are not writers. The point is that we are all suffering from information overload. How do we, as consumers of information, determine who to listen to?

Anyone with a blog can write something. May or may not be backed up with facts.

The real onus is on US, the consumer, to use our head and determine what is backed up with real insight, and what is just posted to get a reaction.

I’ve seen enough journalistic junk from traditional media to know there are certain writers I filter as I read. Same goes for blogs.

???
Blogging is an evolutionary step on the road that is writing.

What freeze frame in history is “writing”. Things evolve, change, morph, and will continue to do so forever.

This falls into the same group of arguments when people say “slang” is destroying language. Tell that to Shakespeare. Oh yeah and he must not have been a writer, since he tended to recycle and digest popular ideas.

Thanks for making this important point, Rebecca. The distinction is necessary and can be confusing to so many people.

In fact, this post probably explains a lot about my own internal conflicts and struggles over being a writer and a blogger, and how I can best move forward in both aspects of my career. :)

Rebecca,
I should have clarified the higher regard part. I think now more than ever, blogs are seen in a better light that 4-5 years ago when the blog authors were classified as “just a blogger.”
Now, we see more journalists taking to the blogosphere (especially those from defunct newspapers). Paul Krugman at the NY Times blogs and offers some terrific insights ( http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/). I don’t see Krugman’s column as entertainment.
Thanks!

That was one thing I noticed while working on my novel after spending a year or so blogging: Blogging is a very different beast from writing. Blogging is a blast: It’s instant gratification rolled up in a sticky coating of attention.

Writing, however, is arduous, and frustrating, and a lot of freaking work! Work that is rarely recognized! And when it is recognized, it’s only because your loving editor has pointed out that it needs work!

Some bloggers are truly artful with their posts, but I do tend to agree with you that being a blogger doesn’t necessarily equate you with being a writer.

Many of the points you make are reflected in my own distaste for some of the worst parts of this new publishing world we now find ourselves in.

But I certainly don’t think traditional publishing pulls its weight when it comes to bringing the best voices forward. Getting published has long been very tied to who you know. Even today, writers are often published because they have a proven audience–not necessarily because they are any good. I often wonder how many powerful and revolutionary voices have been casualties of the traditional model. I agree that those casualties continue online, but at least blogs offer a more accessible platform.

Another interesting question your post raises is, what is a writer? You seem to be defining it based on vocation and the structure that accompanies writing by vocation. But are you a writer because you got a job at a paper or are you a writer because, to you, writing is like breathing?

@ Keith – That’s a great point. Information overload and the proliferation of free information.

@ ryan – Ah, yes, of course. I’m a big fan of change and moving with it if you read my blog regularly. This isn’t about trying to stand still, but recognizing the validity of Shakespeare right alongside blogging. Thanks for the comment!

@ Kristen – So funny, I feel the same contradiction now that you mention it. I want to be a writer, but right now I am mostly a blogger. Hopefully you’ll write a post on how you’ll navigate that internal conflict : )

@ Jason – Therein lies something really interesting. Krugman is traditional old media. I would argue his blog however isn’t as permanent as his columns. Will be interesting to see how this plays out in the future, for sure.

@ Parsing Nonsense – Loved your description, “It’s instant gratification rolled up in a sticky coating of attention.”And I think that’s all I need to say about that : )

@ Alli – Such great points. And I think your points about the publishing industry illustrate the negative effects that the new web has on society in general. Lanier talks about this a lot so I won’t try to put it all here. As far as what a writer is… surprised no one else has asked this question before you. And I think it might take a whole other post to define (yes, I’m copping out a bit, ha). What’s your definition?

Rebecca,

As a blogger I feel like you just slapped me across the face with a copy of Homer’s “Iliad” and shouted, “You are not worthy!!!” :)

And my response would be “Of course I don’t.” However, after blogging for only a few weeks I have learned, in my opinion, the major separator between traditional publications and the fast, free flow of blog posts:

Conversation and communication.

I thoroughly enjoy fiction and non-fiction that tends to my interests and passions, yet, I find it hard to connect with people that have read the same books and are willing to engage in conversation. Blogging has enlarged the potential for initiating and participating in conversations related to my interests and value. (This post is an excellent example!)

Thanks!
Kevin

Bloggers are writers. The only difference between bloggers and “established” writers is the latter have passed some arbitrary vetting process based upon pre-internet traditions and rule sets. Overall, there’s no difference in talent, and often-times, in training. Most blogs I read are written better than most mainstream articles and books.

Any idiot can have a blog, and any idiot with money can have a book or other print media. The internet is just a leveling field.

As a writer with a professional-writing degree, a journalism background and a day gig at a corporate-backed online publication, I would suggest that “Bloggers are Not Writers” is a flawed premise in that many writers ARE bloggers … some of whom are producing the most compelling, engaging, witty and humorous writing on the Internet today. Granted, you have to wade through a lot of navel-gazing banality to find them … but they’re out there.

I think I disagree with the statement you’re making, but not the core message. I think what’s happening is the definition of “writer” is becoming far more broad than it ever has. What it means to be a writer is being diluted more than anything. But you’re right, lumping bloggers, novelists, journalists, etc. together is not accurate. Maybe they are all writers, but they are not all the same and they are not equal.

The word “writer” isn’t a useful description anymore.

Rebecca,

This topic is a curious one that I’ve considered often, especially when I was first beginning as a blogger. I was a writer before I was a blogger — and as writing and storytelling are the passions that fuel me, I can guarantee that I will always be writing — whether on a blog, in a journal, or, dare I dream it, in a book. I say this because when I was growing up, a writer was someone who garnered my immense respect and someone I aspired to be. I read F. Scott Fitzgerald and Shelley and Emerson and thought in awe: these are writers.

Then came blogging, where anyone and everyone could suddenly call themselves a writer. Suddenly the boundaries between who was and who wasn’t had faded. I was surprised, and, frankly, initially disappointed. I’m very defensive of writing because it is such a passion and it is so personal, so when I saw that anyone could publish a book now and say that they were an author through self-publishing, now that everyone can call themselves a writer because they have a blog, I felt, somehow, that the meaning of the word had been diminished.

The more I stepped into the blogging world, the more I read fantastic, beautifully written blogs like Amy’s (above), I realized that much like writing has changed over time (originally predominately ruled by men , etc), so is it changing again. And yet one thing will remain the same: the writers will always be writers.

I tend to think that (most) bloggers are, in fact writers, they’re just a very different kind of writer, just like blogging is, for related purposes, publishing, but just a different kind of publishing. And yet, I have to admit there’s still a part of me that believes that there is still a separation between being a writer and being a blogger. I haven’t quite figured out what that is.

Thanks for getting the wheels turning, though, as it’s something I’d like to continue thinking about and a definition I’d like to define, perhaps for myself.

I think that your terminology is off. Bloggers (those who actually write, as opposed to just exposing links, videos, etc.) are writers. Some are good writers and some are bad writers. Writing is an umbrella term that covers a vastly divergent range of genres. There are writers who write poetry, writers who write novels, writers who write plays, and the list goes on an on. Bloggers are merely writing within a specific medium.

I can only speak for me, but I blog/write more for myself than a particular audience. Getting comments and hits and traffic is awesome and all, but I’d still be putting out posts with or without the audience (and I have). To steal a phrase from Mike Birbiglia, I just like having a secret public journal.

But being a writer and a blogger are two different things. When you mentioned “entertaining” blogs, I thought of the massive crowd of snarkily-written blogs, gossip pages and themed image- or submission-focused sites, not the ones based on professional advancement, tips or advice. So maybe it’s a case of entertainment blogs falling into the category you’ve mentioned, while utility blogs are closer to having actual writers.

As a blogger with two degrees in writing, I like to think I stray from the norm and AM a good writer.

As someone else said above, I do write differently when blogging than when writing a story. When I write a story I spend hours pouring over the plot line, character development etc. When I write a blog post I spend a little less time researching, interviewing and posting, but my heart is still in my work. I see my blog as my way of sharing my thoughts on my favorite topic: the merge of fashion and technology. I’m showing just one side of myself.

There are some bloggers though that, in my eyes, just want to get their name out there and get famous. If it blogging wasn’t around they’d probably find some other way.

All we can do is support the best blogs and let the others fade into the background.

My thoughts on the definition of a “writer” are probably too long for a comment. Maybe they require a post of my own. :)

I did want to respond to your reply on the problems in traditional publishing. I think the problem precedes online media–by centuries. I recently heard a great talk on the French salons of the 17th century, which turned out atrociously unreadable but wildly popular “literature.” From what I can tell, if you took US Weekly, turned it into a novel, and set it in the late 1600s, you would get something resembling the product of these salons. But these were wealthy, well-connected women who could publish as they pleased, so the quality mattered little. Some things never change.

I do see, though, that the online “instant celebrity” culture we now have could almost exacerbate the problem by creating the illusion that media and publishing has been democratized, when we are still far from it.

Not having read Lanier (though I did just purchase it), I don’t want to say more because it sounds like some of this is covered. Thanks for raising such an interesting topic.

I could not disagree more.

There are many bloggers who write for the crowd and to entertain; however, I would dare say, the vast of majority of us, with our modest readerships, write for the pleasure of it. We have a point of view to express, and an audience who is willing to read it.

The rationale you presented would lead us to believe graffiti isn’t art, rap isn’t music and lockin’ isn’t dancing; thirty years ago, they weren’t considered forms of art or of having any artistic value. The standards, expectations and training for these genres is far different from their classical counterparts.

The fact that I’m an amateur, being neither published nor paid, doesn’t make me any less of a writer than someone who is. I write in a different genre. I am not a journalist, novelist, play write, poet or essayist. What makes the aforementioned anymore a “writer” than myself?

Saying bloggers are not writers is like saying graphic designers are not artists, only those who paint with brushes.

There is not room to list the generalizations and assumptions you’ve made in this post.

There are times when I blog about serious stuff, sometimes political, sometimes as serious as an investigative reporter. But it’s always well written.

I very much agree that bloggers are not members of the media, nor should they be treated as such, and nor should they be held to the same standards.

Yet, as a writer, I find blogging to be a difficult, yet stimulating, medium to deliver informative and entertaining content on a consistent basis.

I don’t see any reason to divide the good bloggers from good writers, just as I don’t the bad bloggers from bad writers. It’s all crap, when it’s crap.

Well, the irony of discussing this topic on your blog and then most of the commenters defending blog writing being bloggers aside, I mostly agree with your assessment.

Many (note not ALL) of the “successful” blogs I see are not based on content, style, voice or aesthetic. Instead they are based on what sort of sensational piece they can write that will get lots of traffic coming in. Or musing with slightly different words on the same exact idea that 20 other bloggers wrote about this week. With some, I feel like if I’ve read one post from them, then I’ve read them all (there’s little deviation or newness.)

I personally look at my blog as a way to write, but don’t consider myself a writer just because I have one. Especially considering I’m not sure how many people would read it if I did not Tweet new posts, occasionally claw my way to the front of Brazen among the entrepreneurship/SM/travel posts, and network myself all around.

For everyone who believes their blog makes them a writer, I offer this. If given the opportunity for a book deal, would you take it? Or would you say “No, I have my blog and I do all the writing I need there.”

If the answer yes, then you know as well as anyone else that blogging is a TYPE of writing, but it doesn’t make you a writer. It makes you a blogger. So quit Tweeting about writing your newest book/novel/manifesto and do something about it.

I’m kind of reminded of a quote from The Big Bang Theory last week. Penny is trying to convince her boyfriend (literally an experimental physicist) to believe in her psychic (and I’m paraphrasing cause I can’t find it online)
Penny “No, she’s legitimate. She’s written a book and has a website and everything.”
Leonard “Oh well if she has a website…I mean, they don’t just let anyone have one of those.”

Saturation of mediocre has stagnated acknowledgment of excpetional

Rebecca, after reading the title of this post I was ready to launch into this whole schpiel about how wrong you are and how I consider myself a writer, blah blah blah. I’m glad I actually read this ;-) You are SO right it’s not even funny. Half the blogs I read are written by people with no concept of the written word, but they’re entertaining, or know their subject matter intensely.

That’s the key. Generally I’d rather read a cooking blog by an established chef (again, generally) than some idiot in his kitchen. But usually said chef can’t write. Doesn’t mean the material isn’t good, though. Which is why more and more companies/people/celebrities are creating blogs because they’re so often necessary, but hiring other people to do it. That’s actually one thing I do – write blogs for other people. It’s funny how this works.

That all being said, a lot of wonderful writers have blogs that I could care less about. That’s the catch-22. Regardless, EXCELLENT call – this is a great post!

See, I like this post because it justifies my nuttiness. Several of the people I’ve met via the interwebs refer to me as a writer.

I am not.

I have a blog. I have said blog because I like to make people laugh so hard they snort milk out of their noses. It’s not my muse. It’s not my “art”. It’s most certainly not my only “real” outlet for my thoughts.

I’m not a writer and damn proud of it.

I (unfortunately) agree. A lot of blogs are junk food – peppy words, photoshopped photos, memes galore. I am astounded by how many bloggers will simply regurgitate the copy of a company who has asked them to try out a product. Although I am aware that “good intentions pave the road to hell” I still feel many bloggers start out with the honest desire to connect with others, to discuss what matters with them. It may not produce good writing but I still think it has value.

Unlike most of the people commenting on your post, I agree with you that the vast majority of bloggers are not writers…and like you said, very few bloggers can actually write well.

Just because you put pen to paper doesn’t make you a writer. Just like putting a paintbrush to canvas doesn’t make you an artist. To me, you can’t call yourself a writer or an artist unless you get paid for your work. Most bloggers don’t get paid for their work/words.

The “About Me” section on my blog reads: “I am not a writer. You will never see my name embossed on a fine leather book…” I say that because I don’t get paid to write, therefore I don’t feel it’s right to call myself a writer. I enjoy writing and do it as a hobby (for lack of a better word), but the title writer should not be applied to me or any other blogger who doesn’t get paid for their words.

I would think that REAL, paid, talented writers would feel somewhat irritated at every Joe Shmoe running a blog labeling himself a writer. It’s discrediting to the title “writer.” I think writing is a beautiful profession and it’s a title that should be earned, not given to yourself just because you can self-publish anything under the sun on Blogger or WordPress.

This is just a silly post. Bloggers are not writers? Based upon what standard? Most WRITERS are not writers, if by “writer” you mean a person demonstrating significant skill, depth of thought, use of language, and experience. Do you really think the act of putting ink to paper creates a magical difference? Pick up a local newspaper, any local newspaper. Read the local gossip column. Is that person any more a “writer” than somebody writing the same thing on a blog? Indeed, pick up almost any novel for sale in an airport book store and tell me there is significant writing happening.

Blogs are merely a mechanism, a new method of self-publication. Some bloggers are excellent writers. Some are not. The good ones get a following based upon the quality of their content. The bad ones just talk to themselves, their friends, and each other.

The one thing which I can say with total confidence, though, is that writers who choose to denigrate “bloggers,” as if they were a monolithic force of ill, truly has little to say and is not much of a writer. Such absurd generalizations say far more about the “writer” than those about whom she writes.

Just to put my $.02 in:

I have blogs I read because they make me laugh, everytime, without fail.

I have blogs (like this one) that I read because they make me think about things I should think about way more than I do on my own.

I have blogs that I read to keep in touch with old friends.

Sorry I don’t comment more often, or more intelligently.

Thanks for reminding me how to think!

I agree with you Rebecca. Essentially without reservations. Scary? Yes.

I don’t know what people are reading but I didn’t see this as an attack on blogging at all. People are getting ridiculously philosophical when that isn’t necessary to explain what this was: a clarification and a call for respect.

Does anybody go to a professional basketball game and say “Hey, I play basketball. That makes me just as good as any of these guys.” No that’s incredibly ridiculous. Even if you light it up in your under 30 league, it doesn’t make you a basketball player. It doesn’t mean you’re as good as the guys and gals who suit up and play for a living.

Could you hit some of the shots they take? Sure. But to say you could play with them is drastically underestimating their talents and is actually kind of insulting to the amount of time they’ve put into getting where they are today.

How can we pretend that writing is any different? I am a blogger and I don’t consider myself a writer. When I’ve been called upon to write professionally, this has been incredibly obvious. You have to work incredibly hard, you don’t get paid much unless you are doing big time stuff, and the rewrites, the editing, the comments back… it kills me a bit.

I am glad I am not a writer. I am glad I can express myself through a blog and not have to submit articles to a magazine that will be ripped to shreds and be devoid of any part of me. I am glad people get value out of that.

But to call me a writer is like calling me a basketball player. I write. I play basketball. I do neither to the level that a true writer or basketball player does though. I love blogging and playing basketball. I wouldn’t change that. But let’s respect the people that are writers and let’s not pretend that we are all equals. Greatness still exists. Even in writing. And on a wholesale level, they aren’t bloggers.

Hi Rebecca,

I found your blog through Andrew’s post and commented there. I must say you generated a lot of conversation here with this topic which all good blogs do. So, here is question – Do you consider yourself a writer or a blogger?

Marc

I think your statement is too broad. There are plenty of writers who really can’t write or come up with original ideas or make me think. Blogging is just a medium to communicate and connect with readers-same as newspapers, articles, books, magazines, etc. I have read many bad newspaper articles, magazines articles, books, etc. I think the problem is with editing. Most writers can’t edit themselves. It’s just that the blogging medium accelerates the process of getting ideas out. I chose my blogs carefully becuase of the content, just like the articles, magazines, books, etc. I read.

I agree with some bits of this and disagree with others. At the risk of redundancy, I feel that blogging is just a different form of writing. Poetry and prose are both writing, but just different branches of it, if that makes sense. That’s how I feel about blogging.
I don’t argue that books or poetry are no longer relevant, however. Good literature will always play an important role in our culture (or at least I sincerely hope so) even while blogging starts pulling attention away from it.
One thing I have noticed though is that, perhaps because of online publishing and perhaps not, it seems to be easier these days to get a book published. I won’t name names, but some books and authors floating among the shelves these days (romance novels aside) are so horrible I can’t imagine how they got published.
The tangent that this comment has taken proves that I am a blogger rather than a writer. What I’m trying to say is that I respect blogging in it’s own right, but the overall cultural implications of such easy publication, fame, and critic acclaim worries me.

I think your main argument is interesting but also unfalsifiable. If I showed you a fantastic blog with original and insightful content, you might say, “well, THAT is writing!” (Talkingpointsmemo.com, Newspaperdeathwatch.com, etc.) Yes. And yet… it’s also blogging.

Some blogging is “writing” and some is, as you say, just blogging. Similarly, the “writing” that’s found in certain books, newspapers, etc., also falls short of your standard.

Saying that blogging is not “true writing” because of the qualities of certain types of blogs is like saying that journalism isn’t “true writing” because of the qualities of the Weekly World News.

Great link bait, though… nothing gets a rise out of people who blog like telling them, essentially, that they’re poseurs.

I couldn’t disagree more.

You can’t post a title like “Bloggers Are Not Writers”, and then go on to contradict yourself with the very first sentence.

Yes, there are a lot of blogs that aren’t exactly blessed with great writing. I’ve read a lot of books that I wish were never published.

You can’t make such broad brush strokes when it’s obvious that blogging is merely another audience for a writer to tap in to. A good writer is a good writer.

Interesting, provocative read. Thank you for offering up your thoughts, even if I only half-agree. It got me thinking. Too much junk, not enough tasty brain food.

Thankfully, many of the bloggers I know and follow err on the side of excellent writing.

You obviously haven’t read many blogs. I find a great number of thoughtful and well written blogs are available on nearly every topic. Sure there is a lot of junk too. But I find plenty of value out there in my own field.

Blogs are not novels, but neither are magazines. They’re just different tools for different purposes.

Rebecca,

I was just waiting for the comments about this one to start rolling in… and of course, they have. Still jealous you wrote about this before me. :)

Thank you for the compliment about my blog. It’s really nice to hear, because when I first started it I struggled with whether or not I should make it more of what a typical Gen Y blog is supposed to look like. I’m a writer; I don’t call myself a blogger. I typically say, “I’m a writer/journalist, and I have a blog,” (like what Grace refers to in her comment). For me, it’s a palate for my ideas / musings / emotionally-fueled poetry.

I understand the commentator who said she was taught in her journalism classes to look down on bloggers. I think the derision exists subliminally, stemming from resentment; we are angry that our industry is in such a dire state and are looking at many things, bloggers included, to blame for the fact that we have to change. I wasn’t actually “taught” to look down on bloggers in my classes, probably because I graduated in 2005 when the industry was still pretty stable.

I’ve done a few advice-style posts, but in general they don’t really come to me often. Forcing it is hard, even though I recognize I could probably garner more comments that way. In the end, I just post what I’m feeling… and hope it works. I really appreciate that you call it “great writing.” Thank you for that.

Amy

Earlier today, I was spouting off about authenticity and how so many people are insincere. I was pissed off about the insincerity, of course, but I was also pissed off about all the people so willing to jump on the bandwagon. My irritation stemmed from what I’ve seen more and more in various online communities: the fake commodity of being a blogger or “online personality.”

It’s probably true that most bloggers write shite. Many of them write about things that mean absolutely nothing to me. Most of the time, it’s because they are writing with a purpose/to a perceived audience instead of straight from their gut. They also tend to be the people who post a link in damn near everything they tweet.

First and foremost, I’m a human being. I write sometimes. I also have a blog. Sometimes, my “real” writing hits that blog. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been published. But I eschew the term “writer” because it limits me…just as the term “blogger” limits me.

I started sharing the stupid thoughts in my head in the middle of the night, when my Mama was sleeping. At first, it was just me trying to forget she was sick. I’d write funny things to amuse myself. When she died a few weeks later, I started filling that text box with all the stuff inside my head and heart…because keeping it inside would have killed me. And I couldn’t bear to keep repeating myself to concerned people. I’d tell them to read the blog if they wondered about me. I never started the blog intentionally. It was just something I did to pass the time.

Since then, I’ve used it to figure out my life. It’s become a way for me to remember my parents and, in some odd way, continue talking to them. I’ve met really great people through it, but I honestly don’t care if anyone reads it. I’ve gone through many phases of wanting to make it private to keep people out of my life, but I’ve come to accept that my blog is as much a part of me as anything else I’ve written. Sometimes, that exposure irritates me.

I think the problem with most blogs is that individuals are trying to use their audiences in ways that do not honor them. Writing has nothing to do with whether or not you’re paid, published, or disciplined. It has everything to do with whether or not you mean it. I write my blog for the same reason every other “writer” writes…and for the same reason I write the “real” stuff: because I have to…because I have something to say. It does not matter who reads it or why. It matters that I tried and did not hide today.

Not too crazy about bloggers who decide to name themselves arbiters of who is a writer and who isn’t.

Semantics is silly isn’t it? After all, the world will decide, not you.

yep. im a blogger. not a writer.
I didn’t finish reading this. too long.
too opinionated.
not flashy enough.
;P

Bloggers are writers. Period. The rest of this is crap. Yes, some people blog as a means to just express themselves and it may not be well written. But what was writing before a person ever became published? It was just that, personal expression.

Writing in itself is a undefinable process. No one can put their finger on what is or isn’t writing because you just don’t have the power. Also, many of the people classified as writers are themselves now bloggers whether they started out journalists or not. Why? Because their publishers saw that blogging is an effective form of media.

Let’s be honest, the bloggers are being read while some journalists are not. Some journalists are also paid for the facts many blogggers simply write out of the sheer passion for the subject. That is why blogging has grown so much and journalism has not.

The message of bloggers not being writers is spread by writers who want to be elitist in their profession. I would too if I went to college to earn a degree for something that people are now doing without the credentials.

“Let’s give credit where it’s due – to the true writers, journalists, novelists, reporters, columnists, and others who inspire us to boil their ideas down in an effort to hold onto them just a little longer.”

Give this credit to the bloggers because without them we would still be stuck in the journalistic mold of conformity.

Linkbait. Effective linkbait, apparently – 74 comments later, this much seems clear. But linkbait, nonetheless.

I doubt seriously whether the BLOGGER who WROTE this post truly agrees with her thesis.

Oops – wait a minute — maybe she just proved her point…?

On second thought, no. Just – no.

[…] This post on writing (arguing that most bloggers really aren’t writers) has stuck in my mind like the linkbait that it probably was (as per Jonathan Fields’s assessment of the post).  On the one hand, many bloggers are not fiction writers (or maybe they are, especially the ones that are scraping content or putting together content solely for the purpose of selling ads).  On the other hand, some bloggers are great essayists, analysts, journal writers, and entertainers. […]

Rebecca,

Good insight. However, I have to partially disagree with you. While I agree that bloggers are not journalists (and will not replace traditional journalist), bloggers ARE writers. Maybe the style is different, however writing is writing. In addition, many bloggers out there are AMAZING writers…often better than some journalists I’ve seen (if you’ll believe it, I’ve caught TONS of typos in the local newspaper here in Knoxville). I also know of some journalists who have turned into bloggers…so you might have a hard time telling them their not writers.

But either way, great post. You really got the discussion going here!

This is merely proof that many bloggers, like writers in other media, take themselves far too seriously. And extra minus points for the dumbed-down binary argument of the headline.

Luckily, no trees were harmed in this exercise.

Rebecca,

First of all, I love this angle. I think it’s unique and insightful but a little one-sided.

Writing is writing. The techniques in which forms of writing are related to their audiences, however, are different.

If you are a blogger, you are STILL a writer. How good of a writer is is dependent on your skill, insight you put into your posts, content, quality etc.

For example, I run a blog called the “Little Pink Book.” I started writing it for me. I have a background in journalism as well as public relations, and I just wanted a place to express my thoughts on public relations and trends. Eventually, like-minded people found me and now they read what I write.

But rarely are my posts 500 words. My posts are 1000 words or more. At times I’ve been told that I write mini-novels for my articles.

And I think that that is something you have to consider. Yes, there is a lot of noise in the blogworld — but some of that noise has a purpose, was thought out and isn’t really noise, but rather commentary with real thoughts and engagement behind them.

At least I think so.

As a blogger, unlike say a journalist at a newspaper, you don’t have rules. You can say what you want, how you want it. That’s a major difference. But bloggers are still writers and some of them are professionals as well who just need a place to get their thoughts out.

I think that while you make a great point, you are forgetting that there are some really great writers out there who own blogs.

Either way — this is a great topic and I’m very glad you wrote about it because you got me thinking! Plus, you’ve generated a lot of discussion!

Best wishes,
Sasha :)

For whatever this is worth … I’ve had blogs since before 2000. In fact, before there were blogs I blogged by publishing individual html pages.

However, I have never thought of myself as a blogger. I don’t particularly like the term since it is misleading given all the baggage it brings along with it. I don’t write because I blog. I blog because I write. Blogging is just a tool for putting it online.

Of course, it has since become this and that and who knows what all else, or so we’re told. But I’m with the sci-fi writer Theodore Sturgeon who once said, “90% of everything is crud.”

I’ve always taken that to mean there is a lot of rubbish out there but there is still that 10% that is not — it’s gold. Given the vast quantity of “everything” that is on the Internet, it’s easy to get a false impression. I believe the ratio of good to bad is about the same as it is in the real world.

You’re right. I’m a copywriter. I run into this – well, daily. Clients think that because they know how to (sometimes) spell, they’re the best people to write their appeals. *sigh*

What is a blogger? What is a writer? I suppose that we could establish definitions for both and then provide some sort of comparison, but why.

Writers and bloggers share thoughts and ideas. They promote and advocate change or suggest new ways of looking at things.

[…] Bloggers Are Not Writers | Modite There are exceptions, okay. But very few bloggers can actually write. Bloggers pander to a crowd trying to satisfy the hive mind. Blogging is entertainment. Many bloggers are good at marketing, building community, relationships, and especially aggrandizing self-promotion, but not writing. (tags: blog blogging blogger writing write) […]

[…] Rebecca Thorman sticks her fist into a wasp’s nest with that statement. I think the problem with the semantic back-and-forth is that the tool- blogs- doesn’t matter. A writer is a writer, and a hack is a hack. Some great writers blog, come “mainstream” publications have blogs staffed by professionals. Many professional writers are finding new careers in a shrinking print industry by blogging- for themselves or for corporations. Saying bloggers aren’t writers stirs discussion, which is great, but it does not make a great blanket to cover the issue of writers vs. amateurs. […]

As an English teacher, I disagree due to a slightly different perspective. Blogging is writing, which is to say it communicates a coherent message through the written word. However, just like there are good journalists and bad journalists, good authors and bad authors, there are also good bloggers and bad bloggers. The real argument is just what constitutes “good” writing. Take Stephen King, for example, who has more than 300 million books in print. When it was announced he would be honored with a lifetime award from the National Book Foundation, it drew vehement protests from across the world of literature and publishing. King was not the writer Updike was, but yet he was far more popular among today’s readers. So, the title of this article probably would be better served by being changed to “Many Bloggers are Not Good Writers” but yet they are still incredibly popular. Now this is something we all can agree upon!

And one final thought that we teachers always stress to our writing student: KNOW YOUR WHO YOUR TARGET READER IS. Bloggers are extremely good at this, even if they are incredible writers.

Very interesting I came upon this blog post, recently in a social media class I am taking we were discussing a topic similar to this. It is fact that bloggers are not writers, but the question is blogging good or bad for journalism? and what will it do for the future of journalism? We know that anyone can make a blog and post about whatever they want. And for the most part they are very good about appealing to their target audinence, but will this hurt the future for journalists and the news media world? Blogging is entertainment and in no way will it ever be a creditable source.

Well, I post this to you and the link from which this came to me, through Jonathan Fields @http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/playing-writer-god-with-bloggers/

First off, I think you both can turn a phrase pretty.

That said, you have missed what to me is the more salient point: “It’s as if culture froze just before it became digitally open, and all we can do now is mine the past like salvagers picking over a garbage dump,” Lanier writes. “Creative people — the new peasants — come to resemble animals converging on shrinking oases of old media in a depleted desert.”

This, what Lanier points to, is not about writing per se. At least that is not how I am reading Lanier’s quotes. It is an indictment on society, culture and values. He uses blogging and writing to point us to a bigger topic: how we create value and ourselves socially.

I find it interesting that the he said she said about blogging and writing digressively clouds us from speaking to, envisioning and creating digital culture that values expression, creativity, connection that is sincere, creative and not merely market driven. Instead, we are lost debating whether or not blogging is writing.

So, to us all:
“… (L)et’s give credit where it’s due – to the true writers, journalists, novelists, reporters, columnists, and others who inspire us to boil their ideas down in an effort to hold onto them just a little longer.”

Okay, so, am I lumped into the people that think they are writers and suck or the people that may be half-decent at it? I am WAY behind on my reader (obviously) and just stumbled upon this, linking to one of my posts.

I think your angle is an interesting one – though I have to say, I think writing is writing, like many have already said. I don’t claim to be a writer, but I love to write. There’s a fine line, and though I don’t know where or what it is, there is one.

I don’t report on the news, so I’m not a writer in that sense.

I’m not published, so I can’t say that I’m a writer in that sense.

I am passionate about what I write about, and I think that passion, in anything, is a good thing.

Call me a writer. Call me a blogger. Call me whatever you wish, at the end of the day, I enjoy sharing my passion with others – and my outlet is my blog.

Not sure where that puts me in the grand scheme of things, but just my $.02.

Great post!

Rebecca – I just recently stumbled upon your website and am glad I did. My initial impression after briefly snooping around Modite and reading a handful of the posts was that it’s a very smart and well thought-out site with fresh and sharp content and style. Keep up the good work.

I disagree, however, with many of the views you expressed in this particular post. My blog entry explains some of the reasons why:

http://adamsfuller.com/2010/02/07/literary-dendrology-feed-your-writing-tree/

I’d welcome your feedback.

Regards,
Adam Fuller

I think of bloggers and blogs in this way – in this day and age of digital SLR cameras, everyone can take a beautiful, sharp picture that gets many oohs and aahs on facebook. If it happens enough, the shooter will say, “I reckon I’m going to start my own photography business, because I am apparently good, and I will makes tons of money.” I know… 3 people who have done such a thing. “I am a photographer,” they will say. (ITS NOT YOU ITS THE CAMERA, you want to tell them).

A real photographer, meanwhile, has taken hours and hours of courses and seminars, has studied their camera inside and out, lighting to them is a science, and they shoot for free or quite nearly to build a portfolio, they start from the ground up.

In the same way a beautiful set of photographs doesn’t make you a photographer, the ability to type 500 words out and hit a publish button doesn’t make you a writer.

(I understand I am very late, but I was curious as to what bloggers saw themselves as, and had the enormous pleasure of coming across your article first).

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