Tuesday, April 3, 2018

On blogging in a post-blogging era

I started this blog years ago at the suggestion of my great friend Lisa Bickmore.  And, lo, it has served me well as a place to capture the moment--bits of ideas and experiences and memories that I often later turned into full-blown columns.

Well, things changed.  How, you ask?  Let me list a few of the ways.

1.  Blogging seems to be less relevant or popular or whatever.  People have moved over to Instagram or Twitter or Facebook.

2.  I started losing interest in blogging myself.  I was all been there, done that.

3.  Besides, I still had my column in the Trib.

Long story short, I more or less abandoned the blog.

And then around Christmas I got the news that the Trib would be eliminating my column.

I wasn't surprised by the news.  Papers everywhere are trying to figure out their next move and the feeling downtown was that the column wasn't pulling its own weight.  That happens--many columns have limited life spans--and I accepted the news reasonably well, especially since I still have the advice column, which is a joy to write.

What I didn't expect was how much I miss writing that column.  I've done a version of it for almost 35 years--first at Parent Express, then at The Deseret News, and finally at The Trib.  The column allowed me to record a variety of life experiences while I was in the middle of them.  What a great gig!  And I'm so grateful to all those readers and editors who gave me that opportunity.

I tinkered with the idea of publishing in other arenas--and maybe I can still do that.  But it occurred to me that my blog was still here, just waiting for me to throw something random at it a few times each week.

So here I am.  Still.

Thanks for dropping by.




6 comments:

AmyLynne said...

I'll read anything you write, Ann. Forever. Keep doing it!

Jim said...

Good to see your blog. Lets make an agreement: You write, I read. Win-win.

Lisa B. said...

Girl, when you mentioned the encouraging words from our mutual friend Wade Bentley, I thought: ANN HAS A BLOG and why am I not reading it? Well, for crying out loud. I've got a perfect blog post of my own to write tonight, so I'm gonna. And I love love love that you are writing here, for however long and whenever. Let's blog.

Heidi said...

I’m so glad you’re writing here and that I get to read what you write. Thank you!

Adrianna said...

I often love your blog more than your other stuff. I think it's your most authentic voice and who you are is a pleasure to read. Witty, intelligent, whimsical, honest. I'd be sad if you quit it. (No you don't know me. )

Lauren said...

Idea: write a monthly column to bring to this one monthly writers' group gathering I know about. You have to bring enough copies for everyone there and let somebody else read it. I've heard they're a "closed" group, but... well, you're YOU.
Blogging is still alive and well, but now it's a way to drive visitors to your site through keyword research. I mean, that's exciting stuff, yo.
Keep blogging. Don't research keywords.