This is highly recommended, a series where I provide a compelling argument for why you should like things that I like.
Dear Reader,
I know what you’re thinking: “But Nick, blogs were a big thing like 10 years ago. Why would you highly recommend writing one now?” And reader, that’s a pretty good question. A good enough question for me to think of some pretty good answers. So let’s not waste any more time with my patented tangentially related blog expositions and get right into the meat of the highly recommended structure (also patented).
I highly recommend writing a blog.
Why?
A Regular Deadline
I the kind of guy that likes consistency. I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning. I stand in the same place on the Franklin Ave subway platform every morning while waiting for the 4 train. And I like having the pressure to produce and post one of these things every Tuesday. Don’t fear the deadline. Embrace it. Horror movies are much more terrifying.
A Dedicated Space For Longform Thoughts
Most of my thoughts are short enough to fit in a Tweet. Honestly, they’re all shorter than a Tweet. I’ve never hit 280 characters. I never even hit 140 characters. But every once in a while, I have a thought that deserves some serious verbiage, like convincing people that they should be writing their own blog. And when that need arises, I’ve got this (square)space already set up. It’s better than a fucking Twitter thread.
Content To Post About On Social Media
Even though I’m not making 200 Tweet threads, I still have to post. (You can’t not post, right?) Although I’m a fountain of hilarious observations and musings on contemporary society, it’s helpful to throw a link on the TL every now and then. It’s a way to keep the followers guessing.
Pretending To Be A Writer
I’ll admit that I’m easily swayed. So when a high school english teacher indicated that I was a decent writer, I capriciously decided that’s what I wanted to be. A writer, of some sort. So that’s what I tried to be. Worked for the high school newspaper. Enrolled and attended the self-proclaimed number one journalism school in the country. Made the shift to advertising because writing more than five words at a time was a real pain. Graduated and then got paid to “write” for a living. But even after all of that, I still don’t feel like a capital double u Writer. Except for when I’m cranking out weekly blog posts about things that I actually want to write about. When I open up Google Docs and put on my Writer hat, I feel like the Writer I always thought I was going to be.
Fame And Fortune
If I’m really being honest, the only reason I do this is to raise my clout levels. And it’s DEFINITELY working.
There’s got to be one thing you don’t like about writing a blog.
I’m Still Not Sure Why I Do It
There are many different ways I could achieve all of the things I’ve listed above. So why am I’m trying to find them by writing a blog? I’m not entirely sure. Am I doing this because I truly believe I have some good things to recommended? Am I doing this to exercise just a little bit of control over a life that doesn’t always have it? Am I doing this because it’s an elaborate goof? I have no idea. And maybe blogging would be better if I did.
Once again, we’ve reached the part of highly recommended where I attempt to loosely connect my conclusion with my intro. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. But I always give it a shot because I’m a writer that cares about my craft. And if you don’t care, you can’t blog.
love,
nicholas