Ethan Siegel posed challenging questions in his post about science blogging. They prompted me to think about my own blog. If you’d ever been thinking about your own blog too, my thoughts might help.
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| Figure 1 Ethan’s blog. Photo credit scienceblogs.com |
1) What is it that you’d like to write about?
I started my blog without careful planning. Shortly after the start, I’ve read someone else’s blog and I realized that I could write about the research I’m doing and about our research group. Blogging was my way of publicising and highlighting my research work. There wasn’t much research to write about at that time. Or, perhaps, as a starting writer, I didn’t see the writing opportunities as I see them now. I started to write about many other topics, including my personal life, hobbies and interests. Sometimes midway my evolution as a blogger, I took stock and divided my topics into three main categories: science, academic and creative. The science and academic categories differed mainly by the language and style of writing. Creative group was everything else. For instance, travel, concerts, poetry, etc.
2) Who is your audience?
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| Figure 2 William Zinsser, photo credit: npr.org |
The first time I have been asked this question was when I talked to Rachel Dresbeck, PhD. I didn’t like that question because I was reading William Zinsser and he said to forget about writing for somebody. “Write for yourself”, I’ve read in his book (On writing well). I told Rachel that I’m writing for academics and psychiatrists who get bored on conferences and who check social media for amusement. She laughed. I laughed too. But there’s a grain of truth in that answer. I write for everybody who likes my posts and who shares my passions. As I grow, my passions develop too. With them, my target audience changes too – from enthusiast researchers and potential researchers to free spirits, artists and life lovers.
3) what are the goals of your writing?
To write a lot.
Some writing leads to more writing. It’s an amazing discovery; one topic leads to another.
To enjoy writing and like its results.
Some topics are easier to write about – on some days, my thoughts flow better. I find it really surprising to read posts that were difficult to write and see that I like them.
To share my ideas and see whether they spark some discussion.
In agreement with my point #1, I don’t write for a particular person or group. Nevertheless, I still want, need, and urge to share my writing with someone. Maybe it’s just the residual momentum from my blogging youth, or a continuing need for highlighting my work/life. Regardless of the motivation, I continue to write a public blog and assume that the silence of commentators = agreement and that “the vast majority of them simplywon’t comment or engage you.“
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| Figure 3 Portland, Oregon guide by Rachel Dresbeck photo credit abebooks.com |
4) what else is Ethan advising to science bloggers?
This is merely a summary of Ethan’s useful tips, some of which I mentioned above:
- write often
- be self-critical and honest about your own writing
- find your own style
- share your work with the online community
- be a real person
- be prepared for the kind of negativity that only the internet can heap upon you