Christopher Accepts and Resigns as Editor in Less than 24 Hours
A few months back, I was just like every reader here at Fuel Your Blogging. I was a blogger with the passion to connect with the community here at Fuel, spark conversation, make new friends, explore new ideas, and maybe even create a career in the process.
Hey, my name is Christopher Rice — I wrote this and this – and today I’d like to make two announcements.
First — I’ve accepted the role as Editor of Fuel Your Blogging
As a huge fan of both the Fuel Network and the team behind it, joining the team as Editor is something I never would have dreamed possible when first hearing about Fuel Your Blogging. The desire was there, but it just seemed out of my league … I mean, look at the design of this blog!
Still, I was determined to get involved so I offered my first contribution, “Are You Giving Your Readers to Revisit Your Blog?” The experience was a lot of fun and the community was awesome, but I wanted more involvement. Long story short, I was invited to join the team as co-editor alongside Brandon Cox. Today marks my first day on the job as you may have caught the initial announcement on the Fuel Network Blog.
I’m looking forward to connecting with you, explore ideas, and continue forward with you not only as an Editor, but as your friend and blogging buddy.
Second– I’m resigning as Editor
Though the past few hours as Editor have been fun and extremely exciting, I’m afraid blogging is simply too hard for me to continue this journey as Editor. I’m extremely disappointed … I mean, I’ve already spent like eighteen minutes brainstorming the next post … and I’m just done with it, you know?
It was going to be an explosion of double-viral ninja #win content smothered in epic amounts of awesome sauce, but again … blogging just takes too much work … too much time.
I was thinking about giving it another shot, but I’m not sure … I’d need some serious convincing.
I’d like to leave you with one question: Are you ready to quit blogging?
As a blogger that just threw in the towel, I’m very interested in hearing what you think about blogging. Are you ready to quit? Are you set on continuing forward?
If you did quit blogging, what would you miss the most about it?
Post your thoughts and ideas in the comments section, then let me know over at Twitter … I’ll be spending a lot of my time there as it enables me to just wing it now and then if I feel particularly active.
I’ve given up blogging in the past. I was going through a bad patch and had just ended a very unhappy relationship with a girlfriend. I sold my blogs to someone but within a month I was itching to start blogging again. Writing is something I love to do, have done since I was about 7. :)
Luckily the guy I sold my blogs to was looking to sell them as he didn’t have time to run them as he had hoped, got them back for a cheaper deal than I had sold them for as well. :P
I feel you, Dean. Life gets tough sometimes … sometimes tougher for some than others.
But it all works out one way or another. Glad to hear you got your blogs back!
I had a writing blog, but felt I wanted to say more to a wider audience, so i opened another blog. Then ran out of things to say, and didn’t like how quicklime anonymity disappeared. I felt less like I could day what I really wanted to say, so I shut it down and am back to just one narrowly focused blog again. I like it that way.
Can you expand on this a little MJ? I’d love to hear more about your struggle with the anonymity, and how it ultimately affected your style of blogging …
I’ve heard bloggers grow followers like no other, but shortly after discovering they’d grown a following they became crippled in a way … too worried to express their point of view in fear of offending a reader or two … worried of whether their readership would approve …
Is that something you experienced with your broader blog?
Thanks for sharing.
Yes, that’s exactly what I experienced and what a lot of bloggers go through, eventually. Even though people in my “real life” might not know or be able to find my blog, the people I know “online” do… if you travel in a tight circle, there’s no way to emote about “Irritating Incident with online girl” because online girl reads your blog. Even if you do emote about real life, Online Girl knows someone who knows someone who knows me in real life… It’ll get around. I found myself running down the list of potential happenings before I posted something– who would find this and would someone be offended or hurt by something I said?
This post from blogger and author Pasta Queen totally sums up how I was feeling months before I shut down my blog: http://pastaqueen.com/blog/2010/05/not-sure-what-to-say/
Blogging, especially on a personal level, is supposed to be cathartic… a completely anonymous (if you want it to be) medium for speaking your mind, saying what you need to say and then standing behind it, because no one is supposed to know who you are. Unfortunately bits of us come out without our intent and soon your readers feel like they know you.
As well, I find that my opinions change a lot based on my experiences. If I said blue was my favorite color, and then had a lot of experiences with red and months later declared that I was enamored with red, I’d get 10 responses that said, “I thought you said BLUE was your favorite color?!?!?” People hold onto things you say and throw it back in your face, as if you aren’t ever supposed to change or grow. Heaven forbid you change your mind on something– that has to be a completely separate announcement.
I found personal blogging to be a little too “me” focused. As my friend Sarah calls it, “Navel Gazing”. So much introspection… and I’m not that deep.
And even though it was “me” focused, I still felt like I couldn’t say the things I really wanted to say. And then I was paying monthly for hosting and annually for a domain and not using it, so I shut it down and haven’t looked back. I have a private journal now, to which no one has access. It is only there that I am my real self.
Wow … thanks for sharing your experience, Miss. I know quite a few bloggers that need to read this.
Christopher,
I’ve thought about quitting… countless times. But for some reason – I just can’t. I’m compelled to continue on despite all of the difficulties that come with it. Why? Because I believe there are just too many amazing opportunities that I’d miss out on. I see blogging as my door to infinite possibilities. Blogging keeps me on my toes with its unpredictability and excitement. I just never know what’s going to happen next. Despite all of my exhaustion, whenever I reach a new milestone, it re-energizes me and keeps me moving.
But you’re right, it is hard work, but that’s why it’s extremely important to find a group of dedicated blogger friends to team up with to take some of the strain away.
I’m with ya, Kiesha.
Just as the personal computer frenzy in the 70’s and 80’s, blogging is evolving every day and we’re all experiencing it for the first time, no matter if we’ve been blogging for 10 years or 10 minutes.
Glad to be here with all of you in our own little blogger’s club!
This was posted on April 1st, are these commenters serious?
I was half-joking in my post, but raised some serious points to which a lot of bloggers can relate.
Most of the funny reactions were on Twitter shortly after posting.
By the way, the design of your blog is cosmawesome!
Yeah I’m totally serious but thanks for asking.
Thanks again for sharing, MissM. Your comment should have been a post in itself.
If you’re ever interested in contributing an article, let me know. :)
@ChristopherR2D2
I’ve given up and picked up blogging way to many times over the years. I believe I have much to say but not enough consistency on my topics. there is to much junk out there already and that I might be better suited at guest contributing and leaving comments.
I wonder if I could make a career out of professional commenter?
Hahaa, I’m pretty sure there are professional commenters out there … though they work in the dark arts :[ … see this post http://goo.gl/zXLsE
I think you’ve really nailed it on the head … bloggers are in essence professional commenters (assuming they earn money from it), because we draw commentary on the world around us. Whether we talk about sports, tech, love, or politics, we’re talking. As you can probably tell from a lot of blogs online, the commetnts are quickly diminishing due to more social forms of commentary (Twitter, Facebook, G+), but I think it’s more of a convenience thing … perhaps there’s a post in here somewhere :)
In terms of your own commenting, it sounds like you need a personal blog :) ( http://goo.gl/waBfB )!! Regardless, always feel to hang with us here at the family of Fuel blogs and add your commentary if it doesn’t fit in with your other topics!
There’s nothing more stimulating than community interaction.
Christopher, Loved the way you conveyed the mixed feelings that so many bloggers experience. I’ve heard that the majority give up before long and, like them – and you, I’ve been tempted. There seems so much to learn, and so many social media corners to visit, and other blogs to read that I hardly have time for my own work. However, I love writing and blogging gives me an opportunity to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and in some small way to motivate people, albeit only a few, so I’m not giving up any time soon.
We live in a rapidly changing world due to all the awesome advances from tech companies — though Apple surely produces exceptional design, wooing our interest in sleek products, I think it’s even more awesome that the advances are helping change the way we communicate for the better.
Right now, as you may have guessed, I’m standing in an Apple store replying to an entire group of people interested in blogging. Not only am I surrounded by the good folk at Apple, but I get to take all of you guys with me :)
Communicating with people is getting easier and easier, which, as you said, enables us to share ideas, thoughts, feelings, and our experiences.
I’m really excited to see where we go in the next 10 years … when things change so fast, everything’s possible.
Cheers.