Daily Ablutions
Monday, March 1, I will begin writing daily columns for this blog. I haven’t settled on the topics quite yet, but so far, the week looks like this:
| Day | Topic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Education & Other Professional Things | I would like to use Mondays to write about education policy. However, there is a rather draconian ethics policy at my place of employ that may preclude or severely limit what I can say; I’ll be looking into it later this week. |
| Tuesday | Local News and Commentary | I don’t pretend that anyone cares what I think about Iowa City, but I’ll say it anyway. |
| Wednesday | Poetry | I don’t pretend that anyone cares what I think about poetry, either, but in this case I might chicken out before next Wednesday comes. I mean, what have I to say to poetry besides, “Consider using this word instead of that one.” |
| Thursday | Memoir? | Meh. I’d appreciate any other ideas you have. Really. |
| Friday | ? | I’d appreciate any ideas you have here, too. If it helps, my thinking is along the lines of Kevin Drum’s tradition of Friday Catblogging. I would say baby blogging, but how interested in that could you be? |
Two other points:
- Weekdays only because no one reads blogs on the weekend.
- A topical daily post does not a daily theme make. This is, after all, the Internet—the wild west of vanity publishing. I will maintain my right to publish any damn thing I want at any time to my dying breath!1 No, this is about giving myself assignments and a writing routine because, so I am told, routines are how people who write for a living actually get any better.2 Routines are also how people who write for a living say they get anything done. So, establishing a routine is what this is about. With accountability. (That’s you.)
1 So long as it doesn’t conflict with the ethics policy.
2 Why becoming a better writer by editing other people’s work is difficult if not impossible is not a bad post idea. I think the answer is tied to this, but I’ll need some time to work it out.
Comments
February 24, 2010
laura / Feb 24, 10:47 PM
I’m intrigued by this theme/assignment/routine thing, almost to the point that I may try something similar myself. Of course, if I actually wrote down all the things I write in my head while swimming or walking to the PO or trying to fall asleep at night or reading the letters to the editor, I would not need such structure.
I shall give some thought to topics, since none come to mind at the moment. I do look forward to reading your comments on my home town.
February 25, 2010
greg / Feb 25, 07:20 AM
I have also begun carrying a notebook (one of these) in my pocket, which also is useful for remembering to do something with ideas.
Obviously, I think writing columns is a good idea; I also think we should coordinate our subjects on Thursday or Friday! Then we could have a blog network.
March 01, 2010
laura / Mar 1, 10:01 PM
It’s just so hard to write things in a notebook when you are swimming. 80-90% of what I post is likely to be memoir-ish, so we’ll need to work on those Thursday/Friday topics. Could catblogging be extended to something along the lines of Observations of the Natural World?
I will ponder other ideas. Right now, though, I’d better go write a blog post.
March 02, 2010
greg / Mar 2, 10:41 PM
Catblogging could definitely be extended to that, though I think mine would be especially underwhelming compared to your mountainous adventures. Still, I’m game for it.
What I seem not to be game for, however, is actually sticking to this daily schedule. Given the lateness of the hour, the Tuesday post is apparently a Wednesday post in disguise.
March 04, 2010
laura / Mar 4, 10:58 AM
Well, I don’t get out into the mountains as often as I’d like, and I do miss creek life in Iowa City, so I’d be perfectly happy to read about squirrels and frozen puddles and such.
I do think that we ought to have at least one day of pure silliness, or a wildcard, or something for the sorts of days that require that.
greg / Mar 4, 11:04 AM
Friday Free-for-All?
laura / Mar 4, 09:33 PM
Indeed! Although tonight’s post from me may well be a throw-off — it was a long and somewhat insane day, and I mostly feel like curling up into a ball and not speaking to anyone for some time.
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