Sunday, July 29, 2007

If You Don't Feel Strongly About It, Don't Write It.

Hi. I am doing this article as a writing assignment from Clean Cut Blog which you will find at http://cleancutblog.com/group-writing-project-what-is-your-first-rule-of-writing/ . In this assignment , we are suppose to write about what is "My First Rule Of Writing". So here goes.

My title says it all, "If You Don't Feel Strongly About It, Don't Write It". You know which of your blog articles are your best. They have strength and passion. They bring up some kind of emotion in the reader.

I know that all of the articles that I write don't do that. No blog is going to have that quality of writing every time. This is the level of perfection that, as writers, we all strive for.
From the comments that I get from my readers, I am not doing to bad. I would like to do better.
I want the reader to feel my passion and, sometimes, compassion for myself and for others who have shared my experiences. There is no better compliment that someone can pay me than to say my article brought tears to their eyes because they understood what I was saying in my article. How can I expect my readers to feel passionate about something that I wrote, if I don't feel that same passion when I am writing the article?

I write in the Spiritual Blogging niche. This may not be true for someone that writes in another niche such as computer programming or some other technical niche. If I were in another niche, I might have another #1 rule for my writing.

My goal is to have my readers feel as passionate about my subject as I do. How am I doing?

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your title resonates strongly with me. The only reason I blog is because of my passion, my commitment, my soul around protecting children. Spiced with the fact that I like writing anyway, it is never a chore for me to write or read other's blogs.
I see and feel your passion so I say you're doing okay.
Megan

Patricia Singleton said...

Thanks, Megan, I had second thoughts about this article once I posted it. It is how I feel about most of what I write about.

Becky C. said...

Hi Patricia,

Sorry this is off topic. But I wanted to thank you for stopping by and commenting on the spanking post.

I was going through the comments and re-reading Jon's comments and just feeling kinda creepy and dirty and then you and Dawngirl popped up and cleared the air--and I was back to my original thought: "My daughter more than deserved the spanking she got (and in exactly the way it was delivered) and she is better for it"

I did a short response, and will not repeat it here.

But thanks for common sense:)

~Becky

Patricia Singleton said...

Becky, you are welcome. I still have a knot in my stomach from the little bit of Jon's comments that I could read. I will go back to your site and check your comment. Glad I could help.

Anonymous said...

Hey Patricia,

For me, your blog and writing hits the passion button every time.

I also want to add that sometimes a writer has something to express and that writer should not give a rat's *SS if it's good for the reader or not, because it is something that THEY need to express.

If you ever have something to write about, but you stop yourself with the words....
"What would my readers think?"

WELL...... you better just go on and make that post, because it's VERY important to be true to yourself... no matter what you
perceive your readers reaction will be.

xo xo
Deb

Patricia Singleton said...

Deb, thanks for your vote of confidence. It is good to know.

Anonymous said...

Patricia,

I'm so happy you posted this article as it is a stage we all go through when establishing our presence - I certainly did :-)

There I was posting article after article enjoying the writing process and then the doubts creep in - what if no-one likes what I'm writing? am I any good? should I pack it all in?

But that soon passes and Debs is quite right - write for yourself first and the rest will follow.

You have a wonderful talent and I'm with you every step of the way :-)

In fact - I only subscribe to Eight Sites and YOURS in one of them!

Much Love,

Damian

Patricia Singleton said...

Damian, I am honored to be in your 8. I am truly blessed by reading your blog. I am still processing your last article on Messengers and Teachers. I will eventually get around to writing an article as soon as I figure out what I want to say. It seems to be a place that many of us are occupying right now. You have such a beauty and flow to your words when you write. That is what I aspire to with my writing.

Patricia Singleton said...

For anyone who hasn't read Damian's article yet, it is called "Where Are the Messages, Teachers and Guides? - Part Two. You can find it at http://soulterminal.com/archives/75#comment-190 . If you are asking this same question of yourself, "Where are the Messages, Teachers and Guides?", read Damian's article. You will be glad you did.

Stephen Beyer said...

A couple of you know I just jumped into the spiritual blogging world.

Blogs like yours are the reason.

I'm having the same doubts creeping in though, especially since I have finally got the behind the scenes stuff almost figured out. Now all that is left is getting the writing out of my head.

I try to keep a knowing that anything I write is not really the egoic me. It is the universe coming though me. In other words if I was not suppose to write then I wouldn't be writing. It is accepting what is without resistance.

I only write when truly inspired. But my posts have all ended up shorter than I imagined them to be and my ego wants to keep filling up space because other blogs seem to go on and on in a wonderful way.

Getting over this has been my biggest challenge. I have multiple posts waiting right now to be expanded upon...

Thank you for shining the light...

namaste
steve

p.s. i deleted your post on my site on accident...

Patricia Singleton said...

Steve, thanks to comments like yours I know that I must be doing something right with my writing. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

My articles aren't as long as most of those whose sites I visit either. Like you, I write from inspiration so whoever sends me my inspiration must think my length of articles is just write. It isn't length that is important as much as quality.

I have accidentally posted 3 different things that I had to delete and hoped that they weren't sent out to others. I am still learning too. Go easy on yourself.

Anonymous said...

You've nailed it Patricia! My best and most linked to posts are the one that made my heart beat faster and I felt the most passionate about while writing.

However being passionate about a subject is not enough. I used to write about politics and I was really passionate about all things politics. The more I wrote about politics the angrier I got. Being angry wears you down and I got to the point where I almost hated to blog. I took sometime off and finally realized that what I really wanted out of life and my blog was to be happy and feel inspired each day. I redesigned my blog changed the focus and now happiness is my focus.

With happiness as my focus I find it easier and easier to write each day. I no longer find excuses not to blog. I have improved so much since changing my focus that I found enough time to start a second blog. It is so easy to blog when you write posts that you are positively passionate about.

Thanks for your inspirational post I am adding you to my new blog's blogroll.

Patricia Singleton said...

Wild Bill, thanks and I agree with you. My journey has definitely taken me from the pain into the joy. Thanks for adding the positivity to passion. That is where I am heading. Some of my topics are heavy duty not because that is necessarily where I am today. They are my attempts to reach out to others to let them know that they can find compassion, forgiveness, healing and joy at the end of all of that pain. I need to go back to your Passionate America which I do feel good reading and check out your new blog. Thanks for the link.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for taking part, Patricia.

What a great point - very thought provoking. If we feel passionate, enthusiastic and strongly about a matter, that is sure to come across in our writing, making it alive and vibrant.

It's lovely to see such a positive response to this post, as well. Sort of proves the point.

Patricia Singleton said...

Rory, even though I asked my readers what they thought. I have been surprised by the response to this article. Pleased and surprised. Thanks for the writing assignment.

Anonymous said...

Pat, as bloggers, we're often pressurized by the invisible confines of a consistent blogging schedule and one can easily succumb to that if he doesn't have a strong mission.

What's the impact to my readers after writing this article? What is the value created?

These are the questions I often ask myself before clicking the PUBLISH button. Thanks for reminding me this bottomline again in this wonderful post that you've written!

Cheers,
Ellesse

Patricia Singleton said...

Ellesse, thanks, I am learning from you too. That is the wonderful thing about this spiritual community of people that I am getting to know.

docemdy said...

You're right. An article does feel cold if the writer who wrote it did not really feel up to it. The same is true if you force a writer who's in a writer's block mode to churn out articles.

Patricia Singleton said...

Em, I haven't had writers block since I started doing my blog, but back in the winter I didn't even do many emails because I was empty of words to write. Thanks for visiting. Come back any time.

Anonymous said...

It is so true what you wrote there "How can I expect my readers to feel passionate about something that I wrote, if I don't feel that same passion when I am writing the article?".
I actually had something very similar as my first rule... but then you already know that :-)

Just wanted to say that it looks like you know how to reach out to your audience and be helpful and inspirational. What else one would desire? ;-)

Patricia Singleton said...

Inspirationbit, it was fun participating in this writing project. Thanks for stopping by.