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I think Blogit is a lot more forgiving
than publications. I received some good remarks about some of my blogs and as a result sent them out. They are written in a very informal style which suits Blogit but not some publications. I think Blogit is good practise writing and seeing what people are interested in but that a real column is a lot harder to put together.
posted by
fionajean
on January 24, 2006 at 4:37 AM
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Azur
You write a column, Azur. If your description of a column is 'a piece of writing which is read by a loyal following every day.'
posted by
johnmacnab
on January 23, 2006 at 2:51 PM
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I wanted to be a copywriter
when I was younger and actually had an opportunity but didn't take it. I think it would quickly have taken the joy out of writing at the time and I definitely wasn't ready for it. But I do sometimes wonder...
posted by
malcolm
on January 23, 2006 at 9:21 AM
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Azur, this was a most interesting post.
Of course I have dreamed of being a columnist for the Kansas City Star. I've read it since my mother taught me how to read before I ever went to school. But, it was always that, just a dream and I went on to other things.
posted by
TAPS.
on January 23, 2006 at 8:13 AM
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Dennison_Mann
Are you saying that my eyes deceived me? You seem to infer my post is inaccurate but it is based on my own experience and observation.
You posted with reference to New York Times columnists but I did not. I mentioned a daily columnist whose work I used to edit frequently. I mentioned him only because that was an experience I could draw on. I am not sure why it is vital for my readers to know that you compared bloggers to weekly (not daily columnists.) I think a daily columnist or blogger writes a lot more articles, posts and words than a weekly columnist.
Some columnists may have a retinue of helpers - you may have insights of that with regard to the NY. In my experience, columnists draw on the same pool of help as other writing staff. I recall a couple of columnists who each had one dedicated personal assistant who helped with the postbags and oversaw their schedules but that was it - there was no vast team.
I think that some bloggers do work hard.
Sorry to be away so long before replying
posted by
Azur
on January 23, 2006 at 5:11 AM
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Azur
A real pleasure to read you luv and yup, now I do have a sense of what a columnist goes through. I,d starve to death. lol
posted by
WileyJohn
on January 22, 2006 at 8:36 PM
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Azur,
I read your post and then clicked over to Dennison Mann's, and I feel I've gotten an education, as much from the commetns as both your posts. It all seems to boil down to blogging for love, but also having internally imposed standards, personality traits that lead to determining when and how we post and in what categories, as well as whether for what reasons.
I like your word "bash", it seems like an appropriate word.
posted by
Blanche.
on January 22, 2006 at 6:07 PM
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I once made wedding cakes...
...on time and on budget. My point is this; it does not matter if you are doing what you love if you have to do it for someone else under restriction. That dream simply becomes work like anything else. Yes, I made wedding cakes and I was paid handsomely but in the end, my art and my creative process was dictated by the dollar. To write for money is a dream that many have but few understand the committment required to write for colums, for magazines, for literary journals... Azur, your writing is very well honed and brilliant, forget the columns, where is the best seller?
posted by
First_Fig
on January 22, 2006 at 5:35 PM
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In The Interest Of Accuracy...
I think it's vital that your readers know that I compared bloggers to weekly (not daily columnists.) Also, nobody writes a daily column for the New York Times. Even the most frequent writer for the NYT publishes a column only twice a week. And let's all remember that writers like Maureen Dowd, David Brooks, William Safire and Gretchen Morgenson benefit from a staff of fact checkers, transcribers, and personal assistants to generate their biweekly columns.
I maintain that bloggers work harder to generate even their unedited, under researched, and inaccurate (ahem) entries every four hours--just to stay on top.
DM
posted by
Dennison..Mann
on January 22, 2006 at 5:29 PM
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What a great post Azur!
The idea of being a columnist is a dream for me but I've got lots of dreams! I think I'd flourish under a deadline but as you say, one can't really predict how easy or difficult it might be...I'd still love a shot! With time moving on though I'd probably only be able to write for a senior's audience! Where does life go when you're busy dreaming!!!!
posted by
ginnieb
on January 22, 2006 at 4:28 PM
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Very true... very true.
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on January 22, 2006 at 3:36 PM
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Thanks! This May Help Me to Decide That I Need to Stick to My Occupation
In addition, write here for fun and read as I chose!! I am not sure that I am able to write on demand!! Nice and essential information!!
posted by
Dr_JPT
on January 22, 2006 at 3:18 PM
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great piece
Like pretty much any literary form, blogging, I believe, takes its value both from what the writer brings to it and from what the reader needs from it. For that reason, the quality of various offerings are bound to differ. Despite that, what you have offered here is quite excellent. Thank you.
Aberjhani
posted by
Aberjhani
on January 22, 2006 at 2:11 PM
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Azur--- I too had a newspaper column
at a young age. It was great fun because I could write about anything that I wanted to. I've never had a problem with deadlines, maybe because of my anal nature and/or maybe because of my good journalism-school training. Today, I write a column (with photo by-line) for a major magazine, but it's not nearly so much fun because I am limited as to subject. As a newcomer to blogging, I find that it does rekindle that feeling that I had as a newspaper columnist because of the freedom to write about anything, and I like that. Have to admit, though, I've been a bit surprised by the incestuous nature of some in the blogging community. So far, I'm seeing two major factions: 1. Those who really care about the art of writing and/or saying somethng of significance. They don't really care so much about attracting big numbers of readers. 2. Those who don't care so much about the craft and the content, but do want to attract big numbers of readers--- and make more money. It's verrrry interesting.
posted by
Jazwolf
on January 22, 2006 at 1:50 PM
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Azur
I view my blog as a column of sorts too. Luckliy I don't ahve a deadling every day (although I do try to post before the "1 day" comes up on my write page) I don't know if I have what it takes to write a daily column.
posted by
MerryAnne
on January 22, 2006 at 1:20 PM
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Having a column sounds fun...
too bad I have no idea how you'd even get one...plus I'm sure you'd have to start at the bottom and pay your dues and such. It is hard to return to the bottom of anything...
posted by
FactorFiction
on January 22, 2006 at 11:18 AM
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