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Saturday, February 23, 2013

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE POPULAR BLOGGER

[Image courtesy of the lovely Leonora Roy}
 
I have found that interesting blogs are written by interesting people.

What makes an interesting person? The ability to be continually fascinated by ideas.

Take Montaigne:
Of all egotists, Montaigne, if not the greatest, was the most fascinating,
because he was the least affected and most truthful.

He desired to leave France something to be remembered by,
     something which should tell what kind of a man he was—
        what he felt, thought, suffered—and he succeeded beyond his expectations.

Good blogs pique your curiosity.
The headline grabs you. The first few sentences draw you in. 

Cultivating a sense of curiosity,
   a sense of wonder and awe at the world we live in,
      is vitally important for delivering interesting content
         day after day.

The world is teeming with so many fascinating facts that you could ponder them all day:

     Did you know that the skin of a polar bear is black and
         its fur is clear?  Why then does its fur appear white?

     Did you know that all the swans in England are owned
         by the Queen?  How cheeky of her!

     Did you know that tropical fish can live in an aquarium
         of human blood?

          How often would you have to change the human blood to keep the oxygen content up?

          What kind of smell would it give off in a few days?

          How would the fish appear in such an aquarium?

          What kind of riveting scenes appear in your writing
                mind from this fact?

What is it about a blog that makes you a regular reader?

Which bloggers feature articles that consistently attract your attention?

No matter what kind of blog or blogger it may be,

I’ve discovered a common characteristic in the best of them:
                                     curiosity.

There are so many fun facts about writing even:
    
    1) Before The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown was a pop singer and song writer.
        His second solo album was titled, Angels and Demons.

     2) J.K. Rowling had difficulty getting published.
         Finally, Bloomsburry Press agreed to publish it but
             only published 500 copies
                    for fear they wouldn't sell.

         They also requested she use initials so she wouldn't
             be recognized
                 as a female writer.
                    She has no middle name,
                        so she chose the letter K for Kathleen.

     3) Sidney Sheldon didn't start writing novels until he
            was in his fifties.

         Before then he was creating television hit shows like
         I Dream of Jeannie and The Patty Duke Show

Now I’m curious to get your feedback on the blogs you regularly read.

     What are the factors that determine a good blog for you?
 
           How important is curiosity?
          (both the blogger’s curiosity and the ability to stoke yours) in blogs?


9 comments:

  1. Blogger ate my comment. I left one, but it's not here. Hmm-m.

    A blogger's curiosity does draw me in, if they like to share interesting topics, or if they offer advice or reviews of film, books, travel, etc. Their sense of wonder encourages my own.

    Interaction is something I also look for, bloggers who will comment back, and reciprocate.
    Like you, and many others.

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  2. My tastes are always changing. Sometimes I like a blog for a while, then move on. Sometimes I show up only once in a while. Its hard to say with me lately.

    But I'll give it a shot:

    Lately I'm drawn to less serious posts; a good joke, a funny ancedote about your day, or a weird happening that is stranger than fiction. Or maybe something serious, but not really advice about writing, publishing, marketing, or blogging.

    Not that I've learned all there is to know, but I find myself less interested in how-to's than I was as a newbie blogger.

    Of course, this may all be BS and tomorrow I'll change my mind and read something totally different. Perhaps it is the voice/personality of the blogger that draws me to them, regardless of blog content or accomplishments.

    Clear as mud what interests me?

    ......dhole

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  3. I have a weakness for blogs that make me laugh like Lily at The Ramblng Moose but then there are others such as yours and Donna at On The Write Track which are informative.

    To hold my interest the blogger has to make a lot of sense or no sense at all.

    The problem I find with blogging is it becomes an obsession and sub-standard material creeps in when trying to keep a continuous flow.

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  4. I guess curiosity does play a big role. New information and facts. And a variety of subjects. Humor is always a bonus!

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  5. That cheeky queen! I don't get around to visiting as many blogs as I used to -- but there are some very cool bloggers who leave comments on my posts, and they're the ones I make a point to visit as regularly as I can. Keep up the good work, Roland.

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  6. Like you said, I am drawn to posts that pique my curiosity. I'm interested in a wide variety of things, so it's not that hard to interest me.

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  7. D.G.:
    Working as much as I do (even now I am on first call), I have a hard time visiting all my friends that I want to!

    Don't you hate it when Blogger eats your comment! The 2nd one is never quite the same.

    I always try to comment back. It is only polite! :-)

    Donna:
    As we grow and change daily, of course our tastes would evolve right along with us.

    I'm always happy to see you visiting here!

    Like pornograpy, what we like may be hard to define, but we know it when we see it! LOL.

    jp:
    Now, you've made me want to check out the RAMBLING MOOSE! I try to make my cyber-home an entertaining fun to be. Hope I achieve that effect! :-)

    Alex:
    Like with you, humor will keep me coming back!

    Milo:
    It is getting harder to visit my friends and write interesting posts as being a rare blood courier drains me of time and energy. I try to visit those who visit me nonetheless!

    Ted:
    The world is so filled with fascinating facts that I fear I might bore my friends with what absorbs me! Come back, Roland

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  8. Good blogs for me are 'not' all about writing as I have an interest in many things. Saying that, however, your blog is definitely the exception, as your writing advice is superb :)

    And of course, a large dollop of humour from time to time never goes astray either!

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  9. Wendy:
    Whew! I'm glad my "mostly Writing" blog passes muster. And humor is a must for me, too. :-)

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