Ask the Authors: Friday

Final day for "Ask the Authors" this month:

Do you have a blog? If so, what do you think is its most significant advantage? BTW, you can visit any of our authors' blogs and/or web pages by clicking on the links to your right.

I don’t, and I feel guilty about that. One of these days I will probably feel guilty enough to do something about it. -Tom Morrisey

Sort of. I write a monthly memo and I contribute to this Blog and also one with Women Writing the West. The greatest advantage I think is staying connected to readers, knowing what interests them, keeping the "buzz up" and hopefully introducing my work to new readers, younger readers. -Jane Kirkpatrick

I’ve thought about starting one, and even put a button on my website for it, but so far I’m not sure I have the time. I don’t enjoy reading blogs about people’s daily life. What they had for breakfast and who their favorite actor is, etc….I mean, if they were a friend of course I’d be interested, but these are strangers, so who cares about their eggs? The blogs I enjoy are the ones that come off more like a series of essays. Smart people thinking out loud about important things. So that’s the kind of blog I’d want to write. But I’m not sure I’m smart enough to do that on a regular basis. (Who ARE these people who write brilliantly about so many different subjects, and do that EVERY SINGLE DAY? I sometimes suspect a whole editorial and research staff lurks in the shadows, unacknowledged. Just kidding.) I need time to ponder things. What you put out there in cyberspace can come back to haunt you, right? So I’m thinking of doing something different on my website, where I might start posting essays from time to time, in a separate little area with an index all its own. That way there’s no pressure to come up with something worthwhile every single day, but if anyone wants to know what I think about something for some reason (one cannot imagine why), then they can check to see if it’s listed. We’ll see… -Athol Dickson

Yes. I love my blog. The most significant advantage is that it creates community. My blog is moderately successful because it's very two way. Because a blog isn't and shouldn't be a professional/formal medium, it allows me to reveal more about who I am and so further build relationships with my readers. A word of advice to any bloggers: If it's all about you, your life, your career, it will fail. Blogs are NOT websites. I've got more opinions on this but if I say more, it might just give you hives! -Lisa Samson (Editor's note--will someone get this girl some Calamine lotion?)

I do have a blog—two, in fact, but I use blogging a little differently than most. Two blogspot accounts comprise my website. I’ve disabled the comments, date and timestamp, trackback features, etc. On the blog to which my domain name (www.deborahraney.com) is pointed, I have links to a second blog where I keep a static group of posts such as “Complete List of Books,” “Deborah’s Bio,” “2007-08 Schedule,” etc. and on the main page, I post current news—everything from updates on writers events to family happenings to my current reading list and links to recent interviews. The site is heavy on photos and light on type, and I try to post something new at least once a week. I doubt I get the same kind of traffic a typical blog might get; still, it’s a great (and free) way to have someplace to send my readers for the latest news, and a site I can maintain myself, in spite of the fact that I’m not computer savvy. –Deborah Raney


I used to blog, but found that regular blogging took too much time and energy away from my writing. The occasional Charis entry is just right for me. - James Scott Bell

Nope, not a blogger. :>) -Liz Curtis Higgs

You know, there are so many things I should be doing as an author but with a full-time job I just can't do it all. I'd love to have a regular blog. Heck, just cyber-talking with folks all the time? How cool is that? And I do have a blog through Amazon, though I don't get to it very often. So I'm not capitalizing on it the way I should. As far as the advantage, I think it puts you in touch with your readers. And that's vitally important. Both to know what your readers are thinking and to help re-energize you as a writer. I LOVE hearing from my readers, and any avenue for doing that is worth pursuing. -Karen Ball

Yes. I don’t know. --Patricia Hickman

I do, but I have mixed feelings about it. I tend to write short essays. My writing life isn’t exciting enough to keep me awake, it certainly won’t interest anyone else. I prefer to blog about creativity and imagination. I have ideas for three other blogs but have yet to act on them. Some days I sits and thinks, “I’m just one 54 million bloggers;” other days I sits and thinks, “People have been responsive to the blogging I’ve done;” and other days, I just sits. -Alton Gansky

Yes, I have a blog. I've kept a blog for five years now. I started with the idea that I would let readers see what went into writing a novel. I quickly found that most days, that's rather boring. "I wrote for four hours today and produced eight pages." Eventually, the blog developed into a potpourri of glimpses into my life -- my writing, films I enjoyed, spiritual lessons I've learned, books I'm reading, my thoughts on culture, etc.

A reporter told me that reading my web site and blog left her feeling as if she'd been to my home and sat down with me at the kitchen table to chat over a cup of coffee. I loved that because it is who I am and what my writing is all about. It exemplifies my brand: From her heart ... to yours! - Robin Lee Hatcher

No blog. No time. No energy. --Hannah Alexander

Yes, I have a blog. On some days I wax profound, on some days I babble about trivia. Mostly it's for my mom and Aunt Irene and whoever happens to drop in. --Angela Hunt

I do, though I'm not a daily blogger--not enough time. I blog sporadically. If there's any advantage to it at all, it's probably to provide information to readers about my books. -BJ Hoff

Nope, no blog. Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday I’ll work my way into the 21st century. --Ann Tatlock