To some people the flourishing of the blog meme is annoying. It’s not just the sound of the word, there’s also the ascendancy of a certain model of writing on the web. I’ve sometimes mentioned my breathing room experiment and how it was a sort of daily (if possible) meditation. An attempt at aware writing, noticing of things, honing my chops as a writer, my voice as a narrator.
Just as some consider the blog “model” (for lack of the better word) limiting and tout the rewritable wiki concept, others criticize the artistic tip of blogging, as a disposable, shallow medium. Someone from ryze.org just sent me a link to 100words, a site that features monthfuls of daily entries from participants, each 100 words long. The rules are strict:
A new 100 Words batch begins on the first of each month and ends on the last day of that month. Everyone who agrees to participate writes 100 words every day without exception. Participants must complete the entire month in order to be included.
You are expected to write ON THAT DAY and FOR THAT DAY. Please do not “write ahead” and do not “catch up” at the end of the month. 100 Words is about capturing life on a daily basis, and then examining those days across a period of time.
I remember the exact same kind of aversion to “catching up” or backfilling. It’s more a matter of “write here now.”
For my part, I pledge that I will not post on autopilot. When I have nothing to say, I’ll keep silent. For the moment, though, I seem to be on a roll.