Languishing

I have a hard time coming up with posts for my blog. I agonize over getting my ideas polished enough to put out there for my wide (hah!) audience. What I do, then, is tell myself that I’ll wait until I have plenty of time to compose something acceptable. Well, as one can see, that leads to a languishing blog.

What I have noticed is that I am not at all reluctant to *respond* to other blogs. Two of my last three posts have been responses. Somehow, I have no reservations about posting off the cuff responses (although I resist composing posts for my own blog on the fly).

What to make of this:

Part of me wants to start quoting Berlin and Bakhtin and talk about how all knowledge is socially constructed and that I do my best thinking in conversation. And, let’s face it, my blog is a monologue not a conversation. I post far more than I receive comments; the reverse is true on most of the blogs I admire. So, of course, I am more inspired to write by an ongoing conversation than I am by a blank, audience-less screen (duh!).

Another part of me has a more practice-oriented, less theoretical response. Many bloggers read widely on the internet, find links and snippets, condense and compile them on their blogs and post said compilations with some commentary. They are glossing conversations, not creating them whole. So maybe every time I feel like I need to post to my blog, I should use my time to start popping around cyberspace, reading and compiling interesting bits.

The whole of me thinks both of these are relevant. (Bill and Erin and other 220Cers who struggle with blogging, I hope you are reading this!)