Ken Wilson was right (as usual). “The decision to blog is fraught with doubt – e.g. is it an act of pure narcissism? Put thoughts like that to one side – the public will decide”
It’s an issue that has been bothering me for some time and it is why I arrive with some trepidation at the gates of the blogosphere (does the blogosphere have gates?).
I have outlined my doubts below and attempted to address them as best I can. This exercise may just be one of pure catharsis, but it serves to assure me that my motivations are well-intentioned and allows me to keep myself in check. The fact these ‘justifications’ are out there, makes them tangible I feel. Only when I feel I’ve worked out my hesitations with this medium, will I then let myself loose on the unsuspecting internet.
1. Who are you to blog? Is anybody bothered about what you have to say and will they read your blog anyway?
These questions are the ones which have concerned me the most. What right do I have to throw my opinions out there into the wider world? I started to look for some of the other blogs that are out there, not just in English Language Teaching (ELT), but across all subjects. Let me just say, and it probably comes as no surprise, but there is some weird s**t out there! People really do write about anything and everything. Some of it is well-written, some of it not. As we know, the internet has given us the all the opportunity to be writers, to throw our ideas, dreams and concerns out for public consumption and criticism. As such, much of the quality is diluted, both in terms of subject matter and style. However it remains up to the reader to choose what they will and will not consume. So, my internal monologue went something like this: You have as much right as anyone else to share what is important to you and you should do so with gusto and pride! All you should do is write. Write for the creative, academic and emotional satisfaction – for nothing but the need to write. If people feel the need to read, then be honoured. If they don’t, do not feel hurt.
LESSON 1: You should ‘just write’ and not be deterred by no visitors.
2. Isn’t the ELT blog arena a saturated market already?
With so many well-respected names and blogs out there, it’s nerve-wracking trying to compete. But this is my mistake isn’t it? It’s not a competition. Internal monologue: Nobody else is you and nobody else has the same things to say as you; the same opinions; the same sense of humour and the same priorities. So your take will always be unique won’t it?
LESSON 2: You’re unique and your output will therefore also be so.
3. Isn’t this a narcissistic act of self-promotion?
If it were about promoting myself, yes I would agree. Personally I come as a newbie to the blogosphere with nothing to sell and an underinflated sense of my own self-importance. Internal monologue: As long as you keep yourself in check and remain passionate about what you write, this won’t get a look-in.
LESSON 3: If you’re concerned about it being narcissistic, it probably isn’t.
4. What are the rules of blogging and how should I conduct myself in this new role as ‘blogger’?
Beware the blog police. Read around and it seems they are out in full force, drawing up constitutions by which the blogging community must live. They tell me I have to find a niche and write about it, or my readers won’t be interested. My blog has to be laid out in the right way because my readers read from left to right across the page and then down in an “F” pattern – I have to ensure my titles and subheadings are all appropriately formatted. I should be professional, not cutesy. To the point, never waffling. I should offer my readers a special value so they come back again and again.
So many rules. Well I say “F-pattern” to most of them. Sometimes I will waffle, I shall be cutesy and not at all professional on occasions, and my writing may resemble more of a stream of consciousness than a perfectly-crafted piece of literature. For that I apologise in advance.
So, to the rules – I have just two:
- I will be courteous and will as always treat my fellow teachers, my students, readers and commenters with respect.
- I will not plagiarise and will site intellectual property as far as I’m humanly able.
LESSON 4: Writing is personal
As for my niche – well I’m not sure I’ve found it yet. Like the majority of my peers in the teaching profession, I’m passionate about what I do and I care immensely about my learners and their development. I’m a champion of appropriate technology in the classroom and of creative ways of bringing language learning to life.
This blog will morph into what it is meant to become and that excites me terribly. I want to write for creative expression. I wish to change my world and writing is something I can try in order to make it happen. Writing is personal, social and political. It’s about people. Moreover, it’s about you and me. I look forward to sharing with you and learning from you.
