This is post #900.
Yes, 900. That is a lot of posts, a lot of typing, and a lot of words. It made me curious, so I found a plug-in that would do some word counts for me. It turns out that I have typed over 725,000 words on this here blog o’ mine.
725,000.
That’s a lot! You might be wondering how many words that really is. I did, so I researched, and this is what I found:
725,000 words is equal to…
• The first FIVE Harry Potter books (716,957)
• The Lord of the Rings trilogy + The Hobbit + The Grapes of Wrath (719,628)
• Gone With the Wind + Moby Dick + To Kill a Mockingbird (723,226)
As I type this, I am not sure if I think it is very cool, or utterly depressing.
I’ll grant you that I am painfully aware that I am no Rowling, Steinbeck, Tolkien or Melville, but seriously? When you have a visual representation of how much work that really is, it is hard for me to believe that I have written that much. Of those 3/4 million words, I would like to think that some of them were strung together well.
Now don’t get nervous – I’m not going anywhere. I love my little blog and the MMM community. But 900 posts? Two words jump to mind: Prolific and windbag. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that I had that much to say – except maybe my EC. I have grown to appreciate that blogging has some advantages, and why it has been my chosen vehicle:
• I have the attention span of a gnat.
• I have no real desire, or time, to be edited.
• I enjoy slapping a post together and them moving on, instead of slaving over a single work for years.
• I enjoy the immediate feedback. It is funny how a share, or a like, or a comment can give you an immediate sense of gratification. I started out with no readers, but have grown appreciative of the MMM community, and many new friends.
• I have no idea if I have the talent or the stamina to write in a longer form. (Scared)
• Mostly, there is a huge degree of fulfillment in discussing and sharing the things in life I consider most important: Faith and Family, at the time they hit me.
But… it would be cool to write a book. Or to do something…more. One of the frustrations is that blogging is like a river – it is always flowing, but does not provide anything finite. For example, neither you or I can pick up a copy of my work and flip through it, because it is all our here in cyberland. Sure, I could make a 2,000 page “blog book” for a bazillion dollars, and then leave it to one of my five kids, but that reeks of vanity project.
I know the world is full of wannabe authors trying to write (and sell) the next Great American Novel, and that the odds of success are tiny. But I also know that I surely don’t want to spend forever writing a non-fiction book or novel that nobody wants to read. It isn’t even about fame, or fortune – or this blog would be littered with advertisements, and I wouldn’t have been anonymous for so long.
You’ve heard the old adage, “Why buy the cow, when you’re getting the milk for free?”
Do you see my quandary?
As I was thinking about it, it occurred to me that the best place to go to ask for opinions would be to you, my intelligent, clever, and extremely attractive readers. Some of you have been with me from the beginning, and I trust you.
What do you think?
I devised a survey where you can tell me what your thoughts. You can include your name, or be anonymous. Please take a minute and think of all the fun times we have had together, and then take the survey. I would appreciate your feedback.
CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY
Thanks for reading, and chiming in. I do value your opinions, since you are a part of this. Please share them in the survey, rather than the comment section.
Well, I know these blogs are available for the asking through your archives, but it would be awesome to have a printed book full of the blog entries. A list at the beginning of the topics available would helpful. I can’t tell you how many times I have used your insight in a talk at church, while visiting teaching, sharing a good laugh
with my husband about the honesty included in your observations and also in bringing home a gospel principle to my children. The thing I love most is your honesty. There isn’t a lot of fluff but any background you give before you bring a principle home is so real and applicable to our life today. I appreciate all you do and a humorous title would attract people that might not be aware of your blog. You are doing the Lord’s work by sharing in your unique way.
Let me ask one question: Outside of church publications, how many books have you read that are compilations of short articles? I only ask so that a sense of market can be ascertained.
I know that books like this exist. A retired university administrator I know has written three. His daughter tells me that they’re the kind of thing that you keep in the bathroom for reading while using the loo. She also tells me that her father has discovered that the market for such books is remarkably shallow and narrow.
I have a decade of blog posts out there. A few posts might still be worth reading. But many times I look back and discover that I no longer agree with myself. Or I have developed much more depth on the subject. Or the subject was of fleeting importance. It is difficult for me to think of compiling a subset of these posts into a volume. Perhaps this only reveals my own writing skill, but I could hardly stomach reading such a tome myself, so I am dubious as to whether others would do so.
My college age son, on the other hand, has actually published a novel and is two-thirds through the writing of its sequel. You can self publish junk. But it turns out that editing, publishing, and marketing a decent book is a pretty serious undertaking.
Thanks for your thoughts. My survey results surprised me that so many people would be interested in a collection – new material is understandably of interest. Where my previous posts would be of most use as a collection would be as a resource for stories and explanations of gospel principles that could be useful in FHE and teaching settings. Other than that, a Dave Barry type humor book would deb well-placed in the bathroom.
Moby Dick was about the most boring book I ever read. Your blog is much better.
Hey! Maybe your prompting to not post was so it could go in your book!
“I would like to think that some of them were strung together well.” Way more than some. I don’t have the words to say how much I appreciate reading your “stuff” and learning…with you. xo
Wow! Congratulations! I like writing, but I’m such a perfectionist about it that it takes a really long time to write anything. But trust me, you’re doing fine.
(One note, though: it’s Tolkien, not Tolkein. Easy mistake.)
I hope I didn’t have to be too serious on the survey. I just think whatever you feel is right you should probably pursue. After a lot of prayer and fasting of course. But if writing a book takes you away from the blog, or from the Social Media fun then I have to be against it.
I’ve been known to browse through a dozen or two of your posts at a time. I enjoy your writing and would probably enjoy it in book form. You probably do a lot of preaching to the choir, so you might want to talk to someone at Deseret Book about publication.
If you write a book, I will happily read it. BUT please do not stop blogging while you’re writing it.
Prolific, inspiring, thoughtful- yes! Windbag, no! Thanks for sharing and allowing us to be a part of your life.
🙂