DISQUS

I like the analysis. Seems helpful as a writer - it tells me what I should be doing every time I pick up a book in my genre. Thanks!

It's about discipline too, isn't it? Going back over and over the same piece of prose, even when looking for different things, can be tedious. But to make it the best we can, we have to do it. Just like runners have to stick with it to finish a marathon, running a shorter bit one day and longer the next, then shorter again, until they build up what it takes to go the whole distance on race day. Almost everyone can run, but few are marathoners. And most people can write, but few are really "writers". I'm working hard to be able to call myself one and I like the reminder of how simple the process is. That reminder might help me stay focused...and disciplined.

The whole "next big thing" idea has me bothered as a writer. Maybe because it smacks of retail tie-ins. My hope if I were to get a book of mine picked up by a Christian publisher would be to NOT have it spun off into movies and mugs and journals and action figures (not that I have a chance in the world of being that big). I just hate that the number of actual books in the Christian retailers around me is dwindling, replaced by knick-knacks, gifts, and merchandise from that latest "big thing". And it seems like all the books I'm interested in reading aren't available locally because of the whole "big thing" phenomenon (I'm adding Staub's book to my list now - think I can find it at a bookstore?).

Here's what occurred to me reading this post today: doubt is what happens when the God of our hopes and imaginings comes up against the God of the Bible, that is the True God.

He won't fit neatly into any category. He's good and all-powerful, yet evil still exists. He desires our best, yet allows tragedy in our lives. The seeming contradictions are hard to resolve, so we begin to conclude that God is not who He says. Or is He?

Sometimes when we doubt it's because our faith is about to grow. We need to wrestle with previous assumptions and discard those of our own making.

I'm still thinking about all this. I think I'll say more on my own blog today. Seems to fit.

Karin H hit the nail on the head, at least for me. Reading for me is often about enjoyment and the whole idea of getting cozy with a book. Even my laptop doesn't cut it for cozy. Plus a book can go to the beach or in the tub (hey, it's worth the small risk) - no way I'd do that with my laptop for some free content.

You asked: "Should caution be the watchword in any publishing field—including blogging? What is a cautious blogger? Why would a blogger be cautious?"

I think caution is a good thing. I'm most definitely a cautious blogger (if you couldn't guess by my anonymous handle). I try to tread carefully in the blogosphere as a blogger/writer because even though my name isn't on there, I am building a reputation. And I do hope to sell my book to at least some of my blog readers. I intentionally set up my blog to start disseminating information that will ultimately end up in my book. So hopefully I'm cultivating a following among blog readers that will result in a few sales.

What is a cautious blogger? Well, this cautious blogger tries not to participate in blog contests or memes (and the one time I did it actually threw off my regular readers). I avoid just blogging about what my kids ate for breakfast or whatever other cutesy stuff they do; that is, I don't keep a blog "journal". There are a lot of blogs like that out there and frankly, I don't take the writing in them as seriously. And I don't think they expect to be taken seriously in terms of their writing. But professional writers should.

I have more thoughts on it, but I'll stop there for now.

LL-that's what I was thinking when I said you've got to have both truth and beauty to have "good words". I think the truth about evil is maybe more "hard words". Sometimes we need to know those truths even though they're hard to take. Other times...

But I bet there's a unicorn out there who could write about abuse in a redemptive way.

Glad to hear you say this! I'm immediately turned off by web pages (sites or blogs) with too much going on. We have the power at our fingertips to add all sort of lists and widgets and ads. And many people do so to the extreme.

I've worked in marketing and advertising creating business materials and learned a few design principles along the way. But in some ways the internet seems like it's own entity in this regard (so I claim no great design where my own blog is concerned).

Your post begs for a part 2 (and even 3). How about suggestions as to what makes for good design?

LL-you practice what you preach - and excellently. I love the visuals (photos) that accompany your posts.

I keep thinking about this poem. I love the imagery in it, especially God at the cafeteria register.

Craver - Maybe Mr. Goodyear heard about your shortcomings in the manners department and felt the treacherous conditions weren't worth the risk. If he were certain he'd get the royal treatment I'm sure no amount of snow could keep him away.

I really like the fishing analogy. There's a lot of waiting once you've cast your line, so to speak. On a dead lake you get clues, like you said: dead fish, stinky smell. So what clues can a writer watch for to know to when it's time to move on to a different fishing hole?
AMM

Is it fair to say also that "poor writers give nothing away"? I think back in my writing career and can see where my writing was stiff and boring. I think at lot of that had to do with being to afraid to put myself out there. I didn't want to give away the fact that I had faults. I was afraid of what my readers would think (that maybe they wouldn't like the real me). In terms of relationship it was duplicitous and just didn't work. Not that I'm a great writer now, but I'm learning to let go of my hangups and be real. It seems to have improved my writing (at least in terms of integrity).