Well, I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. (I know – surprise, surprise.) I was thinking about writing a post on “Bath Salts.” How this particular cray-cray drug of the moment might make one want to eat another’s face, but the smarter part of me (my knees) decided against it.
Instead, a quickie post on serial posts! I don’t know if anyone actually calls them serial posts, but that’s what I’m calling them. It works. It’s simple. Let’s go with it. For me, when I started this blog, I really wanted it to be a creative writing portal/ outlet for me. That was my main intention with this blog. Originally, I talked about gaybies. Now, I talk about relationships, family, blogging, and anything else I find funny or emotionally moving.
It really has become a strong creative outlet and one that gets me work. However, in the beginning, I really struggled with post length. I have other places on the web where I write short stuff – twitter, facebook, etc. I wanted this to be my long-form soapbox. There’s only one problem – no one wants to read long stuff. I know that because I don’t want to read it. For me to really get into a post that is 1,000 words or more it’s got to be really good and I mean, really, really, Raymond Carver-good. I don’t believe any of my posts are at that level. I don’t believe yours are either. That’s not to insult either of us, it’s just to say – I had to find another way. Because sometimes I want to write 2,000 words. Sometimes I want to work a story out of that length. Thus, the serial post was born. My first attempt was the Craigslist Dating Chronicles and my second one was the recent, Sid and Mary Series.
What was interesting about both of them was being able to create a “cliffhanger,” so to speak, in a blog post! Prior to this, I never would’ve thought that was even possible. Granted these are not Dan-Brown of the DaVinci-Code cliffhangers, it’s more like the post just ends, but still! You often want to hear more and THAT means I’ve done something right there.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “brevity is the key to wit.” I’d say something different for blogging and that would be, “the key to interesting and getting something fully read is brevity.”
Do you think Willie wanted his words on a tee?
And the brevity is very specific. My new belief is that it’s in the 500 – 700 word range. 700 words is perfect. You can get away with 800. You start going longer and it better be brilliant.
I was talking to Wifesy the other day about the blog and how far I had come with it. I also brought up how it’s easy to get burnt out with it if you don’t find new things for yourself. I needed a balance. A way to write really long stuff if I needed to or wanted to and at the same time a way not to bore people. I was glad to find it with the serial post. I am not the only one. I read a serial post as a blog reader the other day and it was so good that I went searching for Part 2 like some kind of crazed addict. I just had to know what happened. It was from TenaciousB and I’m going to include it along with a rundown of my serial posts attempts below. You’ll find the title, the first few sentences of each, and then a “read more” if you want to check out the whole thing.
So, what about you? Have you written any serial posts? If so, I want to read them. Leave a link in the comments section.
Double Dating on Craigslist, Part 1
So, back when I was in my early 30’s, I was still straddling the fence a bit between men and women. Wifesy hates hearing this, but it’s the goshderned truth. For me, the main problem with lady-gay was the round robin lesbians often played with their exes. Let me explain. Read More…
Double Dating on Craigslist, Part 2
If this were a TV episode it would begin with the requisite photo montage and a voiceover that says, “Previously on…Sweet Mother.” So, let’s re-cap. I was annoyed with lesbo-land and their common “lesbian lazy susan” approach to dating. As a result, every now and again, I stepped out with one of my straight, lady friends looking for some man-tail. My dearest friend, Rayanne, had just suffered some heartache. I did what any good friend would do and put up a crazy, Craigslist advert seeking some potential man-tail to distract her. Read More…
Double Dating on Craigslist, Part 3
“Do you think that’s them over there?” asked Rayanne. “I’m not sure,” I said. “But, they are staring at us, so maybe.” “What do you think?” Rayanne asked. “Well, they don’t really look like their pictures. They’re sort of cute though, like bulldog cute.” Read More…
Sid & Mary, Part 1
I’m going to tell you a story about Sid and Mary. When I say the names, Sid and Mary, you might be thinking, “Sid and Nancy.” That’s not who I’m talking about, but these two did rocker-in-a-hotel-room, thrash my life around in much the same way. So, I suppose the mental connection is an apt one. Read More…
Sid & Mary, Part 2
It was just fall and the weather was cool and easy. I had a delightful, light, buzz on from the party I had just returned from. I didn’t realize it was Mary on my porch steps until I got up really close. This was back before cell phones. Back when a surprise was just that – a surprise. Read More…
New York or Bust via TenaciousB, Part 1
A couple days AFTER my 20th birthday (Circa 1986), I started dating a guy named Morgan. With a smile that would charm the devil, a heavily built chest and 12-pack abs from working construction, Morgan was a 22-year-old HOTTIE. Read More…
New York or Bust via Tenacious B, Part 2
After Morgan dropped his heart-crushing news that he was moving in with Delilah, I rushed out onto the busy New York street, suddenly confused by the rush of people and the headlights from passing cars bouncing upon the horizon. I walked for a block or so and hailed a cab. Read More…
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Photo creds:
Sweet Mother 