Deciding the Scope of Your Blog
One of the most helpful pieces of advice you can give someone who is just about to take up blogging for the first time is “write about what you know”. Expressing opinions and views on subjects that you’re familiar with or especially knowledgeable enables you to write with confidence. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a more complicated proposition, unless you're writing to specifically document your learning experience. Which is why most of the people that I know who maintain a blog tend to write about the games they’re currently playing. Sometimes if someone is especially enamoured with a particular title, that single video game will be the sole focus of their blog. I did this in 2008 with Misadventures in LOTRO which catalogued my experiences playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It was a fun starting point and being focused on a single subject, kept me engaged with my writing.
One of the most helpful pieces of advice you can give someone who is just about to take up blogging for the first time is “write about what you know”. Expressing opinions and views on subjects that you’re familiar with or especially knowledgeable enables you to write with confidence. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a more complicated proposition, unless you're writing to specifically document your learning experience. Which is why most of the people that I know who maintain a blog tend to write about the games they’re currently playing. Sometimes if someone is especially enamoured with a particular title, that single video game will be the sole focus of their blog. I did this in 2008 with Misadventures in LOTRO which catalogued my experiences playing the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. It was a fun starting point and being focused on a single subject, kept me engaged with my writing.
However, there is an obvious downside to putting all your eggs in one basket, especially with regard to video games. What happens when you tire of the very subject that is integral to your blog or you just want to write about something else? This can be particularly troubling if you have found a niche for yourself and have built an audience through your writing. Will they stay if you diversify your writing? One possible solution is to set up a separate blog but that requires a great deal of discipline as you now have double the work, effectively having to produce and promote content for two sites. When I found myself in this situation I decided to broaden my blog’s remit and cover a wider spectrum of games. However, I didn’t feel that my existing blog could accommodate subjects such as films, TV, books etc so I set up a second site. As time progressed and I became more confident with my writing, I saw the sense in posting all my material on a single site. I wish in some respects I’d done this initially but sometimes you have to learn through experience.
You may wish to blog exclusively about Etruscan pottery
Therefore, my advice to anyone setting up a new blog is to keep the scope of your writing as broad as possible unless you have very specific goals associated with a single subject or are targeting a specific niche. At first glance a food blog or fitness blog may seem like subjects with clear lines of demarcation but that is actually not the case. A food blog can explore cooking, recipes, ingredients, world cuisine and much more. Writing about fitness allows the writer to discuss not only exercise but associated products, the social aspect of keeping yourself in shape and wider topics such as diet and general wellbeing. It’s the same if you blog about travel, sport, fashion and lifestyle. There is plenty of wiggle room in those subjects, affording the writer the opportunity to vary their content and hopefully prevent them from getting bored or burned out.
If you do maintain a “variety blog”, you can segregate content if you prefer, allowing your readers to focus on the material they like best. This is not an issue as many blog templates support such a magazine approach. Writing on a multitude of subjects is also beneficial for developing your overall writing skills. How you write about your experiences in a particular game is not the same as writing a book or film review. Running a varied blog means you can write think pieces, essays, reviews, streams of consciousness and other types of posts. All of which can help with refining your writing technique. The other benefit of writing about multiple subjects is that it adds depth to your writing persona and the way you as a writer are perceived. If you intend to write professionally, a blog with a spectrum of different content can be an important part of your portfolio.
Contains Moderate Peril circa July/June 2015
Some bloggers will cogently argue that blogging about a very specific subject or occupying a clearly defined niche is a lot easier to monetise. It also makes search engine optimisation a lot easier. However, I suspect that neither of these two points are necessarily driving factors for the new blogger who is just starting out. Most bloggers just want to come up with a snappy title for their new blog and to try and find a writing schedule that they can manage and that they’re comfortable with. I therefore cautiously suggest that establishing a fairly broad remit of things to write about will certainly be helpful in discovering the latter. It should also help keep so-called “writers block” at bay. However, choice is not always a good thing and some bloggers prefer to have the focus of a single subject blog. As ever there is no “one size fits all” solution. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what the scope of your blog is to be, so pick what works for you the best.
Should You Monetise Your Blog?
If you search online for advice on “how to monetise your blog” you’ll find a wealth of articles claiming to have all the answers. There’s a veritable cottage industry out there offering guidance and help on how to make money from your writing. Such posts range from proven business advice to utter bilge peddled by the worst sort of snake oil salesmen. Yet good or bad, there is a strong demand for this sort of information because blogging is still perceived by a lot of people as a means to make money. It would appear that the idea of setting up a blog, making a living off it and quitting your day job is still a common goal and the various “lockdowns” we’ve all experienced in the last 18 months have only boosted such perceptions. Some people have been successful with their home businesses in 2020, although I would argue that the market has been anomalous, to say the least.
If you search online for advice on “how to monetise your blog” you’ll find a wealth of articles claiming to have all the answers. There’s a veritable cottage industry out there offering guidance and help on how to make money from your writing. Such posts range from proven business advice to utter bilge peddled by the worst sort of snake oil salesmen. Yet good or bad, there is a strong demand for this sort of information because blogging is still perceived by a lot of people as a means to make money. It would appear that the idea of setting up a blog, making a living off it and quitting your day job is still a common goal and the various “lockdowns” we’ve all experienced in the last 18 months have only boosted such perceptions. Some people have been successful with their home businesses in 2020, although I would argue that the market has been anomalous, to say the least.
I have maintained a writing presence online since 2007 and despite growing a modest audience have never made a red cent from my blog (although I have been paid for my writing elsewhere). In fact Contains Moderate Peril, The Gaming Blog Nexus and sundry podcasts such as Burton and Scrooge always have been and remain to date a financial black hole. I’ve written in the past about the financial realities of running a blog or similar online platform as the costs do add up over time. In purely notional terms, I would welcome a means to recoup my operating costs. Unfortunately, I have not found a method to do this that I find acceptable. However, as the purpose of the blog post is to address this very question, let’s indulge in some critical thinking and see if we can come up with some valid ideas regarding how to monetise your blog.
Is there value in your content? This is a complex question. It requires a degree of introspection and self scrutiny which might make you uncomfortable. However, value is a very open ended term and people find merit in all sorts of things. If you’re writing gaming guides or collating data from public test servers for a popular game, then you may well have a very clear market. Providing commentary on a popular topic or making yourself the “go to” news source for something specific also can make your writing of value. Sometimes it may come down to whether your readers like the “cut of your jib”. Also it’s not just about what others think about your writing. Your own opinion is important. If you are confident that your body of work is marketable then why not try and monetise it. Other aspects that may well have a bearing on this matter are your writing schedule, how unique your work is and how much content you are offering.
Optimising your writing for monetisation. If you’re looking to make your writing commercially viable, then you need to decide who you’re writing for. If you are looking to cover popular trends and the latest talking points then that is a distinctly reactive process. You may also have to consider “optimising” your writing to fit the broadest of demographics. Things such as your personal opinion and taste may well have to be sidelined as you go where the audience currently is. All of which are perfectly acceptable things to do. You are still providing a service, just one that is driven by the needs of your readers as opposed to your own likes and dislikes. There may well be occasions when those two positions overlap. The reverse of this is writing purely for yourself, which can be immensely preferable from a personal perspective but comes with the caveat that your readers may not always share your passion. However, writing for yourself may benefit if you have a strong writing persona.
How to monetise your writing.
The most obvious is advertising although the rise of ad blockers has had a real impact upon this option.
Affiliate marketing is another longstanding solution, although you need to make a lot of referrals to third party websites and hope those referrals make a purchase.
Influencer marketing can be lucrative but you need to reach a critical mass of followers before that becomes viable, so it’s certainly not an option with a quick ROI.
Creating an eBook is another option. This may suit writers who write reviews or write longform essays.
Offering premium content behind a paywall can work well for those who write prodigiously and have an established audience.
Sponsored content doesn’t necessarily mean selling your soul to the Devil, as long as you hold such material to the same editorial standards of your other content.
Patreon and other subscription services can generate revenue but again requires you to write specific additional content for paying customers.
Blog to promote another primary business. This is a very particular business approach but it can prove beneficial. This approach works best if you offer some sort of online service.
Offer bespoke writing services. Again this is more of an option for an established writer.
Have an online “tip jar”. Possibly the most benign and optimistic way to try and monetise your writing.
Out of the ten options listed I only feel that three are applicable to myself, if I decided to try and monetise my writing. I have considered in the past expanding some of my film reviews and creating an eBook. It certainly seems like a logical progression. I have also previously considered using Patreon, specifically when I was producing a regular podcast. The editing process makes producing two versions of a weekly show quite straightforward and in principle it seems like an easy idea to market. I also like the concept of a “tip jar” as I’ve been surprised by readers' generosity in the past. In 2014 when Contains Moderate Peril exceeded the bandwidth restrictions of its then hosting package, I was taken aback by how many people offered to help with the cost of migrating to a more expensive, yet viable solution. The other options mentioned above just don’t seem to fit my needs. Ultimately asking your readers for money is a big ask and you’ve got to feel right about it. That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t done it so far. However times can change.
The Chairman (1969)
The Cold War was a mainstay of many a thriller and action movie throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties. However, all too often it was depicted in terms of the US versus the Soviet Union. China didn’t seem to feature so much, although it was just as equally an “enemy” of the West. Hence when I recently read about The Chairman (which has just had a Blu-ray release), it was of interest to me. An espionage story, starring Gregory Peck with a hidden bug implanted in his skull, infiltrating China to steal a secret enzyme formula is quite an intriguing premise. Furthermore, director J. Lee Thompson had previously worked with Peck on The Guns of Navarone, which is a solid action movie. Therefore I was initially optimistic that this film which I was previously unaware of, would be an interesting diversion. Unfortunately, having now seen The Chairman, all I can really describe it as is a cinematic curiosity. One of numerous films produced by a big studio in the late sixties that failed to satisfy anyone's expectations.
The Cold War was a mainstay of many a thriller and action movie throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties. However, all too often it was depicted in terms of the US versus the Soviet Union. China didn’t seem to feature so much, although it was just as equally an “enemy” of the West. Hence when I recently read about The Chairman (which has just had a Blu-ray release), it was of interest to me. An espionage story, starring Gregory Peck with a hidden bug implanted in his skull, infiltrating China to steal a secret enzyme formula is quite an intriguing premise. Furthermore, director J. Lee Thompson had previously worked with Peck on The Guns of Navarone, which is a solid action movie. Therefore I was initially optimistic that this film which I was previously unaware of, would be an interesting diversion. Unfortunately, having now seen The Chairman, all I can really describe it as is a cinematic curiosity. One of numerous films produced by a big studio in the late sixties that failed to satisfy anyone's expectations.
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr John Hathaway (Gregory Peck) receives a letter from a former Professor Soong Li (Keye Luke), who now resides in The People's Republic of China, requesting his assistance. Raising concerns with the US authorities, Hathaway is "invited" by Lt. General Shelby (Arthur Hill) to visit the Professor, who has allegedly developed an enzyme that allows crops to grow in any kind of climate. Hathaway subsequently agrees and finds himself embroiled in a joint operation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. A transmitter is implanted in Hathaway's skull which can be monitored by a satellite. He is not informed that the device also includes explosives that can be triggered by the Americans if necessary. Neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union wants the enzyme to remain exclusively in Chinese hands. Hathaway flies to Hong Kong to request “authorisation” to visit China and meets Security Chief Yin (Eric Young) who is deeply suspicious of his motives.
The Chairman has high tech trappings, similar to those seen in The Forbin Project or even Fantastic Voyage. Staff sit at computers monitoring Hathaways pulse and respiration, big screens track his locations and military staff pace up and down drinking coffee from plastic cups. The basic premise is sound and Peck makes for an unlikely hero. But once the plot has been established, very little happens. Hathaway goes to Hong Kong, meets the shadowy figure of Yin and then is granted permission to travel to China. There is a brief diversion when a Chinese agent attempts to seduce him while another searches his apartment but nothing is made of the plot device. On arrival in China Peck is given an official tour of the country, with a few nods to the continuous military presence everywhere. He next meets Mao Tse Tung (the chairman of the communist party and leader of China) who needs his help in finding a way to mass produce the enzyme. They trade political views and philosophy over a game of table tennis.
Peck is always compelling to watch and it’s interesting to see a story which attempts to explore the fear of China at the time. But there simply isn’t sufficient to sustain the narrative. There is an action sequence at the end of the film when Hathaway flees the remote experimental compound with the help of a deep cover Soviet operative played by Burt Kwouk. There’s then a chase to the border and an attempt to penetrate the minefield and electrified fences. But it’s too little, too late. The film ends with all three superpowers sitting on the information they all share and Peck attempting to place the information in the public domain for the benefit of mankind. It is a suitable ending and the film is quite concise at 98 minutes but it all feels very undeveloped and unremarkable. The main point of note is a solid score by the ever dependable Jerry Goldsmith.
Red Tails (2015)
In 1944, the USAAF faces increased losses of Allied bombers conducting operations over Europe. The 332d Fighter Group (The Tuskegee Airmen), consisting of young African-American fighter pilots, are confined to ground attack missions in Italy and hampered with ageing, poorly maintained Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft. After the Tuskegee Airmen distinguish themselves in support of the Allied landings at Anzio, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terence Howard) is surprised when the USAAF Bomber Command asks him if his men will escort the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on their day time raids. Casualties have become unacceptably high. Bullard accepts on the condition his unit be supplied with the new North American P-51 Mustang. The tails of the new aircraft are painted bright red and become the unofficial name of the outfit. Bullard orders his pilots to remain with the bombers that they’re escorting and their first escort mission proves a success without the loss of a single bomber. Slowly, entrenched racist attitudes within the USAAF begin to change.
In 1944, the USAAF faces increased losses of Allied bombers conducting operations over Europe. The 332d Fighter Group (The Tuskegee Airmen), consisting of young African-American fighter pilots, are confined to ground attack missions in Italy and hampered with ageing, poorly maintained Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft. After the Tuskegee Airmen distinguish themselves in support of the Allied landings at Anzio, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terence Howard) is surprised when the USAAF Bomber Command asks him if his men will escort the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on their day time raids. Casualties have become unacceptably high. Bullard accepts on the condition his unit be supplied with the new North American P-51 Mustang. The tails of the new aircraft are painted bright red and become the unofficial name of the outfit. Bullard orders his pilots to remain with the bombers that they’re escorting and their first escort mission proves a success without the loss of a single bomber. Slowly, entrenched racist attitudes within the USAAF begin to change.
George Lucas is not known for his subtlety as a director, focusing more on visual flair than finely honed character development. Mercifully Red Tails does not do any sort of disservice to the memory of The Tuskegee Airmen. However, it doesn’t do them a great justice either. There are many aspects of the production that are outstanding, such as the ensemble cast featuring Nate Parker, David Oyelowo and Tristan Wilds and striking visual effects. But the weak link in the chain yet again is the screenplay by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. It is laboured and pitched at a rather simplistic level. Subjects such as institutionalised bigotry, fascism and personal sacrifice need to be dignified with a bit more intelligence when depicted on screen. They are too important and complex issues to be portrayed in such an arbitrary fashion and sadly that is exactly how Red Tails plays out.
As a piece of populist entertainment, Red Tails works sufficiently. With the full weight of Industrial Light and Magic behind the visual effects, there is plenty of spectacle and the traditional story arc follows a distinctly tried and tested formula. The characters are engaging but this is predominantly due to the personalities of the respective actors. There is very little depth to the screenplay and the cast are mainly tasked with providing archetypes. The film will certainly play well to audiences who may not be so familiar with this aspect of World War II. The mixture of action and fast paced story should suit a youth demographic. But for the more sophisticated viewer, Red Tails will seem a bit light in content and lacking anything to make it distinctive. Portraying the Germans as “bad” because they are “Germans”, does not wash and seems a hangover from war films of the fifties. Furthermore the film seems to imply that after the success of The Tuskegee Airmen that the systemic problems of a segregated Air Force are effectively remedied. This sadly was not the case.
All films regardless of genre, require the suspension of disbelief by the audience to varying degrees and Red Tails is no different. Unfortunately George Lucas requires the audience not only to do this but to actively leave their common sense as home. You don’t have to be a military plane enthusiast to quibble over obvious technical inaccuracies or liberal bending of the laws of physics. One expects this to a degree in mainstream filmmaking but there are limitations. In this respect Red Tails does cross over the line. Ultimately, this could have been a superior film as opposed to just adequate, if a more seasoned director had been at the helm, armed with a more robust screenplay. One has to wonder exactly how much influence executive producer George Lucas had over various aspects of this production as Red Tails does exhibit the usual in-balance of content associated with his work.
The Marksman (2021)
Former United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper and Vietnam War veteran Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) lives on a ranch on the Arizona-Mexico border. The mortgage on the property is in arrears after the death of his wife has left him medically bankrupt. One day while patrolling his property he encounters Mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) with her son Miguel (Jacob Perez) illegally crossing the border fence. He calls his step daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick) in the border patrol and reports them as they’re miles from any habitation. However, Rosa and Miguel are fleeing a drug cartel and Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba), one of their enforcers. When Mauricio and his men try to forcibly take Rosa, Jim intervenes and a car chase and firefight ensue. Mauricio’s brother is killed and Rosa is fatally wounded. She gives Jim a note with her family's address in Chicago and he reluctantly agrees to take Miguel there.
Former United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper and Vietnam War veteran Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) lives on a ranch on the Arizona-Mexico border. The mortgage on the property is in arrears after the death of his wife has left him medically bankrupt. One day while patrolling his property he encounters Mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) with her son Miguel (Jacob Perez) illegally crossing the border fence. He calls his step daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick) in the border patrol and reports them as they’re miles from any habitation. However, Rosa and Miguel are fleeing a drug cartel and Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba), one of their enforcers. When Mauricio and his men try to forcibly take Rosa, Jim intervenes and a car chase and firefight ensue. Mauricio’s brother is killed and Rosa is fatally wounded. She gives Jim a note with her family's address in Chicago and he reluctantly agrees to take Miguel there.
The various trailers and advertisements for The Marksman give the impression that this is an action film but that is not the case. This thoughtful, low key drama is far more of a character study of the relationship between Jim and Miguel. The film explores bereavement and loss, the plight of migrants across the US border and what happens when the “American Dream” turns bad. It bears a lot of similarities to Clint Eastwood’s A Perfect World (1993). Critics claims that the story is formulaic are indeed true and there are not many plot surprises along the way. However, the film’s strength lies in the two central performances which are both very good. There is genuine pathos as opposed to contrived sentimentality and again we are reminded that Neeson is a serious actor who reinvented himself as an action star. Plus it helps that Neeson can do “gruff” and “sad” with his eyes shut. He does much with the simple dialogue to establish his Rooster Cogburn credentials. “Nobody needs to call me, and I like it that way” he exclaims when asked why he doesn’t own a cell phone.
The Marksman is obviously made on a modest budget yet its cinematography by Mark Patten is handsome and makes the most of the vistas and scenery of Arizona and Wyoming. The film does a good job of conveying the immense size and often remote nature of the US border states. The action scenes are functional and do not strain the viewer's sense of credulity. Neeson is supposed to be an ageing Marine and not a special forces operative. He handles himself well in a fight but he also takes a beating. Everything of this nature remains within the confines of the film’s PG-13 rating which is fine as this is a story about characters bonding rather than breaking bones. Director Robert Lorenz has one final trick up his sleeve after teasing us with an action movie and giving us a character drama for 100 minutes. The ending, as Liam Neeson takes a bus to return home, is very reminiscent of Midnight Cowboy. It’s a little unexpected but in step with the film’s overall tone. The Marksman is by no means a masterpiece but is certainly better than its marketing campaign implied.
Your Writing Persona
People bookmark sites and regularly visit blogs for a multitude of reasons. If you’re writing guides for a specific game then you may well gain traction within the appropriate community. Writing reviews or providing commentary on pop culture issues can also attract a growing audience. Some bloggers find themselves simply at the right place at the right time with regard to their writing activities and then later find they’re the “go to” site on a given subject. Never underestimate the importance of diligence and hard work. Writing regularly, interacting with others and building up a back catalogue of material does yield results. There is an element of truth in the old adage that if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it will eventually stick. But content is not necessarily the only defining factor of a blog’s popularity or success. There is the matter of the writer’s persona.
People bookmark sites and regularly visit blogs for a multitude of reasons. If you’re writing guides for a specific game then you may well gain traction within the appropriate community. Writing reviews or providing commentary on pop culture issues can also attract a growing audience. Some bloggers find themselves simply at the right place at the right time with regard to their writing activities and then later find they’re the “go to” site on a given subject. Never underestimate the importance of diligence and hard work. Writing regularly, interacting with others and building up a back catalogue of material does yield results. There is an element of truth in the old adage that if you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it will eventually stick. But content is not necessarily the only defining factor of a blog’s popularity or success. There is the matter of the writer’s persona.
Unless you deliberately seek to make your writing as anodyne as possible, aspects of your personality will bleed through into your blog posts. It may be your sense of humour, your boundless passion or a fleeting admission of something personal that resonates with others. Some bloggers go a stage further and actively seek to create a deliberate persona through their content. Either way, it can be an important facet of blogging and integral to building a rapport with your readership. There are several bloggers who I admire and respect who frequently cover subjects or write about matters that I am not immediately interested in. However, it is their written style, personality or blogging philosophy that keeps me engaged and reading their content, even if it is about crop rotation in the 14th century. I just enjoy their turn of phrase, acerbic wit or just down to earth outlook upon life.
A writer’s persona may be obvious or it can be enigmatic. Some specific or non-specific aspect of their prose that resonates with the readers. It also doesn’t have to be something positive. I’ve followed some particular bloggers in the past just to see what outrageous nonsense they’d be pontificating today. Being controversial does sell although I’d argue it paints you into a corner and does make you a bit of a one trick pony. So perhaps this option is one to avoid. But whether you seek to cultivate a persona or not, readers do latch on to the tiniest of things and they will endeavour to humanise you. It is in our nature as a species to try and find similarities and common ground with those we encounter in real life, so it really is no surprise that we do the same online. Hence a passing reference to your cat, dog or children suddenly provides a psychosocial bridge and a window into your own humanity. Next thing you know you’ve gained regular readers.
People are nosey. I am. One of the many reasons I enjoy my online social relationships and reading blogs from all over the world is that they provide such a wonderful window into other people’s lives and personal experiences. These things are often paradoxically the same but at the same time different. I thought I had a good handle on what life in America was like but when I started doing a weekly podcast with my good friend Brian, it proved to be a fascinating insight into the cultural differences between the UK and US. This is why I like blogs that have a broad remit and will at times cover wider subjects. I love reading about how someone went on a hike, spent the day at a Renaissance Fayre or is undertaking some major home improvements. I find all these things relatable and the moment that happens I find reading their blogs far more intimate and friendly. It ceases to be just a post but becomes more of a conversation or catching up with a friend and having a coffee.
As to my own blogging persona, it isn’t really that different from the one I present to the world in day to day life. I speak pretty much the same as I write. I like words and am happy to use them. I use humour as a tool to navigate the choppy waters of social interaction and the discussion of those controversial cultural talking points. I will be profane if I think it’s relevant or necessary. Someone once described the Contains Moderate Peril podcast as two grumpy old men, sitting in far side chairs, wearing smoking jackets while they give vent to their loquacity through extraneous bombastic circumlocution. Whether that was the case or not (okay it was) they kept listening. I think a better example of a natural writing persona is that of Justin Olivetti AKA Syp who writes for Massively Overpowered and has his own blog BioBreak. He has an easy going, measured style but that does not mean it’s lacking in substance. He is generous, thoughtful and seldom gets annoyed. He’s kind of like the James Stewart of video game blogging.
Your writing is an extension of you. You have a personality. Therefore your blogging will have one to a degree. However, that is not to say that it is something to fret or fuss over. You may want to write solely about Etruscan pottery and keep purely to the topic in hand, ensuring that any details of your personal life are kept out of your content. That is fine. Be an enigma, although that in itself is a distinct persona. But whatever way in which you express yourself will still have an impact upon your readers. Hence you will develop a perceived writing persona regardless of what you do. However, unless you are deliberately spreading unrest, or actively trolling a community then I don’t think this is anything to be feared. Be genuine in your writing and that is what your readers will see. And think yourself lucky that you’re not a live streamer as your online persona has a far greater bearing in that particular medium.
Yet More PC Peripherals or How I killed a Game Controller in Under a Year
I bought a new game controller for my PC last September. Specifically a PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. I chose this model as it has good reviews and is deemed a good alternative to the exorbitantly priced official Microsoft equivalent. I chose a wired controller to further keep the cost down. I mainly use a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming but specifically use a game controller for driving vehicles or for titles with simpler game mechanics like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Much to my surprise after less than a year this game controller has developed a problematic left thumbstick. It doesn’t register direct forward movement which is a major impediment. I have recalibrated the entire controller via Devices and Printers in Windows 10 but the problem persists indicating a physical fault with the controller.
PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller
I bought a new game controller for my PC last September. Specifically a PowerA Spectra Enhanced Xbox One Wired Controller for £35. I chose this model as it has good reviews and is deemed a good alternative to the exorbitantly priced official Microsoft equivalent. I chose a wired controller to further keep the cost down. I mainly use a keyboard and mouse for PC gaming but specifically use a game controller for driving vehicles or for titles with simpler game mechanics like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Much to my surprise after less than a year this game controller has developed a problematic left thumbstick. It doesn’t register direct forward movement which is a major impediment. I have recalibrated the entire controller via Devices and Printers in Windows 10 but the problem persists indicating a physical fault with the controller.
It is disappointing that this PC peripheral has failed so soon. What makes it more frustrating is that this particular model feels very robust to the touch. It has a weight to it that implies a solid build and quality. However, after perusing Google, it would appear that thumbstick drift and failure are common problems and can affect most brands of game controllers, including the more expensive models. So rather than attempt a repair (as I did last summer which ultimately proved unsatisfactory), I have elected to buy a replacement. I recently installed Days Gone and so require a game controller for the parts of the game that take place while driving a motorbike. I briefly considered purchasing a USB Bluetooth adaptor and using my Nintendo Switch Pro controller. However, this requires additional software to make it PC compatible and then you have to customise the control settings for each game.
JAMSWALL Xbox 360 Controller
Last night, I spent over an hour trawling through listings for both high end and budget game controllers on various websites. User reviews strike me as capricious to say the least and models at both ends of the spectrum receive both high praise and scathing comments. I often find after reading such customer feedback, that I am none the wiser as to making a decision. However, considering the very specific use I have for a game controller, I eventually decided to purchase a low cost model. If it fails then the initial investment won’t add insult to injury. I ended up buying a generic Xbox 360 style wired controller for £14 from some “no name” brand. It arrives today and it will be interesting to see how it feels and performs. As for the old controller, that has been added to an ever growing pile of PC peripherals and electrical items that are destined to go to my local recycling centre.
Minigames
“Minigames” are small, short and self-contained games, within a larger RPG or MMO (as well as other game genres). Sometimes they are incidental and have no major bearing on the wider narrative or progression. For example, in The Lord of the Rings Online, you can take up fishing as a hobby. It is an additional activity and nothing more. Many players enjoy it as it can be very relaxing. Minigames of this nature are optional and can be ignored if the player sees fit. When mining Dilithium in Star Trek Online, there is a simple minigame where you have to match your onscreen triangular reticle over a secondary triangular marker that moves over the Dilithium seam. When they are aligned you start mining. It adds a nominal amount of effort to what is otherwise an arbitrary task. However this minigame is mandatory if you wish to do this task. If you elect not to do it then you cannot mine but there are plenty of other ways to acquire Dilithium.
“Minigames” are small, short and self-contained games, within a larger RPG or MMO (as well as other game genres). Sometimes they are incidental and have no major bearing on the wider narrative or progression. For example, in The Lord of the Rings Online, you can take up fishing as a hobby. It is an additional activity and nothing more. Many players enjoy it as it can be very relaxing. Minigames of this nature are optional and can be ignored if the player sees fit. When mining Dilithium in Star Trek Online, there is a simple minigame where you have to match your onscreen triangular reticle over a secondary triangular marker that moves over the Dilithium seam. When they are aligned you start mining. It adds a nominal amount of effort to what is otherwise an arbitrary task. However this minigame is mandatory if you wish to do this task. If you elect not to do it then you cannot mine but there are plenty of other ways to acquire Dilithium.
Then there’s a third type of minigame. One that is mandatory and integral to moving forward within the confines of the game. It acts as a gatekeeper and blocks further progression until it is completed. Minigames of this nature are universally reviled and are often an anathema to gamers. Furthermore they’re often considered “lazy game making”. If the player cannot complete the minigame in question then they may as well uninstall the game that they’re playing as they cannot progress any further. It begs the question why would anyone consider including such a system within a video game? Such situations remind me of that classic comedy routine by Irish comedian Dara O’Briain. For those unfamiliar with said pop culture reference here is the most salient quote. I do recommend that you watch the entire vignette as it is worryingly relevant.
You cannot be bad at watching a movie. You cannot be bad at listening to an album. But you can be bad at playing a video game and the video game will punish you and deny you access to the rest of the video game.
No other art form does this. You’ve never read a book and three chapters in, the book has gone, “What are the major themes of the book so far?”
You go “I, I, I don’t know, I wasn’t paying close enough attention”
And the book goes THOOMP.
“Aw, Jesus, come on”
You’ve never been listening to an album after three songs, the album has gone “Dance for me. Show me how good your dancing is.”
You’re dancing and going, “Is this good enough?”
And the album has gone “No,” and stopped. Games do this all the time.
So you may be wondering, “Roger, what prompted this somewhat querulous post”? I shall clarify the situation for you. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been playing through Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. It’s a fun game with lots of pirate based mayhem and shenanigans. However, every so often the story moves from the 18th century to the present which is quite jarring. Anyway, there is a section of the game where you have to hack a computer terminal and move “a data packet” through a security field. Essentially you have to use the up, down, left and right arrows to navigate an obstacle course. Timing is everything. If you touch a “red” obstacle you have to repeat the activity from the beginning. Needless to say I was shit at it and spent an hour (yes that right an entire sixty minutes) trying to complete this utterly tedious, unenjoyable and insulting task. I came very close to just quitting the game and purging it from my hard drive.
Minigames can be fun. Minigames can enhance video games. Minigames can keep a player engaged when the more substantive content has lost its allure. You can use minigames as a means of levelling in something like STO if you don’t want to play through the story missions on alts. Minigames based around collecting and collections are also very popular and addictive. So I fully recognise that they can contribute something tangible and of merit to game design. But the utterly pointless and deliberately malicious kind that you find, such as the one I described earlier, are an utter blight upon the video games industry. Why would anyone countenance putting an impediment to progress into a game that cannot be bypassed. The sheer illogic of it is baffling. Gating content in such a fashion is counter productive and frankly trolling your customers, especially when one considers the cost of games these days. Video games are supposed to be entertainment and not feats of endurance.
Blogrolls
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
As today is the first day of Blaugust, I thought I’d write something pertinent to blogging. If you’re not sure what Blaugust is then follow the link and you’ll find a wealth of posts that explain this yearly event along with useful advice and guidance. So returning to the matter in hand, bloggers tend to form informal communities which support and promote each other's work. This can be either due to altruistic reasons or down to pure pragmatism. Either way networks of bloggers emerge, often around specific subjects or facets of popular culture. Our own community that holds the Blaugust event is one that is broadly centred around video games, although that is not in any way a defining criteria. All are welcome. However, the point I’m striving to make is that if you run a blog then you need people to read it. And if you want people to read it it helps if you cross promote others and they in turn promote yours. And the easiest way to do this is with the humble blogroll.
After writing online for over a decade, I consider blogrolls to be both an asset and a social minefield. In principle they provide a list of online resources that others can use for reference. In fact if you find a site with a comprehensive blogroll it can become a major asset with regard to keeping abreast of others writing. However they can also have some less desirable consequences. Some people see them as a popularity contest or a self indulgent backslapping exercise. There is also a strange sort of internet etiquette associated with them. Sometimes bloggers feel snubbed if they find that their site is absent from their peers' blogroll. If someone adds your site to their blogroll are you obliged to reciprocate? It may sound all very inconsequential but you’d be surprised at the little things that some people choose to get annoyed over.
When I moved Contains Moderate Peril from a hosted WordPress site over to Squarespace, I decided to review whether I should maintain a blogroll. Due to the template I chose and its lack of a sidebar, the matter pretty much resolved itself. I could set up a separate page with a list of blogs but it lacks the convenience of having it on the site homepage. Back in early 2012 I set up The Gaming Blog Nexus, as a more practical means to aggregate blog content and keep track of the latest post published. It proved to be a popular website and successful resource but like so many online projects, it was subject to increasing operational costs. After two and a half years I decided to close the site, which at the time listed over one hundred and twenty gaming related blogs. Although I do not regret my decision, as I do not have unlimited funding for my online projects, I do miss its practical benefits.
If you’ve decided that you wish to maintain a blogroll on your website, here are a few tips for your consideration. If possible present your blogroll in order of new posts or alphabetical site names. If your blogroll is simply a list of hyperlinks then the latter is possibly the best option. Fancier addons or plugins may offer more complex ways to tabulate and collate the blogs listed on your roll. Decide in advance what your policy is to be with regard to which blogs you add to your roll. If you choose a quid pro quo approach then stick to it. If you decide to be more particular, bear in mind that some people may question your policy. Also remove sites from your roll that have become inactive or you know are “dead”. A year is a fair benchmark. If you do these things and manage your blogroll well, you may see a spike in your website traffic. Just bear in mind it may be due to the well maintained resource that you’ve curated, rather than the quality of your prose.
Building Communities
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was intended to offer both convenience and choice to listeners. It was also supposed to foster and promote a collaborative ethos among the blogging community that had spawned it. As well as the individual shows, TGEN also produced its own quarterly round table podcast with a panel made up of members of each show. It was at times a little chaotic but the discussions were always fun due to the diverse spectrum of participants. Overall my memories of my involvement with the show are positive. Simply put they were good times. However, real life often trumps one’s aspirations. After three years, some of the podcasts started to fall into decline or stop altogether. Braxwolf, like so many of us, struggled to find the time to maintain the site while juggling work and family life. Inevitably TGEN finally closed and folk moved on. Not everyone though. Belghast and Scormus still regularly produce podcasts and Battle Bards is still a fixture of the community.
Setting aside the nostalgia, I guess what I really wanted to do was reference an example of collaboration between individuals from a shared community and highlight that such projects can be a success as well as a great deal of fun. I’ve been blogging for one and a half decades now and I was most fortunate to start at a time when blogs and podcasts were beginning to gain wider traction. From 2007 to about 2014 I was involved in such projects as The Newbie Blogger Initiative, the aforementioned The Gaming and Entertainment Network as well as the The Gaming Blog Nexus. All of which proved to be learning experiences and a great opportunity to meet and hangout with like minded people. Sadly, many have come and gone over the years but that is the nature of blogging. It has a very high rate of attrition. Some still soldier on, doggedly writing or producing shows. From time to time, someone long gone returns unexpectedly which is always a great surprise. Unfortunately, some members of the community have tragically passed away and left us too soon.
I really did enjoy the sense of belonging that came from the game blogging community back then. It’s still present today but it is a lot different because things change, especially myself. One can never recapture the events of the past but sometimes you can encourage others to try something, in the hope that they will also have a positive experience. I put a lot of stock in grass roots, community driven projects. So if you are a blogger, YouTuber or streamer and have a hankering to work collaboratively, build a community or simply just hangout with others, then don’t just think about it. Reach out to others and take the first steps. Doing is so much more rewarding than just endlessly planning. Even if things don’t work out at least you’ve tried and learned along the way. But there’s also a chance of creating something of value, finding new friends and making a lot of happy memories.
Blog Comments
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
As it’s the New Year, I decided that as I read my Feedly RSS feed each morning, it would be “chummy” to leave comments and to try and reinforce that sense of community that only seems to come to the fore during writing events. Hence this morning, I left a few positive words on one website and everything worked just fine. I believe I logged in using my Twitter credentials. However, when I tried to do the same thing again on another blog, I couldn’t login and post anything. The process ground to a halt during the validation stage and after about two minutes, I got bored and moved on. It’s not the author of the blog’s fault. This just seems to be a random issue associated with some platforms. Even if you opt for a different method of logging in, such as Google or Facebook, the problem can often persist. And then if you wait for 24 hours it will work fine the next day.
This also happens on my Blog. As a host, Squarespace provide some useful functionality but this really isn’t the case with comments and “likes”. I will sometimes notice that a post has been “liked” several times but have absolutely no idea by whom. Which kind of makes the process somewhat redundant. Some folk have found leaving comments “problematic”, although I can never determine whether there’s a common factor to this. Thus, this is the current status quo. I am trying to leave more comments, something I’m usually really bad at doing but the circumstances are conspiring against me. I could leave a similar comment on the Blaugust Discord server, assuming that the author is active on that server and will see it. Not the best solution but the best I can come up with at the moment. Certainly want to maintain the positive feedback ethic, as I feel it’s needed at present.
Essential Technology
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt is “what technology would you have the hardest time living without?”, which is a great question. Fellow blogger Telwyn has already tackled this conundrum over at Gaming Sans Frontières and I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment they expressed (more on that shortly). Over the course of my life, technology has become more and more ubiquitous and is now an integral part of our society. We take its presence for granted and only fully realise the benefits it provides when it ceases working or there’s some sort of outage. Technology has also dramatically fallen in price over the last five decades. What used to be marketed as expensive, labour saving luxuries or recreational indulgences, are now just disposable consumer items. The pace at which technology advances has also accelerated. It’s a struggle sometimes to keep abreast of what is new.
Telwyn wrote “the PC is one of my main sources of entertainment” and that is the same for me as well. When I wake up in the morning, I meander into “the office” and fire up my PC before ambling off to the bathroom to get washed and dressed. I then go to the kitchen and make breakfast for myself and Mrs P and return to my desk where I busy myself catching up with Twitter, Feedly and the Blaugust Discord server. I do all my research and writing at my PC. Administrative tasks such as banking and prescription renewals are all done online and via my PC. If Mrs P wants to watch something different to me, I use my PC as a second TV. And naturally I am a member of the PC “master race” when it comes to gaming. As I said in a previous post, I find sitting at my desk, in front of my PC to be one of the most comfortable and relaxed environments that I know. On the few occasions that my PC has been offline due to technical issues, I wander the bungalow like a lost soul.
Another piece of modern technology that has become essential in my life is the smartphone. I know that this is not a particularly imaginative or original example but the fact remains that this device has had a seismic impact upon our lives and culture in just 13 years. Mobile phones per se have existed for considerably longer but it was the smartphone, with its wider range of functionality, which brought the internet to our pockets. And I use my smartphone in a similar fashion to my desktop PC. I won’t bore you with the multitude of tasks I use it for but I love how I can be out and about somewhere new with Mrs P and within minutes determine where’s there’s parking, a nice restaurant and what the local property prices are like (co’s we’re seriously considering moving soon). The modern smartphone offers communication, information and a wealth of services at your fingertips. I’ve also never been an especially accomplished photographer. But now I can produce at least one decent photo per day trip, thanks to my phone. I just hate it when people call me on it.
Finally, I need to mention dishwashers. I’m not sure if they’re considered standard “white goods” in the UK yet. A quick Google search shows that as of 2018, only 48% of homes have them, so may be not. I’ve been using a dishwasher for about a decade now and I consider them invaluable. For me one of the seven circles of hell is a hot kitchen with a small sink, filled with tepid, greasy water, trying to scrub a roasting pan with a worn plastic brush with splayed bristles. I hate washing up. It ruins your hands and I detest having to do manual labour after a heavy meal, when I should be relaxing in a fireside chair enjoying a large glass of port. My parents have an “old person’s” house, by which I mean that everything in it actively conspires to hinder you. They do not have a dishwasher and it’s like going back to using dial-up internet, except that it involves the use of Brillo pads.
For reasons of brevity, I’ve kept this post to just three examples of what I consider to be indispensable technology. However, here are a few other “honourable mentions” that I think deserve to be referenced, due to the impact they’ve had upon the quality of life in general.
Sat Navs
Wireless Blood Sugar Monitors
Tamagotchi
View-Master
George Foreman Grill
The Lament Configuration
Video 2000
Teletext
PalmPilot
Computer Battleships
Fandom Memories
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
Syp over at Bio Break leads the charge with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt, with this interesting question. “What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?” Please do read his thoughts on going to see Return of the Jedi upon its original release back in 1983. It is something I can certainly relate to. I’m a decade older than Syp and so I can recollect actually seeing Star Wars for the first time at my local cinema. However as that was a starting point for a specific fandom rather than an “ongoing” example, I won’t cite it here. I have even earlier recollections of going to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and having the extra bonus of seeing the Doctor Who Exhibition which ran there from 1973 to 2003. This would have been in August 1974 and I was six at the time. I have dim recollections of all the exhibits being mainly from the Jon Pertwee era and the Daleks being the high point of my day.
But as the question is about “core fandoms” I think I’ll reference a more contemporary example. One that I can recollect more clearly and so provide a more specific anecdote about. So I’d like to talk about my love of the horror genre and how as I got older, became a consummate fan. I’ve recently written about how during the 80s and 90s the UK home video market endured some rather restrictive regulations that lead to a lot of horror films being unavailable or heavily edited. Due to magazines such as Fangoria and Starburst, fans would be aware of both mainstream US and independent productions long before they were released in the UK. Hence we’d often become aware of those occasional titles that had already caused a stir “stateside” or in Europe and would therefore naturally run into distribution and censorship issues when it came to a British release. How could such films be shown in the UK? The answer was the “film festival”, which provided a limited or one off showcase, where the audience could be strictly regulated. Such events weren’t providing mainstream national distribution.
Now film festivals per se are always a great occasion for fans. I find that watching a cult classic with a like minded audience in a traditional movie theatre setting, rather than watching at home on your own, is a superior way to enjoy a film. I believe there is some truth to the “shared experience”. For example I feel the slapstick shenanigans of Charlie Chaplin work a lot better when viewed with a group. Bearing this in mind, on Saturday 24th February 1990, not only did I get the chance to indulge this theory by going to my first film festival but I was afforded the oppurtunity to see a controversial film that was heading into trouble. That film being Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer. The Splatterfest 90 film festival was held at the Scala Cinema, in Kings Cross, London. The venue was a known private cinema that excelled at hosting such events, as well as regularly showing bizarre and baroque movies.
I remember quite clearly, the atmosphere in the cinema. The Scala was a sumptuous but somewhat dilapidated 1920s building, which lent itself well to its niche market purpose. Between films it was quite noisy with fans talking and constantly going to and fro to the lobby. But when Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer started the audience settled and fell silent. The film was a gruelling 83 minutes experience which left the audience shocked, uncomfortable yet utterly engaged with the proceedings. I subsequently learned that several examiners from the BBFC had attended the screening as an opportunity to “research” a movie they knew would be “problematic” when it eventually sought a formal UK theatrical release. There was a very interesting Q&A with director John McNaughton which shed a lot of insight into the film and its production.
There were several other movies shown that night making Splatterfest 90 a very enjoyable film festival. Brian Yuzna’s Bride of Re-Animator which is a great sequel to the original Re-Animator, was very well received. As was the excellent documentary Document of the Dead, which was made during the filming of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. However, one film did not go down particularly well. The Comic, a “psychological drama” about a stand up comedian who murders his way to success in a dystopian future, was met with derision, objects hurled at the screen and cries of “for fuck’s sake, turn this shit off”. Director Richard Driscoll was due to be interviewed after the screening but bid a hasty retreat after his film’s suboptimal reception. Overall Splatterfest 90 was a very good introduction to film festivals and was certainly a “grassroots” experience of fandom. I’ve been to many similar events since then but none have had quite the same impact or left such memories as this one.
Your Writing Environment (Again)
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
My desk as of August 2020
I thought I’d tackle another Blaugust Promptapalooza writing cue. Today’s question is “Tell us about your physical creative space, and how it influences your content creation” and the official promoter of this prompt is Krikket over at Nerd Girl Thoughts. Do go check out their very candid thoughts and personal experience on this subject. Because where you sit and create your content is a big factor in the process. Sadly, for practical reasons it is often the one that is most overlooked or neglected due to the realities of life (as Krikket explains in their post). Very few of us have a purpose built studio or specifically designed workspace. Most of us just try to adapt an existing part of our home and make do with that. I have done this in the past, when I was living in a rented flat. The lounge dining table also doubled as a writing desk, as well as a computer workstation. It was a little too high for such purposes and it ruined my posture after a while. The ergonomics of where you sit is not something that should be ignored.
In 2016, having moved, I started using the spare bedroom in the Peril household as an office. I live in a Bungalow and the bedrooms are at the front property. This is a common foible of buildings of this type from the 1930s. It’s a robust, red brick built home with a South facing garden. Consequently, the “office” faces North and is cool in hot weather. The window looks out into a busy tree lined avenue. I wrote in a previous blog post on this subject about how my original plans were “thwarted” by the arrival of my twin granddaughters. At the time I had to share my “creative workspace” with two travel cots. Hence I initially chose a very small desk. However, the twins are now 5 years old and so the travel cots have gone. There is now a single bed in the room, which has a second pull out mattress in the base. I have now expanded “my domain” and got a bigger desk. One that is the right height and has adequate room for me to type or write longhand.
Ignore the cable management and focus on Pliny and Magnus
I like a tidy and organised work space. My desk is laid out in accordance with my needs.I have a single document tray for my paperwork. There’s a headset available for impromptu online chats. It is an analogue model that plugs into a 3.5mm jack. I have an extension cable that ends in a female socket to hand under the monitor stand. There’s an Xbox controller for those games that require one. I have my internet router under my monitor so I can address any issues, should they arise. This model has greatly improved the wireless network in the home but my PC is attached via an ethernet cable. I have my Fire HD 10 to hand and my phone in a wireless charging cradle. Notebooks and pens are available should they be required. I also have an HP printer, copier, scanner next to my desk. I’ve had the same computer chair for 4 years and have already replaced the gas cylinder. It is getting a little worn but I’m reluctant to part with it as it is very comfortable.
When writing I tend to prefer a quiet environment. If I shut the office door and Mrs P does the same in the lounge then neither disturbs the other. Sometimes if I find my attention wandering and I’m spending too much time watching the shenanigans of “punch above his weight man” who lives across the road, or some other example of life’s rich pageant, then I’ll draw the curtains. I’ve recently started getting up earlier in the morning and now try to do the majority of my writing before 11:00AM. Because I am very much at ease with myself when I’m at my desk and I feel it’s a place where I 100% belong, I’ll often get lost in my writing. On the days when the ideas come and I’m invested in the subject I’m writing about, I can be quite productive. Some days when I’m outraged by something I’ve seen on the news or online, my office is a haven of reason to retreat to. Having been self-employed in the past and regularly worked from home, I can effectively compartmentalise my time. If I’m supposed to be writing then there’s no skiving allowed. Gaming (which I do on the same PC) is allotted to specific times of the day and can only be indulged in when all other obligations have been met.
The beer on the desk is a semi-permanent fixture
I consider myself very fortunate to live in a home that has a spare room that I can use in this way. Shit, I think I’m fortunate to even have a home but that’s a subject for a separate blog post that I may tackle at a future date. Simply put I have a decent sized room in my home that I can appropriate and use simply to write, record podcasts (which I haven’t done for a while), play video games and watch pointless but amusing YouTube videos. One a month or so, my granddaughters come to stay for a night or two and I can’t use “the office” from 8:00 PM for about twelve hours. It’s hardly an inconvenience. Many of my fellow bloggers and content creators do not enjoy this luxury. Families, especially young children take up space. Therefore there may not physically be a room or area to claim for indulging your artistic muse. Or there may be a corner or snug but it needs to be cleared out or maintained before it can be used. Try doing that after pulling a 12 hour shift. And if you rent, then you may find there are restrictions in your leasing arrangement.
Often, the space we'd like to have for our creative endeavours and the one we actually use are not the same thing. However, despite the reality of the situation many bloggers, podcasters, streamers, vloggers and online creators manage to regularly produce good quality material without the benefit of a designated office or bespoke studio. They get by the best way they can and it could be argued that having to create on the fly, guerilla style, is why they create such good material. But I won’t belabor that point because I’m sure many would most certainly like a suitable “den”. I also should add that I’m lucky that Mrs P hasn’t seen fit to use “the office “ as her “sewing room”, “Kabaddi Dojo” or some such similar creative undertaking. If that were the case, I’d be back to writing via the lounge table, on a laptop. How would I be able to see the birds on Mrs Coltart’s roof?
Walter
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
I shall be taking a degree of “artistic license” with today’s Blaugust Promptapalooza writing prompt. The original question (as given by Rambling Redshirt over at Beyond Tannhauser Gate) is “If you had a mascot to represent you, what would it be?” but I’ve decided to adjust this slightly. I already have an unofficial mascot for Contains Moderate Peril and they have featured in several blog posts. Furthermore, as an experiment in marketing, they have also appeared in several social media campaigns. The idea was to see whether they could gain more traction with existing “followers” and provide a more effective means of promoting this site. I was initially surprised by the results but upon reflection, given what usually proves popular on social media (IE things that are deemed “cute”), it should have been obvious from the start. So without further ado, if you are not familiar with him already, allow me to introduce Walter.
Walter is a cuddly Panda soft toy or plushy as they call such things “across the pond”. He’s about 3 feet and has his own chair, which is positioned in the lounge, next to the TV. His origins are somewhat mysterious. Walter first appeared in my home roundabout Easter 2014. Mrs P saw him in a charity shop window for the bargain price of £3 and in a fit of generosity, bought him for £5. I woke up to find him looking at me and thus began a strange and interesting symbiotic relationship. I have often wondered about Walter’s previous life before he became part of the Peril household but he has remained uncommunicative about the subject. He likes to give the impression that his past is enigmatic but I suspect he was given his marching orders by his previous “owners” for taking up too much room. Walter doesn’t help out with household chores, preferring to “hold court” from his chair. He watches a lot of TV and has strong opinions on popular culture.
Now if you have a 3 foot cuddly Panda, knocking about your abode, it’s only a matter of time before you decide to take a photo of them in a comical situation or with some kind of droll caption. Hence Walter made his first appearance in a post I wrote about the perils of playing Mortal Kombat. NB This featured on a previous iteration of the Contains Moderate Peril website but the post was updated and republished here. Naturally, readers were curious about my new companion and he made further appearances both on the blog and Twitter. His dry sense of humour gained him a degree of traction with readers and followers alike and I started getting requests for him to feature more often. Hence I decided to try a small experiment and planned a series of tweets featuring Walter watching classic movies and TV and making informed pronouncements upon the proceeding. There are some very good online tools available for analysing social media traffic, so I created #WalterWatches as a means of tracking the experiment.
If I may quote Spandau Ballet, to cut a long story short Walter’s viewing commentary generated about four to five times more online activity than my regular tweets. Season 1 (for want of a better phrase) of #WalterWatches ran from March to May in 2019 and proved that if used properly, then social media can really “boost your signal”. Season 2 ran from January to February 2020 and stopped mainly due to the lockdown. Naturally, I have genuinely considered creating a separate Instagram and Twitter account for Walter. Mrs P even suggested making outfits for him (she’s a dab hand at sewing and dressmaking). However, all these ideas have withered on the vine. Walter’s popularity is due to him. I’m not sure if trying to crowbar his persona into promoting my work would be so well received. Plus making outfits, videos and setting up photos is time consuming and I struggle enough to write consistently. Plus now that Walter’s cousin Finwë has come to live with us, the pair of them are too busy and not especially fussed about becoming “influencers”.
There may well be a lesson to be learned in this tale, although I’m not quite sure what it is exactly. Certainly mascots are a great marketing tool but I suspect you have to have a clear idea of how to use them effectively to get the most out of them. And before I end this post I will share two further Walter related anecdotes. Firstly, Walter got his name because if you look at him from the right angle (and with the help of alcohol), he looks like the actor John Noble who played Walter Bishop in the TV show Fringe. Secondly, in late summer 2014, I was ill with Swine Flu. At one point I was running a very high temperature and beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. I awoke from a lengthy sleep to find a wet towel tied not around my own forehead but Walter’s. I’ve never quite got to the bottom of what happened and he’s never felt disposed to say anything. It’s just another of the many unanswered questions surrounding him. I’m still trying to figure out how come he’s got his own special chair and I haven’t?
Finding Wisdom in Quotes
Today’s scheduled Blaugust Promptaplaooza writing prompt is “what is/are your favourite quote(s)”. Now I have always had a liking for quotes and feel that a well selected one can often contribute to a good conversation. Something like “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” which is attributed to Edmund Burke. Furthermore, a cunning quotation can also be used to bluff your way through a discussion, especially if it’s a subject that you have no knowledge of. The more esoteric the quote the better, I find. Something like Immanuel Kant’s “Metaphysics is a dark ocean without shores or lighthouse, strewn with many a philosophic wreck”. And I also have a tendency to append day to day statements with obscure pop culture references, mainly for my own amusement. I often shout “Bullshit, Mr Han Man!” at the TV, when politicians are interviewed on the news.
Marcus Aurelius is a source of numerous good quotes
Today’s scheduled Blaugust Promptaplaooza writing prompt is “what is/are your favourite quote(s)”. Now I have always had a liking for quotes and feel that a well selected one can often contribute to a good conversation. Something like “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” which is attributed to Edmund Burke. Furthermore, a cunning quotation can also be used to bluff your way through a discussion, especially if it’s a subject that you have no knowledge of. The more esoteric the quote the better, I find. Something like Immanuel Kant’s “Metaphysics is a dark ocean without shores or lighthouse, strewn with many a philosophic wreck”. And I also have a tendency to append day to day statements with obscure pop culture references, mainly for my own amusement. I often shout “Bullshit, Mr Han Man!” at the TV, when politicians are interviewed on the news.
So with this in mind I have selected one serious quote that I feel is especially relevant at present, especially in light of “post truth culture” and the current state of tribalistic and acrimonious public discourse. The rest are film quotes. Some of these illustrate a wider philosophical point. Others just amuse and entertain me.
The pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed – in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical – and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for when dealing with a stupid person than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
Excalibur (1981)
Escape From New York (1981)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
The Warriors (1979)
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)
Wild Geese (1978)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus has also tackled this writing prompt today. You can find his thoughts on the matter over at his blog The Ancient Gaming Noob.
3 Types of Underrated Content
Blaugust Festival of Blogging is an annual event held usually during the month of August. It’s designed to encourage content creation of all kinds and foster a sense of community. This year due to the lockdown in many countries, the event was held early in April and was well received despite the difficult circumstances. Now that August has arrived, Belghast, the founder and organizer of this prestigious festival has decided to hold an additional event in the form of Promptapalooza. It’s a month of scheduled writing prompts and a blogging relay. Each day a designated writer will explore a specific topic and then pass the blogging baton on to another. Hence, over the course of August, the event will showcase the work of 30 different bloggers. The list of writing prompts are all available in advance for anyone who may wish to use them.
Blaugust Festival of Blogging is an annual event held usually during the month of August. It’s designed to encourage content creation of all kinds and foster a sense of community. This year due to the lockdown in many countries, the event was held early in April and was well received despite the difficult circumstances. Now that August has arrived, Belghast, the founder and organizer of this prestigious festival has decided to hold an additional event in the form of Promptapalooza. It’s a month of scheduled writing prompts and a blogging relay. Each day a designated writer will explore a specific topic and then pass the blogging baton on to another. Hence, over the course of August, the event will showcase the work of 30 different bloggers. The list of writing prompts are all available in advance for anyone who may wish to use them.
Before I begin, I would like to thank Mailvaltar for their very kind introduction and urge you to read their previous Promptapalooza post “media that’s shaped my worldview”. It brought back fond memories of when I acquired my first radio/cassette player and the impact specific radio stations had upon me when I was young. Mailvatar also references a german author I’m not familiar with but the genre of books they wrote is certainly of interest to me. This highlights why the Promptapalooza event can be both entertaining and informative. Talking of which, let’s move on to my writing prompt which is as follows.
“What type of content do you feel is severely underrated?”
This is an interesting prompt and can be considered from different perspectives, Because this is a blogging event I immediately thought of the question in terms of writing. IE What types of blog posts are underrated or can be far more informative than initially thought. However the question could be extrapolated to cover other sorts of content such as video games, TV or movies. But rather than use this post as an excuse to write about the “found footage” genre in cinema (something I must get around to doing), I think it’s more appropriate for me to focus on writing and the variety of content that can be produced by a blogger. So with that in mind here are a few ideas, many of which I have used myself here on Contains Moderate Peril.
Here’s a picture intended to engender both cosy and benign sentiments towards blogging
Recurring Posts: Over the years my writing has gone from being specific to one game to covering a wide variety of subjects. Sometimes I find that I want to talk about something in broad terms rather than in specific detail. A prime example of this is what I’ve been watching on TV recently. As I consider Contains Moderate Peril to be broadly comparable to a magazine in its format, it was a logical step to have recurring posts just like the regular columns you find in print media. These posts afford me to write about a spectrum of subjects and provide updates and references on a rolling basis. With regard to my TV viewing habits, I started a recurring post under the tile of “The Idiot Box”. I have a similar post which covers what games I’ve been playing each month. I feel that these sorts of posts can be invaluable to summarising activities and touching upon talking points without getting bogged down in excessive minutiae. They also have a more personal aspect to them which can be invaluable in building a rapport with your audience.
Personal Posts: I read numerous blogs for a multitude of different reasons. Some writers have a knack for technical detail, where others exude an accessible, everyman/woman, “Tom Hanks” of blogging approach. Where some blogs are first and foremostly defined by the subject(s) they write about, others are more of a vehicle for the author’s personality (although they may not realise this). Never underestimate this factor. I know some bloggers are quite content to write about personal aspects of their lives and that others do their utmost to minimise the amount of information they reveal about themselves. But whatever approach is taken, there comes a point when aspects of your personality eventually bleed through into your written work via some strange process of literary osmosis. And as “you are your own brand” whether you like it or not, this becomes one of the reasons your readers relate to you. Therefore I think the occasional, well considered personal post can be invaluable in connecting with your audience. I’ve written about my caring commitments and more recently about my own personal health. These are aspects of life that are common to all and sometimes sharing one’s experience can be beneficial to others as well as cathartic for oneself.
Walter and Finwë have featured both in my writing and in my “tweets”. I suspect they they have plans to go “solo”
Multimedia Posts: I have jokingly advised in the past, that if new bloggers are stuck for an idea, then just post a few screenshots from a game they’re currently playing. However, this isn’t as facetious as it first appears. Readers often like screencaptures and videos from games they haven’t yet played or are thinking about buying. Material from grassroot sources, as opposed to official press kits, can be very informative and useful to others. I frequently log onto the LOTRO test servers and take copious amounts of screenshots of forthcoming content. This often results in a spike in website traffic as not everyone wants to install the test client or has the time to look for themselves. I also advocate posting pictures of other activities, such as day trips or vacations. Again this ties in with personal posts as well as providing readers with a chance to see material they may not encounter elsewhere. If you want to write about some specific piece of music or artist, then you may wish to include audio content or a YouTube video. Far from posts of this nature being a “lazy cop out”, I find they can be engaging and at times a more immediate means of expressing a sentiment or making a point.
And that concludes my take on types of “underrated content”. The next participant in Blaugust Promptapalooza is Everwake from Everwake’s Internet Adventures. They’ve already tackled two of the writing prompts and have some very interesting thoughts on “Fandom” and “Popular Content” which I recommend you peruse at your leisure. On Tuesday 4th of August they’ll be addressing the curious and intriguing subject of “personal rituals”. Being a creature of habit myself, I can certainly relate to this and look forward to reading Everwake’s thoughts on the matter. In the meantime enjoy Blaugust Promptapalooza and feel free to get involved throughout the course of the month. Don’t forget to join us on Discord for help, advice and a friendly chat.
Top Five Most Viewed Posts by Year
If you’ve been blogging for a while, it can be informative and fun to trawl through your statistical data. A common refrain from bloggers is that the post that they consider their best work is often the least read and that it’s the throwaway posts or articles written on a whim that find an audience. Both Wilhelm Arcturus and Belghast have analysed their website data and listed their respective top five most viewed posts by year. Having been writing for a comparable amount of time to these well known community figures, I thought I’d follow suit. Because I moved hosts to Squarespace and effectively started from scratch in August 2015 this will have to be my starting point. Although I exported all my content from my former hosted WordPress site, I have little statistical data. However, the six year period covered reveals some interesting details about what posts prove popular.
If you’ve been blogging for a while, it can be informative and fun to trawl through your statistical data. A common refrain from bloggers is that the post that they consider their best work is often the least read and that it’s the throwaway posts or articles written on a whim that find an audience. Both Wilhelm Arcturus and Belghast have analysed their website data and listed their respective top five most viewed posts by year. Having been writing for a comparable amount of time to these well known community figures, I thought I’d follow suit. Because I moved hosts to Squarespace and effectively started from scratch in August 2015 this will have to be my starting point. Although I exported all my content from my former hosted WordPress site, I have little statistical data. However, the six year period covered reveals some interesting details about what posts prove popular.
2015:
Posts on the MMORPG genre have always been a mainstay of my blogging. I’ve commented upon The Lord of the Rings Online since 2008 so it’s no surprise that such posts show in the top five for this year. I am curious about the Twitter related post although I seem to recollect this being linked to by another site. As for The Hobbit movie post, the franchise ran from 2012- 2014 with the extended editions being released a year after the theatrical versions. So as this post details what extra footage features in the longer version of the film, it makes sense being the most popular post of the year.
2016:
Again LOTRO features in the top five posts. This was the year that Standing Stone Games separated itself from developers Turbine. The movie review of Dawn of the Dead is actually of an obscure fan edit which tries to recreate the initial work print. It combines all the footage from George Romero’s Director’s Cut and the European version edited by Dario Argento. And it would appear the writing about vintage TV shows can also reach a wide audience. Again I think this post was linked to by a Gerry Anderson fan site, which explains how it got such traffic.
2017:
The post about a potential Silmarillion Movie, stemmed from speculation as to what Peter Jackson’s next project would be after The Hobbit Trilogy. By now a trend is apparent. Film reviews and movie related content has far greater longevity than gaming related posts. It also fares well with Google and my posts can turn up in the first two pages of search results. The Star Trek Online post reflects the fact that so much data regarding the game is generated in the official subreddit. There aren’t that many STO blogs that I know of, so I assume this is why this post got so much traffic.
2018:
I started playing The Elder Scrolls Online for the first time since the beta in 2018 and therefore wrote a few posts about subjects that didn’t seem to be covered elsewhere. Dolmen farming is a common practise in the game so this simple guide was obviously in the right place at the right time. The disposable nature of gear prior to reaching level cap in ESO bothered me. I guess it bothered others too. Providing a summary of content on the LOTRO test servers always generates web traffic. So many people don’t want to have to install a second version of the game.
2019:
By last year I was fully aware of what “works” best on Contains Moderate Peril. The review of the “unrated” version of World War Z catalogues all the additional footage. It’s hardly surprising that people want to know, as the theatrical version was rated PG-13. An odd choice for a zombie movie. And once again anything that informs LOTRO players about what new content is coming up does well. Perhaps I can claim a marketing allowance from SSG? That ESO post is back again. I suspect it will stay there.
2020:
Obviously the top five for 2020 is not a full year (neither was 2015) but it clearly shows what content gets the most traction with readers. Over 50% of all my web traffic is from Google searches. Mainly movie reviews. Gamers also like guides. Provide them with simple clear instructions that tell them what to do and ensure there’s some pictures and you may have a winning formula. I write about a range of subjects, the scope of which gets wider every year. Although those posts get read, they do not get the sort of numbers as the film reviews and simple guides. I’m certainly not going to change the focus of my writing because of the data presented here. However, I have decided to write an ongoing tips and hints post for Star Trek Online as I do feel it will connect with an audience. I’ll make no bones about it. I write primarily for myself but I do enjoy the fact that my content finds readers.
Blapril: Lessons Learned
I still think it was a good idea to move the scheduled August blogging event to April and take advantage of the lockdown. Many of us still have a lot more spare time on our hands than usual. However, upon reflection the lockdown has come with its own set of problems, one of which being a degree of mental discombobulation which does impact upon one’s motivation. So Blapril has felt a little different to last year’s Blaugust. The passion has still been present but I think this time round there’s also been a degree of catharsis. Writing can be good therapy for all sorts of problems. However, the uncertainty of the times and the worry it engenders has also impacted upon bloggers stamina. I was ill for a third of Blapril which threw my schedule. I’ve also been smitten with a degree of indolence that has made writing a bit of a struggle at times. I certainly don’t think I’ve applied myself to my mentoring role as well as previous years.
I still think it was a good idea to move the scheduled August blogging event to April and take advantage of the lockdown. Many of us still have a lot more spare time on our hands than usual. However, upon reflection the lockdown has come with its own set of problems, one of which being a degree of mental discombobulation which does impact upon one’s motivation. So Blapril has felt a little different to last year’s Blaugust. The passion has still been present but I think this time round there’s also been a degree of catharsis. Writing can be good therapy for all sorts of problems. However, the uncertainty of the times and the worry it engenders has also impacted upon bloggers stamina. I was ill for a third of Blapril which threw my schedule. I’ve also been smitten with a degree of indolence that has made writing a bit of a struggle at times. I certainly don’t think I’ve applied myself to my mentoring role as well as previous years.
A recurring follow on from every Blaugust and therefore inevitably Blapril, are the blogs that subsequently fall into decline or return to intermittent posting. Some folk want to write more often but can’t for various real world reasons. Many find that maintaining motivation outside of a community driven event can be a lot harder to do. Others discover that blogging on a regular basis is just not for them, which is fare enough. They either stop or become an occasional blogger. Hopefully participating in Blapril has still proven to be a useful and worthwhile experience. I still enjoy these events as I like being part of a friendly and supportive community and I like adding new blogs to Feedly (I currently track 127). There’s still a wealth of good content being produced and I get a great deal of pleasure by starting my day trawling through Feedly to see what everyone’s been up to.
As for me, I’ll just keep going as writing is something that has become an integral part of my life. I can take a break from time to time but I can’t really stop. I have several long form “think pieces” in development that I may try to hawk around and see if I can get any traction outside of my own blog. I also think it may be time for a new project. At the very least such an undertaking will result in a few blog posts as I usually document such things. However, looking back at what I’ve written about of late, I no longer see Contains Moderate Peril as being a blog about gaming, movies and popular culture anymore that I started so many years ago. Exactly what the right term is that defines it eludes me but it seems to be more than just “musings on video games, movies and popular culture”. I feel I now have a platform that allows me to express a broad range of thoughts and opinions. I also realise that the old adage about “if you throw enough shit at the wall, some of it will stick” is true.
My Writing Process (The Recipe Analogy)
Easha Dustfeather suggested a Blapril writing prompt to catalogue your writing process “as if it were a recipe”. I like this idea so I thought I’d give it a go. My process is one of two distinct halves. Ideas for blog posts come through a variety of means. Sometimes while thinking, one will spontaneously occur. More often inspiration is derived through reading other people’s content or by simply addressing current news issues. I have mentioned before how I keep an ideas list and continuously add to it. The next stage which I shall detail here, is how I take an idea forward and develop it into an orderly post. Again I must reference how I was taught to write up a Science Experiment at school and how that process has stuck with me over the years. This recipe idea has a lot of similarity to this which is why I think it inherently appeals to the way my mind works.
Easha Dustfeather suggested a Blapril writing prompt to catalogue your writing process “as if it were a recipe”. I like this idea so I thought I’d give it a go. My process is one of two distinct halves. Ideas for blog posts come through a variety of means. Sometimes while thinking, one will spontaneously occur. More often inspiration is derived through reading other people’s content or by simply addressing current news issues. I have mentioned before how I keep an ideas list and continuously add to it. The next stage which I shall detail here, is how I take an idea forward and develop it into an orderly post. Again I must reference how I was taught to write up a Science Experiment at school and how that process has stuck with me over the years. This recipe idea has a lot of similarity to this which is why I think it inherently appeals to the way my mind works.
NB The example I shall be using here is for a real blog post that I shall publish the day after this one. Rather than deal with abstracts, I thought it would be more useful to show the development of a blog post from start to finish.
Stage 1: The Idea.
I saw a comment on a website in which the author claimed to be “Middle-aged”. They then admitted to being 67 years old. I thought this phrase could lead to an interesting discussion about age and everything that goes with it. The idea just popped into my head when I saw the phrase written down. Admittedly, semantics is a subject I’m interested in. Plus there’s an added social element to this because society seems to willfully misuse words these days and subvert their dictionary meaning. So to invoke the recipe analogy, the idea is effectively our intent to bake a cake. The nature of the idea determines what sort of cake.
Stage 2: Points and paragraphs.
With any blog post I write, I always like there to be some sort of structure, especially if debating a point. I often start with simple bullet points and then attempt to put more meat on the bones. So with a discussion about “Middle-aged”, I’ll cite differing perspectives on the subject and develop these into separate paragraphs. IE Age is a numerical construct. Therefore the middle can be broadly determined through mathematical means. However a counter argument would be based in ideas about societal notions about age. So within the terms of our recipe metaphor, this is about ingredients and finding the correct balance to achieve the blog post you desire.
Stage 3: Editing and polishing.
I always write first and edit afterwards. I find that spell checking and tweaking as I go greatly slows my writing. So I strive to get all relevant thoughts out of my head and onto the virtual paper quickly and then endeavour to whip them into shape. If something doesn’t work it goes and if I come up with something pertinent at a later stage, it gets neatly dovetailed into the proceedings. If a blog post is proving difficult or dealing with something potentially controversial, then leaving it and returning at a later point is sometimes necessary. A fresh perspective can help in finalising an article. I also like to take some time in choosing any pictures that are to go with a post. I see this process as adding the icing to a cake and fine tuning the presentation of a dish as we’re using a recipe analogy.
So this is the process I usually apply to writing my blog posts. Sometimes I will shoot straight from the hip and just write something right off the bat (the Omelette approach) but that’s not something I do often. I prefer a more structured approach. I was going to add a “Stage 4” about posting finished articles and promoting them on social media but I believe that really is a separate subject altogether and that self promotion deserves a post entirely to itself. Overall, I still like this recipe analogy due to the similarities between cooking and writing. Both are clear processes that require organisation and preparation. Additionally, both are ultimately more than the sum of their respective parts and dependent on an additional “je ne sais quoi”. Plus it is often down to others to determine whether you’ve been successful.