Michael is Low on Hit Points

1  Kairu

Impression posts are easy to make but there are so many blogs giving impression posts on a certain anime and no one even cares on other impression posts on other blogs because there already blogs like:RC, Random Curiosity and Random Curiosity.

Editorial posts are good. But hard to make for me because I can't think of any topic because all editorial topics are taken.. I guess.

2  relentlessflame

Ah, the words of a fellow procrastinator! I can relate to this post. I actually have about a dozen drafts sitting around that seemed like good ideas at the time, but then it's either laziness or the realization of pointlessness that causes them to just sit there. And plus, I have to say that I'm really sick of impression posts; how many nearly-identical "here's what anime I think are interesting this season" posts or nearly-identical "episode screenshots + summary + opinion" formula posts do we really need? I mean, just watch the darn anime! ^^;

To be honest, I think I'm better at coming up with replies than I am at coming up with topics, but there are still a few angles I'm interested in that no one else covers. So that's basically all I focus on, even though it's not what most want to read. Oh well. But they say that writing is like anything else in that it gets easier with time and practice, so the important thing is probably just to keep on writing without great ambition. Maybe that way we'll stumble upon the things that work for us and if it so happens to work for others, great.

3  ghostlightning

Aw man, you needn't chop it between two categories. You can attempt to influence a decision, inform and enrich an experience of a show or a set of media, you can entertain, or all of the above.

Impressions can do that to, but I tend to avoid these myself since I'm not a reviewer kind of guy. I just like talking about anime and organizing discussions around a specific set of particulars.

Anyway, the important thing is not to get trapped in the categories you've outlined. And yeah, those topics you enumerated are interesting. Have fun with them!

4  RP

I like reading your opinions on things, so I'm glad you're back, but I think you're over-thinking this. Don't take it so seriously. This isn't a thesis paper, or a business plan. It doesn't need to follow a set structure, or have a singular focus. It's your blog, if you're enjoying it, go with it, if you're not, forget it. More importantly, it's your time spent. Time spent not blogging is time spent doing something else. Being lazy about blogging is (probably) being not lazy doing something else. So whatever works. =P

Re  Michael is LoHP

@ Kairu

You've hit the nail on the head. I'm not really giving anything all that unique here in structure or style or writing. I feel that I could do something well and different, but my heart is in it only as far as banging out some simple commentary. Oh well. I'm learning to live with the lethargy.

@ relentlessflame

Yes, procrastination is both fun and rewarding! Hard work pays off later. Procrastination pays off now! It's the double whammy of first being lazy about writing, then remembering the pointlessness of it all, which nicely justifies the procrastination.

I think my writing has improved a bit, but it's nowhere near where I want it to be. I've been reading less online, but what I have been reading has been restricted to my favorite writers. In effect, everything I've been reading lately makes me feel so bad about my own output. But maybe I'll slowly pick up some good points and incorporate those into my writing and my own style.

@ ghostlightning

I get what you're saying. But if I want to take the time and make a well developed point, I think that the time would best be vested in a post that everyone could read, as in a post not about a specific anime. Because for me, it's all about the discussion afterwards, and limiting my already limited audience won't get me a lot of back-and-forth in the comments.

@ RP

"...I think you're over-thinking this."

Bingo. That's the same conclusion I came to, albeit only recently. After wanting something from my writing, realizing that I couldn't get it (due to a lack of talent or motivation, which one doesn't really matter), I got to the point where I'm like "fuck it." Part of me still wants to blog, even though I can't make sense of why. Might as well keep going then.

5  Glo

I just write about whatever I want to write about, and if people like it, that's fine, and it people don't like it, that's fine too.

I'll make posts as stupid as "cat's don't listen to you", and ones as thought provoking as.....well......uhh........well I make......oh sarcastic awesome, I just got a text from my friend who said that he just gave my fucking hat away to some stranger. That ass hole better get it back or I'm gonna beat his fucking ass this Friday when I see him in NY. Holy crap I'm angry. I'm going to write about it.

This comment went to hell.

6  Martin

All I can say is, write about whatever you feel like writing - if anyone thinks you should be doing something else, they might as well put their money where their mouth is and start their own blog! I'm not surprised that organising the back end coding has sapped your creative energies to add new content. It happens; nothing to be ashamed of there.

I know how the laziness and lack of energy feels (had a slow, exhausting week myself too) but you've got some good ideas for posts listed right there. The best thing I've found is to avoid restricting yourself to any one type of post - what about mixing up the editorial, first-impression and episodic concepts? Just let the ideas flow and see what you come up with. You might end up with a few half-finished drafts, but something unexpectedly satisfying might come out of it.

There are still a few of us who read and appreciate whatever you write, so don't worry too much! You can have too much of a good thing, 'thinking' included. ^_^

7  Baka-Raptor

Write some game reviews. Or do some game-related editorials. I like you game stuff.

8  kadian1364

This blog is yours, and the only thing stopping you from writing what you want is you. Yeah, other places do game reviews and anime impressions, so what? Omni at RC gets readers because they want to listen to his thoughts, and readers come here because they want to listen to your thoughts. I just mean to say, don't be too preoccupied with making some super-special, unique blog with all original content different from everything else out there, just write stuff you're satisfied with and want to talk about. Amateur blogging need not be anything more than that.

Re  Michael is LoHP

@ Glo

It's less about how other people like what I write, and how I like what I write. In other words, I'm not all that in love with my output. I see other writers out there that really do there thing, and I think, "damn, I wish I could do something on that level." I look back at my own stuff and think, "damn, I have a ways to go."

That and I don't feel like I'm really blogging about much. I'm just leaving momentary impressions, many of which have already changed over this short time. I haven't actually affected anything. I haven't BUILT something, is what I should just come out and say. I'm just commenting on what others have built, and in hardly a constructive or illuminating way. I want to at least do that.

@ Martin

But what if it's "I" who thinks I should be doing something else? What if it's "I" who's too lazy and disaffected to start the kind of blog I really want to write? That's my dilemma. Rebuilding the back end was tons of fun. I'm a programmer. That's what I do. My motivation for that sort of thing is through the roof. But writing the content that I really want to put out there... suddenly I get lazy in a hurry.

I've definitely decided against restricting myself to one post style. I'm too lazy to make that work. So I'll just write whatever, and hopefully some good content gets through every now and again.

@ Baka-Raptor

Have you read my new about page? I've got some good stuff planned for gaming articles, if I can stick to that mission statement and don't get lazy.

@ kadian1364

It's not really that "other places do what I do" makes it bad. It's that I don't do what I really want to do. That's what really irks me. I want to do something more. I'd like to approach subject matter in general (not specific anime) and create meaningful commentary. And while I'm not aiming for the money aspect of being professional, I sure would like my writing to come off as good enough to be professional.

I think I can do that, but I'm not doing that, because I'm lazy, and that is what gets me down.

9  Gargron

Blogging is not pointless as far as it brings you together with other people, I find. And who told you that you must write something long? As long as it expresses as much as you want it to express, you can post short blurbs and whatever. And format doesn't really matter then.

10  JP

Your posts reads a lot like Dostoevsky's "Letters from underground". :P

Re  Michael is LoHP

@ Gargron

Excellent point. Conversing with fellow anime fans has been the best part about blogging. That's why I began, actually. I know nobody in my normal day-by-day that keeps up with anime. Sure, I know a person or... one, who watches certain kinds of anime every so often, but if it wasn't for the blogosphere... It's good to be back.

@ JP

Quite possibly one of the things that's holding my writing back is best highlighted by the simple fact that I had to look up what you wrote to see what it meant. I'm not cultured enough when it comes to literature. I need to read more. A lot more.

[reads its wikipedia entry intro] Sounds about right!

11  Nazarielle

I hate writing too, that is, I hate strict writing like when I'm writing a paper to be turned in to class or some such. Blogging has no such requirements, so for me, it's a nice little outlet for all my thoughts (and a lot of times anger). And I don't really care about editorials or such, most of the time I read them part way and realize I don't care one bit about what they're saying. So, my blogging ends up being rather shallow, but I'm fine with that, because I'm not doing it to prove that I'm some well educated literature buff, I do it to just let out my thoughts.

12  mo

Hello,

i've been following your blog for half a year or so (not much, i know; and never commented, becasue i'm a shy one), but in enjoyed pretty much every post i've read since i found your blog. and the reason? because, what you write is not generic-screencaps-summary-thoughts-impressions posts.

ani-blogosphere is really similar in thinking that sometimes i feel as if people write what they think they should write a show (i.e what pleases masses), but not what they really think (might of course be that they think exactly like everyone and their grandma), but your blogposts that i've read never gave me that impression. instead i've felt that this blog has a personality on it's own.

once i was browsing through different ani-blogs on someones blogroll and there weren't many that kept me interested, and yours was one of the few that i kept reading after the first visit. for the same reason stated above.

and please do tell people, that they are wrong about Endless 8 and White Album, because, well, they are :)

p.s i really loved your Amanchu post, and the one you wrote about different types of characters.

Re  Michael is LoHP

@ Nazarielle

I hate 'starting' to write. Once I get going, everything suddenly becomes a whole lot better. But getting in the mood is the hardest part for me.

Informational editorials can be kind of dull. But if they are injected with the same 'pop' that impressions writing has -- an interesting take and opinion on the subject -- then they can come to life.

@ mo

First off, thank you thank you thank you.

I've always thought of this blog as the beginning of a conversation. Since I don't know too many anime fans in my normal day-to-day, online is where I can interact with others. I go to other blogs and read their opinions, their 'conversations' about anime. I look at my blog as a way of starting my own 'conversations' on the anime and game topics on my mind at the time.

While I can continue to converse with others on their blog, what brings me back into blogging is the ability to shape and start more conversations. So what I'm saying is, welcome to the conversation. Stay around some more, and have your say too. Feel free to comment on anything past or present; I promise everyone here a response to every comment. I'm always interested in a new opinion -- a new take -- on all of these subjects I've blogged about and more.

And once again, thank you (and everyone else) for the kind words.