Beware the Blogger in Your Midst
Monday, September 15, 2008 at 12:00AM “All writers are cannibals,” Joan Delmont wrote in her novel Plonk Goes the Weasel. I love this quote. I didn’t realize how accurate this observation was until I started posting a daily blog. Now the events in my life are all grist for the mill. The kids are used to this. I have used them as examples when I was teaching Bible Study and MOPS. They have some minor objection to me posting their lives on the web for the whole world to see, hence the Princess posting. There was the time that my resident tech expert objected to something I wrote that involved her and she threatened to delete my blog. I have never mentioned A Second Cup to my son’s prior girlfriend on the off chance she might come across the posts involving her, they get back together and she hates me forever. My husband didn’t like the post about nagging. I’m not going to explore why too deeply.
I have to be careful or I find myself narrating what I experience in my mind piecing together words to type down later because I post 5 times a week, 2500 words more or less and I need new material daily. My husband took me to a lovely bed and breakfast for our 25th wedding anniversary, as we walked into the room, I started writing in my head, “The room is masculine and comfortable like the man I married…” I had to stop myself. This was not blog material even though I could get a week's worth of postings.
The same thing happened when I visited my family. I was noting details, watching faces, looking for minor conflicts that would make interesting posts. That is why I wrote so little about my visit. I was visiting family, not on a blog material gathering mission. There are lines that should not be crossed.
Where is the line between a writer's using events from her personal life to develop material to post and using other people’s lives with or without their consent?
If you know someone who writes a personal blog…beware…she may be writing in her head, gnawing on your life, even as you speak, so please…try to be interesting.
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Reader Comments (7)
I often mention people, but I always use pseudonyms. I never use anything personally identifiable.
Your words are so true! My sister, also a blogger, and I have been known to take photographs of our food at restaurants because we might want to post about what we had for dinner! One never knows what might end up being blogged about!
I really Try To Keep my personal life out of my personal blog, other than goofy Stuff I run into out and about rather than on the home front. It would make my life so much easier if I just wrote about my neighbors. None of them have Internet access, but I promised My wife I wouldn't . Why Just last week ...
Beamer
I struggle with this issue myself. Blogging about the "little things" in real life is not such an issue, but when it comes to the big things in life, my lack of anonymity makes certain subjects out of bounds. Someday, I'll write fiction and include all the sorted stories.
This is also one of the "problems" I have when I am in a family or social gathering. I look for potential blog entries hehe
Love this post...isn't all life worth writing about?
Lynne, If I take pictures and post them can I deduct the meal as a business expense?
Beamer, I visited your blog. Your pictures are beautiful. I can see why the neighbors would make it easy and why that might not be a good idea.
Tina, Fiction is a good idea for all the material I collect. Of course I would have it published after I was dead or someone in my circle of friends will think I am writing about them...even if I wasn't.
Adie, I am glad I am not the only one watching.
Ang, All life is worth writing about. All writing is not worth hurting anotheir's life.