Tuesday, December 19, 2006

15 minutes

Today I have been receiving emails telling me that randallfriesen.com was mentioned on Brent Loucks morning show over at NewsTalk 650 out of Saskatoon, so some of you are checking this place out because of that plug. (Thanks Mr. Loucks).

While others of you read the blogging in Saskatchewan piece over at the Regina Leader-Post and you thought you"d check out who the 43 year old blogging nerd was, and here you are.

To you who are new to this space, make yourself at home. Put your feet up and stay as long as you like, then go start your own blog. It"s easier than you think, the starting one I mean. The real trick comes in writing something regularly that isn"t just what colour socks you are wearing with each new day.

But write the things that you know. Write your own story as if you were writing only to yourself, cause you probably are, at least at the beginning.

But as you take a bit of time to write each day, your writing will improve and you will discover that you have a writing voice, a way that you write best, if you will.

As you establish a small readership of, say your mom, and you want to increase that, simply start writing about controversial things like abortion or homosexuality or as I recall, peeing standing up.

I mean, everybody has an opinion on things so if you want a bit of give and take in your blog share your opinions, in strong ways. Somebody is sure to respond.

But write what you love. Learn and work the discipline of writing well and it will strengthen you.

It makes you a better thinker and communicator. It will help you win bets with your spouse over when exactly was the last time you did go visit the in-laws, because you blogged it. It will help you establish lasting relationships even over the miles. (Shall I tell you of Toni and Chris and how they started reading this space years ago and how this past summer they came to visit for a week from Jolly Olde England?) And of course it will keep you up-to-date on the lives of your kids lived far away.

And if you"re particularly good at it, people will ask you to write books. Or your readership will increase to the point where you can place advertisements on your blog and quit your day job.

This here Internet is still a cool place to discover hidden talents like yourself, tucked away in Humboldt or Kindersley or Kipling Saskatchewan, writing for a worldwide audience.

You really should give it a try.

But for now, thanks for dropping by. And like I say, make yourself at home, just use the coasters.

7 comments:

  1. You're famous!!! (I like the new picture of you by the way... Maybe not as much as the last one...)

    ;)

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  2. Excellent Job Randall! That's some good advertising you scored there. You are very right about a site/blog growing along with the writing style and finding something worthwhile to say. I've been at it for about 18 months now and Friday I hit a new record of visitors. It feels great to be sharing with so many people.

    I'm still amazed at the shyness I've seen though. 322 visitors Friday with the most posts I've had in weeks in the few days prior and only three comment. I know not everything I say is worth responding to but at least I know it is being read and I hope it is of value to someone.

    Keep up the great work.

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  3. i dunno, the tie makes me feel all stuffy and uptight.

    but thanks Beck.




    ... want 25 signed copies??

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  4. Randall - umm.. we are out of coasters :)

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  5. Wow, fame eh?

    Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

    ;»?)

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  6. LOL. I was going to ask for an autograph, but since you have signature at the bottom of the post I figured that would be all I would get...

    I don't think you look stuffy. You look all dressed up for Christmas... Like you're just about to walk onstage at the Sunday School Christmas concert with a big T on a piece of cardboard, stand in line with your class, and recite, "T is for Tidings of joy, not of danger. Telling of Him who was laid in a manger." Or something like that... :)

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  7. lol.


    Before I would be willing to go on-stage and recite that I would have to have a promise from my mom and dad that I could open one present after the concert.


    hey, I probably wore a short tie then too.

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