(Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes)
The curious thing about stereotypes: invariably a kernel of truth is buried somewhere. And that tiny kernel of truth inspires ridiculous generalizations. However tongue-in-cheek, almost everyone recognizes certain stereotypes in themselves. I know I do. And I know which type of blogger I tend to be. Which type of blogger are you?
The Department of Ridiculous Stereotypes requests you please categorize yourself according to the following guidelines.
Type I Blogger (The Dramatist)
Your writing is emotionally driven.
You can pump out articles as fast as your brain can drive your fingers. The disputable facts are irrelevant. Or inconvenient. Or simply not important.
When your writing entertains, your audience is huge! But the days they don’t love you, they hate you. For betraying them… for toying with their emotions… for coming out as a closet Republican (or Democrat or Tory or cat lover or whatever). Or maybe just for you being you.
Type II Blogger (The Professor)
Your articles must be factually correct. You obsess over accuracy. Precision is your byline. Writing a single article takes you hours (at least). The more verifiable facts you need, the longer the article stays in draft.
Days. Maybe weeks.
And once you get started, you can’t stop. Each claim must be backed up, referenced with an authoritative source, preferably several sources.
When you finally get it right, search engines love you.
(Disclaimer: I have a dozen of these articles in draft mode.)
Type III (The Expert)
You are the absolute domain expert. The facts are what you say they are. You crank out dozens of articles really fast. Who’s going to argue with you? The competition? You have no competition.
You are right… because you say you are.
And you have the fan club to prove it!
Check this out…
Extreme John pops up with a claim of writing 73 articles in 24 hours… on the tanning salon business. Since John has been in the tanning salon business for years, this makes perfect sense. It would take me all day to write even 1 article on tanning salons. I don’t pity any fool trying to take on John in the Blogging For Tanning Salon arena. They’re going to get their narrow butt handed to them. Deservedly.
Type IV blogger (The Artiste)
Writing is your agony. Your punishment. Your salvation. You are…
The Artiste!
And blogging is your art form.
You peer down your nose at lesser mortals, people who believe writing is simply tradecraft, people who actually make money writing. Such is not for you!
Ok, maybe you aren’t that bad… but each level of detail and refinement you incorporate takes time to master. 90% of your writing you do in 10% of the time. Writing that last 10%, pure, ecstatic agony.
When you master your form, your fans are rabid, slavering pack animals shredding all and sundry detractors. Until then, you’re simply “misunderstood.”
Type V – Grandmaster
In the beginning, a blog post is just a blog post.
As we evolve and master our skills, we learn so much. We learn about list posts, about copywriting, about short and snackable, about catering to the attention-deprived with scannables, about satisfying our audience. Then, when it’s all said and done we learn something old that’s new again:
In the end, a blog post is just a blog post.*
Are you a Grandmaster? Are there any Grandmasters?
What type are you?
What type are you? Did I miss anything?
*This blog post dedicated to San Francisco’s finest son: Bruce Lee. RIP.
Would you like more? Send me a letter...
{ 11 comments }
Great post loved reading it.
I’m not sure where I belong, but I can say if you’ve been through something like running a businss it will always be easier to write on that particular subject. As long as you enjoy writing and blogging there are always ways to crank out quick articles. Only one thing everyone should do is that you should always continue expanding your knowledge. Dont stop, there’s always extra and new things to learn.
@TB – Yep. I have an infinitely deep well of articles waiting to get written. Some will go very fast. I have a few that will take a month or two.
Once most people really get rolling, they find it’s not that hard.
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..Black Magic SEO! Vampire Weekend sucks SERPs
Haha, never thought of these types before, and if I can add new one to your list, I will add “the fool”. Guys out there always try to teach others while I prefer learning from others instead.
Phaoloo´s last blog ..Top 8 Tools To Check Spelling And More
Hey Professor,
You left me out. I like to think of myself affectionately as “the Scatterbrain”. I can’t make up my mind, and try to do something different every week (or every day).
Sean´s last blog ..The continuing saga of Block 5
I know which one I’d be on that list but why can’t I be the Bruce Lee?
Gabe | freebloghelp.com´s last blog ..Six degrees of site separation
Hey Dave thanks for the mention, all though Im certain there are far more prolific writers in the tanning industry than myself.
I just have a mental disease that causes me to have brain dumps and I can’t stop doing things until I finish each thing in that list. Weird at best. haha.
Extreme John´s last blog ..5 Ways Blogging Can Kill You
@Phaoloo – There’s a whole ‘nother taxonomy… I stayed away from all that… keeping it as light as I know how!
@Sean – We love ya man.
@Gabe “Bruce Lee” Young practices the Jeet Kun Do of blogging.
@Extreme – I had go with someone I “know.” As it turned out, you were half the inspiration for this riff off of the previous article about blogging. I can do this stuff until I fall out of my chair. All day every day. Is this normal?
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..I’ve Just Wasted $53 on Hosting and a Domain, s***, What Now? HELP!?
OK professor.
Where is the bastard schizophrenic child in the mix? The one that writes 90% of his content in 10% of the time, references resources mercilessly (and to a fault), that occasionally (or frequently) goes on a dramatic rank after the voices tell him it is okay…?
@Blake – ok I missed that one. Examples…?
Dr Wordpress!´s last blog ..I’ve Just Wasted $53 on Hosting and a Domain, s***, What Now? HELP!?
Type 2:) Only 10 drafts? I have 43 and trillions (only a slight exaggeration) of brilliant guest posts which haven’t been sent to anyone yet!
Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot´s last blog ..Need a 365-day Business Mentor?
10 when this was written in Nov. 2009! At the moment, I have around 100 drafts.
Not counting a few dozen guest posts which I still haven’t sent out.
Dave Doolin´s last blog ..I unlaunched the **** out of my ebook – Navarro & Dunford done bass ackwards
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 1 trackback }