Another Book About Blogging

In today's mail, I received a book I learned about after class started -- but which is still worth our consideration. In late May, Cory Doctorow recommended that I check out Suzanne Stefanac's Dispatches from Blogistan: A Travel Guide for the Modern Blogger.

Now that I have the book in front of me, it appears to be a blogger's book about blogging -- and not in the sense of what tools to use and how... but how to think about and approach the practice of blogging. I plan to dip into it soon, but in general, it seems worth recommending. If you want to know why people blog, as well as about the different ways people do so, this text could be right up your alley.

Worth a look!

A Cure-All for Writer's Block

Parts of this course will be similar to a media studies class. Other parts might seem like a creative writing or journalism class. In her new book, No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog, long-time blogger Margaret Mason, writes, "In the end, blogging is just writing."

But if you're new to blogging, what about? As the class progresses, students will develop and maintain their own blog. If you're not sure what to write about in the beginning, this book might offer some helpful ideas -- especially if your blog concept is more personally oriented. Some of my favorites: "Examine your paperwork," "Get nostalgic," "Give us your scraps," "Give a tour," and "Take inventory."