Pardon My Blog: Actually, I'm A Writer, Not A Blogger

Guess I'm Eternally Old School, As A Writer I'll Never Truly Be A Blogger

Writers write. Bloggers blog.

Sounds simple, right? Not a great distinction between em? They’re one in the same? Well, I gotta be honest, I just don’t think so.

Maybe it’s because words mean so much to me as a writer that I never took to heart the trendy term blogger. Now, I get it. I really do. No explanations necessary, really. Writing on your blog makes you a blogger. Sure. No problem. New words are created all the time, and yes, I love words. It’s a way of identification, of saying you’re not a newspaper, magazine, playwright or screenwriter. You don’t write tunes. You’re not a songwriter nor a composer.

Terms identify us. They matter. But what’s so frustrating is the idea that online writing has been reduced - or transformed - to a blog and blogger. And then anyone can be a blogger, which is in and of itself perfectly fine, however, most blogs don’t have any standards nor editorial control. That’s OK. I’ve done it before. I do it now. I’m chief writer for my Substack, also it’s photo and overall general editor. But I’ve worked under editors - for online sites, newspapers, magazines and when my book was published. That experience matters.

Aside from the resume or skillset, being a writer is something different. It just is. I’ve written short stories, poems, screenplays, TV scripts, TV show treatments, essays, newspaper and magazine articles and books. I’ve even written a few songs.

I’m a writer. I don’t just blog. Of course this doesn’t mean those who call themselves bloggers can’t do the same thing or more.

Blog Slog

Mostly, though, bloggers report on the news - say the Drudge Report, or even how The Huffingpost started initially. They sort of encapsulate and summarize in Newsy fashion the informational daily nuggets, or the entertainment blurbs, sports or other newsworthy blurbs. I’ll say again - that’s fine, great.

But a writer’s focus is different. At least it’s different to me and how I approach the craft of writing. It’s how I’ve always treated the act, skill and yes, even art of writing.

A writer writes about everything and anything. Writers don’t restrict their domain to calling what they write a blog. It’s simply bigger than that. Writers make it bigger.

A writer has the whole world or even universe to write endlessly about. A blog makes it sound like a slog. Or maybe sliding headfirst into a sticky mud bog. Yes, worldplay may not be the most effective nor fair way to make my point, but it’s that word - blog.

Perhaps I’m too sensitive about it all. Maybe I should just let it go. Why does it even bother me at all? Yes, sure call me a blogger. Blah Blah. Blog Blog. You like to run? So, I guess you’re the jogger! You cut down trees for a living. Gee, I guess that makes you a logger! I love playing the video game, Frogger! Yeah….. You get the idea.

Now, that’s off my chest. Let me go back to my blog, er my newsletter, I mean my Substack.

Oh, hell, let me just go back and WRITE something!