To blog, or not to blog...

March 11, 2012 3:18 PM

Looking for examples of well written blogs that cover a multitude of topics without seeming disorganized.

I'm interested in starting a blog as a sort of random thought public diary and hobby journal. Yea, nice and vague. I've tried narrowing it down to a single topic or area, but when I get a good idea for something outside that field that can't be included I generally stop writing altogether. I'd like it to at least appear cohesive in some way and would love some examples of people who have done this.

Cheers!

posted by Carlotta Bananas to Writing & Language (10 answers total)

Marginal Revolution by Tyler Cowen. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but Cowen is prolific on a TON of topics.
posted by emkelley at 3:24 PM on March 11, 2012

My old blog, now moth-balled, which I began with similar aims: The Huge Entity. Eventually, over its 3 year lifespan, it outgrew those original intentions in ways I could not have predicted.

Have fun, and let the blog and your readers tell you where to go
posted by 0bvious at 3:31 PM on March 11, 2012

I'm over 5000 posts and 10 years at ODonnellWeb. Just start writing - you really can't plan for who might end up reading your blog. So stop thinking, stop planning, and just write.
posted by COD at 3:57 PM on March 11, 2012

This is not a good answer to your question, as everyone's process is different. But as someone who's asked this question, or a variant of it, at least twice a week, I will tell you this: stop planning and start doing. It doesn't matter. What you perceive as the weakness--this lack of coherence--is actually the strength. Ooh, you're going to be writing about your divorce AND your ceramics practice AND going to give us an episode-by-episode treatise on Battlestar Galactica? Well, good, because that is the perfect blog that the Internet didn't know it needed.

Planning a blog is the opposite of blogging. This blog should represent you, so you don't choke and shut down. Now get out of here right now and get started, thank you, and the Internet thanks you.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 4:43 PM on March 11, 2012 [2 favorites]

Dubious Quality. Sort of video games/parenting/random funny stuff and interesting links. I've followed this for years and have regular email chats with Bill Harris. Heckuva nice guy, a good writer, and a motherfucker of a good ice-hockey coach, going on how his son's doing :)
posted by Sebmojo at 6:35 PM on March 11, 2012

Kottke.org

^ Posts random links, interesting design things. I've been reading for years and have always enjoyed his stuff! Seconding Marginal Revolution too.
posted by permiechickie at 6:58 PM on March 11, 2012

Jason Kottke is who I thought of too. It's just whatever strikes his fancy, and over time it does become coherent because "Jason's taste" becomes the common theme.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:11 PM on March 11, 2012

I really enjoy Nothing But Bonfires.
posted by kylej at 8:00 PM on March 11, 2012

I like this guy's site, a polymath I went to grad school with. And a mefite, too.
posted by cross_impact at 2:18 PM on March 12, 2012

Just do it. I started my blog 3 times and each new start I erased the stuff I had on there before. I wish I could get it back. Like everyone said, just start writing. After a month of post the 'theme' or 'categories' will reveal themselves. Then start organizing them. Mine became "adventures and strategies"
posted by sylviaunlimited at 9:06 PM on March 13, 2012