I’ve been following a woman’s blog for a while because it’s well written and gives a glimpse into the rhythms of life in a small community. Sydney Stevens lives in Oysterville, Oregon — a place famous for its oyster beds — and is the author of several histories which not only include biographies of colorful Pacific Northwest characters but some ghosts as well. By my count, she’s written eleven books in all. Her blog she writes every day, including weekends, which puts me to shame as I can only manage 5 in a week.
Sydney and I have never met, though I occasionally send her a comment about something she’s written. The last time, I remarked on her vignette about restoring a wooden fence. Garrison Keillor would like her material with its down home feeling.
The other day, I was sorry to read she was thinking of giving up her blog, wondering if anyone would miss it. I replied in the affirmative as did several others. One gentleman wrote that he liked to read her blog each morning with his coffee. That was a powerful argument for carrying on, I thought: to be part of someone’s new day, like a sun rise.
Whether we writers will it or not, a blog takes on a life of its own. We grow an obligation with each new reader and eventually, the blog owns its creator. Many who write blogs are authors in search of an audience, so it becomes a high wire act to balance precious time between the two creative processes, writing books and writing blogs. I wish I could say one complimented the other, but it doesn’t and if a person is dedicated to books, the temptation to drop the blog is real and ever present. Still, like listening for a knock at the back door, one always wants to be home with a plate of baked cookies in case someone drops by. That’s how it feels to write a blog and that’s the dilemma of thinking about giving one up. Who would I miss? Who would miss me?
My guess is that Sydney Stevens will go on writing her observations about life in her small community. A writer can’t stop observing and recording insights. Sydney has good ones, both touching and informative. They’re just the right accompaniment to a morning coffee. Anyone wanting to pay her a call will find her blog, the “Oysterville Daybook” at: http://sydneyofoysterville.com/
(Courtesy of arcadiapress.com)
