Comments on: Is a Blogger a Writer?

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:38:14 +0000

When I saw the title of this post, I thought, “Oh no! Another writing snob!” Happily, it wasn’t like that at all. Back to the driving analogy: truck drivers, tractor drivers and automobile drivers (manual or automatic) are all drivers. Blog writers, essay writers and article writers are also all writers. Or are we typers? I was thinking about Tolstoy the other day. I haven’t verified this, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t sit down and type out Anna Karenina, etc. on his laptop.
.-= Rob´s last blog ..Remembering Be Here Now =-.

By: If a writer writes . . . | Colloquium

If a writer writes . . . | Colloquium — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:00:55 +0000

[...] published at Write Anything. Click here to read one blogger’s [...]

By: Barbra Sundquist, Bio Writer

Barbra Sundquist, Bio Writer — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:57:13 +0000

I was interested in your comments about versatility, and the ability for a freelance writer to switch from one type of writing to another. I think this is an important distinction between a technical writer or business writer and a strictly creative writer. For anyone who’s looking for fill-in-the-blank professional bio templates written specifically for various types of jobs, check out http://www.HowToWriteBio.com

By: Carol Ferndale

Carol Ferndale — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:45:42 +0000

The advent of the internet and blogging has given everyone a chance to have their say, whether they be a good writer or not. I guess that’s it.

I think it is a change for the better too, as often people have something important to say, even if they don’t express it perfectly.

By: Michelle Kafka

Michelle Kafka — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:12:26 +0000

I agree with Valencia’s last sentence and both of Carol’s sentences. Also I believe that bloggers are writers but just maybe not all are pro writers.

By: James Chartrand - Men with Pens

James Chartrand - Men with Pens — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:20:33 +0000

Just a thought here.

Just because you are a writer does not make you a GOOD writer. Just because you are a blogger does not make you a GOOD blogger.

And trust me, there are no more good writers than there are good bloggers.

By: Carol Ferndale

Carol Ferndale — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:29:06 +0000

Good points.

I blog, and I write. I think blogging is a genre of writing, but I don’t think that all bloggers are good writers, as some blogs are pretty boring.

By: Jett Farrell

Jett Farrell — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:06:20 +0000

Another swing on it is this: being a blogger doesn’t make you a writer… but a writer can absolutely be an excellent blogger and a true writer at the same time if they treat their work with dignity and professionalism.

By: Jett Farrell

Jett Farrell — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:03:36 +0000

I think alot of the controversy comes from generalizations. A blog is just a medium for writing… It’s a means of self-publishing that definitely allows for poorly done, uninspired rambling, or as a venue for many individuals to vent to the information superhighway. I would say the vast majority of ‘bloggers’ on the net are not ‘writers’ as a professional writer or someone speaking of one would use the term. Now, on the contrary, a blogger who treats their blog professionally, edits their entries as if they were print work, and treats it as part of the spectrum of their professional work is definitely a writer. A blog is just another means for them to exercise their craft. : )

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:55:34 +0000

Wow, thanks for this post! I am a writer, but I am NOT a blogger! Sure, I can write blog posts, but the creating of a community, writing day after day on the same topic, keeping up-to-date on whatever it is I am writing about, I can’t do it! I love variety, and that’s not what I get when I try to blog. Now I don’t feel like less of a writer!

By: lornadoone

lornadoone — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:42:15 +0000

@James – I know you love me, darling. And you’re right. In the case of Freelance Parent, I am definitely a writer who also happens to blog. That’s the flavor of that project, which is nice because it showcases my writing skills to potential clients and is also mainly read by other writers who appreciate that style.

Happily, when hired to be a “blogger,” I am able to shift styles, just as I have to be in a different mindset to create SEO articles than I do to write a professional bio. I guess I think that’s part of what makes me a writer.

I still think that “writer” and “blogger” are not always the same thing.

By: Valencia

Valencia — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:29:36 +0000

I started blogging three years ago, before I really understood the craft. When I look back, the entries I wrote for my first blogging job were actually articles. The client never complained, and I didn’t know any better. It wasn’t until I started reading other blogs that I began to grasp the concept.

By: James Chartrand - Men with Pens

James Chartrand - Men with Pens — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:47:20 +0000

Good post. Bloggers *are* writers. I’m proof of that. Problogger by trade, writer as well. Which do I cleave to more? Neither. Are they the same job? Hooo no way in hell.

@ Lorna – You actually provide a great example. You’re a writer. And it actually shows over at your blog – the writing doesn’t reflect proper blogging style and tone, which is much shorter, with more broken paragraphs and bullet points. The flow of your work also says, “Writer.”

Good work? Damned straight? Blogger work? Nope. Writer work posted to a blog.

(Love you. Sorry. You were a great example. Please don’t hate me.)

Are there rules to blogging? Hell yes. Does a blogger have to be a good writer? Damned straight. Crap doesn’t carry on the Internet. But are they the same?

No sirree

By: maggie

maggie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:01:22 +0000

i think blogging is like any other writing format- some are good at it’s particulars and some are not. some fine novelists can’t write gripping shorts. ‘successful’ blogging is a commercial thing. it’s much more journalistic than creative- typically.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:27:00 +0000

I would have to say that while all bloggers write, not all bloggers can write well! For a lot of people blogging is just something that they do to fill their spare time. For pro-bloggers writing skills are essential.

Many pro bloggers are also freelance writers. (Myself for example) Some are strictly bloggers, but the distinction there is that for us it’s no hobby. We’re in it to make money with our writing skills, whether those skills are formally taught or not.

What irritates me is that some people simply can’t believe that bloggers are serious about writing. To these people I say that at least a good 25% of us are extremely serious. The difference? We write short articles at a greater pace and in a venue where the occasional typo is acceptable as long as the point is gotten across.

It’s a living!

By: lornadoone

lornadoone — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:37:03 +0000

I would submit that not all bloggers are truly “writers.” To me, there is a difference between typing up your thoughts on a blog and actually being a writer. But, I’m snobby like that.