I love blogging. I love social media. I am a twitter addict. Addicted to Facebook too. You name it, I seem to have the social media addiction and plenty to say on most web venues. I sat down with the CEO of a web based company recently to talk about social media strategy for the new business. Mr. CEO says to me- “you like to write. I wouldn’t have anything to say.”
Guess what Mr. CEO- writing isn’t necessarily an easy skill for lots of bloggers or social media gurus. Sure, I have a journalism background, so I do have more writing experience than the average blogger, but there are many great bloggers who aren’t necessarily great writers and many writers who aren’t necessarily great bloggers.
Blogging or interacting in any social medium takes practice, often more than skill. You start, you bomb, you learn, you grow, find out what interests you and what interests your readers and it gets easier. So you can practice, practice, practice, but even the best writers lose their words and don’t have anything to say sometimes.
Blogging block strikes again
Yep, I go through this all the time. Sometimes I can whip out a post in no time, other times I struggle for days, occasionally weeks, once or twice even for months. As much as I dislike it, I am comfortable with the fact that blogger blocks happens even to the best of us.
So, all is good, blogging is going fine, until one day, I realize I have a new block. A type of block I could never imagine. A type of block I am not sure if I am comfortable talking about. It is called…
The Twitter Block
Yes, the Twitter Block! Have you ever had it? Have you ever sat and stared at that little 140 character text box and realized you can’t think of a thing to say? NOTHING. You can’t even think to say the cat ate my tongue. Twitter ate my tongue. No way! I can’t think of 140 characters to say?
The curse of twitter. I have become so comfortable with Twitter, I just expect 140 characters to roll out. Then block happens. What if its not witty? What if qwitter goes crazy as followers jump ship? Who created qwitter anyway?
I don’t think I ever would have predicted that I might get Twitter block. I had a couple of days where I would sit and lurk and watch what people were saying and I couldn’t think of a single thing to write. I wasn’t sure how to get out of it. Finally I realized I was trying too hard. Twittering shouldn’t be forced. It has to come naturally. When all else fails, post a twitpic. Just like a blog, pictures speak a thousand words.
Ginger – OMG…..I have to confess that I’ve been there too. You look at that box and think…. OH NO!! I’M BECOMING A LURKER!! (not that there’s anything wrong w/ that…just not my thing)
OMG I lurk because I am twitter blocked!
Never happened to me yet. I Always have somethin’ to say. Occasionally it is funny or relevant.
If you can’t say it in 140 characters you don’t know what you are talking about. nough said.
Ha, I follow along and am on more than I talk. “This to shall pass, Ginger.”
Ginger – love this post!!! And so true. I’ve had days where I’m just not “talkative”. It’s good to know when I don’t see twits from you … you could be out there…
I have been there … I click over to Twitter and stare at it… Refresh the page and keep staring. Periodic 3 minutes of my life I will never get back.
I like the TwitPic idea tho …
I don’t even think about Twitter unless I have something to say. So I guess I don’t even know when I have it.
When you feel blocked, you should just twitter this post
I’m not a big ‘talker’ in real life so, like in real life, I do a lot of listening on twitter…or lurking I suppose you’d call it. What I am trying to say is that I don’t think there is anything wrong with not saying anything. The ear is, after all, one of the greatest communication tools (I’m paraphrasing a quote and don’t know who to credit. Brilliant, no?).
Ginger, I have NEVER stared at that little Twitter text box and thought I had nothing to say. EVER. Even if I don’t have anything to say, I don’t let it hold me back!
I can’t believe some of you have NEVER failed to find words. Well, ok, I believe Sarah has never had that problem, but the rest of you?!
Ines- no, nothing wrong with being a lurker, I am just not good at it!
Lisa- it is ok to not say anything, but when you WANT to say something and you just can’t find the words, that is a whole different story.