I recently began a networking project with three other professional writers. And let me tell you, these ladies have a LOT of great advice to offer.
Therefore, I’ve invited each one to write a guest post for “Shari Lopatin: Rogue Writer.” Throughout the next few weeks, I’ll introduce each one to you. I encourage you to visit their sites, maybe even follow their blogs.
Today, please welcome Texas writer, V.V. Denman–who first caught my attention with a hilarious post about book-throwing to get the attention of literary agents. I recommend visiting her site, as she has a lot more great content to share:
I don’t care for the word blog.
Personal preference, but it just sounds weird. And it’s not even appropriately descriptive.
It makes me think of blob, flog, blood, bog and flop.
All of those words conjure negative thoughts in my otherwise happy little head.
Blog rhymes with dog, frog, hog, sog and clog, all of which can be undesirable.
Can’t we call this thing we do something that makes us sound better, not worse?
If I tell someone, “I’m a blogger.” It sounds like I’m a logger/booger mix.
In case you can’t get that visual image out of your head, I’ll give you this photograph of loggers, but spare you the one of the booger.
What’s a nice normal noun we could use to describe ourselves?
The term writer would work, but that’s somewhat overused.
I checked the online thesaurus, but apparently it’s not comfortable with blogger either. The word isn’t listed. So we’re on our own.
How about internet information recorders? Or daily keyboard scribblers? Or online diary makers? Or just public ramblers?
What about you?
What would you like to be called?
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V.V. Denman is a Christian writer from North Texas. When she’s not feverishly typing at her keyboard, she’s rolling her eyes at her husband’s corny jokes or laughing with her five children. Her two dreams in life are to raise said children to be responsible adults, then maybe, just maybe get a bit of her writing published. Visit her at vvdenman.com.
________________________________________________________________Photo Credits: Jabba the Hut – Sideshow Collectibles / Bloody finger – Wikimedia Crystl via Flickr / Flogger – Wikimedia Henna / Soggy Field – Wikimedia Alan Murray-Rust / Frog – Wikimedia renwest via Flicker / Drain Out – Buy.com
Shari Lopatin 
I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for.
Does one offer guest writers to write content in your case?
I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you
write related to here. Again, awesome weblog!
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You know, VV, the reason I actually avoided blogs for a long time (and I’m realizing this as I read it now) is because of the word. I hated it. It sounded like the worst-named fad I could imagine, like those ugly Troll dolls. I implemented my famed and sometimes spectacle-fogging reverse snobbery and refused to entertain the notion of blogging or to visit blogs, even though I had a sneaking feeling they would be a key to stepping up m own creative presence.
Now I’m blogging and actively seeking out other bloggers and just ignoring the word because I love the activity and the content so much. I do hope to come up with something a little easier on the language, though.
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I also viewed blogging as a fad. A fad for young professionals or new mothers. And maybe it started out that way. 🙂 I’m not sure. But I’m like you. I love the activity and the content. Where would we be without blogs?
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I agree entirely, the word Blog sounds bad and always has.
When I started my last one, I called it ‘The Shed’ – it’s where I hang out.
I made it a subdomain, so it’s shed.mydomainname.com.au and I’m pleased with it 😉
Notice I refused to even type the dumb name but called it ‘last one’ and ‘it’ .
On other websites I have titled it ‘News’ and I could go for ‘News & Views’ – anything but ‘Blog’ Ugh!
Rob
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“New & Views” is nice. “It” works well also. I like your sense of humor, Rob!
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I hate the word too – but Speakup! is right, that is where the word came from. I’m not one for using three words when one will do and for the life of me I can’t think of anything: trust me, if I could, I’d have been using it before now! 😀
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I shorten as many words as I can, (including names of family members). Let me know if you think of a new blog moniker. Good to meet you!
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bad word, maybe, but the whole world seems to know what it means.
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True. Even if we thought of the perfect replacement, it would take us a while to convince everyone.
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By the way, VV, thank you for your post. Delightfully entertaining, stimulating and thought-provoking as usual! (sometimes i like incomplete, run-on, and otherwise non-conforming sentence structures. i use them as a tool to keep my readers off-balance with!) hahaha isn’t writing fun? =)
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Thank you, Len. Writing is fun!
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I resisted building a site partially because of the moniker ‘blogger’. Ugh! It’s repulsive!
Off the top of my oft-empty head, there are also the words smog, blah, and fog, the latter two of which writers of any of the genders would rather avoid. I perform arduous keyboard gymnastics trying to call myself anything but a blogger, thus the term “gloryteller” was born because even “storyteller” has its negative connotations. I also thought of Post Man, Poster Boy, or Write Knight, Hahaha! Oh well, i need to post, so back to the key gym – hey Keyboard Gymnasts!!
But what does it matter what we call ourselves when all that really matters is what He calls us. I long to hear Him say “Well written, my good and faithful servant.”
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So far, you win the prize for new name, Len. I love arduous keyboard gymnasts. It just feels right, doesnt’ it? 🙂
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Yes! And I’m usually full of aches and pains after all my cartwheels and backflips, lol. Thanks VV.
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I was drinking diet soda and literally sprayed it across my desk when I read the line about blogger sounding like “logger” and “booger” combined. The rhyme associations were hilarious as well. I totally needed the laugh and found it a great way to start off the week. Thank you. (And yes, it IS an odd name).
As for a better name: Your suggestion of “keyboard scribblers” really struck me. Loving it! SO happy to have met you, V.V. Thanks, Shari, for inviting this wonderful blogg.. um, er, writer … ah … PC Penmistress … Mac Media Maven … I don’t know. I give up. I just like the words I see on the screen.
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Mac Media Maven is good. 🙂 And I’m sorry about the diet soda. I hope you missed the keyboard.
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“Blog” makes me think of the sound my kids make when they start throwing up. Vivid enough for you?
How about “overextended writer” since that’s what my blog (gag) makes me feel like some days 😉
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Ha! I can hear it now, and you’re right, Amanda.
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I like this post and I agree with you the term “blogger” is so odd. I usually refer to myself as a writer. But my biggest pet peeve is when someone refers to me as a “mommy blogger.” I’m not bashing mommy bloggers. I just think there’s a big difference between that and being a writer. Does this make sense? Maybe it just hits me the wrong way.
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Yes, I think of “mommy bloggers” as mothers who blog to keep an online journal that they can share with their personal friends. You do more than that. You blog to write. 🙂
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Interesting … I learned BLOG came from combining letters from web-log … couldn’t use weebles as it had already been taken. Remember weebles wobble but they don’t fall down? Geesh! But what about my personal favorite: WEOs (writing entrepreneur online) … that’s what we are isn’t it? Hmmm … Loved your post by the way!!
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Thank you for the encouragement. I like WEOs . . . sounds very executive. 🙂
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Haha. blog always makes me think of glob. As for what I like to be called? When I was a technical writer at HP, they changed our titles to “Learning Products Engineers.” Crazy. We’re writers! That fits me best: writer. Still, I’m not much for titles, and I’m probably happiest being called just Julia or mom (love that most), some of my friends call me Jules, which I really like. I’m really not that particular, as long as I’m not called late for dinner. (sorry, had to do it 🙂
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Julia, I think I like you. You sound like good people to me. And I tend to think that “blog” might be better than “Learning Products Engineers.” Wow. They thought too hard on that one, didn’t they?
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Yes, I prefer WEO, pronounced WHEEEE-oooo kind of like a if you’re a cowboy riding a bull or going down a roller coaster with your eyes closed…..or kind of like the writing life!
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I like public ramblers, although it would be collapsed into puramblers, which sounds too much like baby carriages. brilliant, online, zestful ones (shortened to bozo)? italker?
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Renee, I love the bozo concept. Brilliant Online Zestful Ones. That’s us!
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I *never* liked the word “blog.” Like you said, it reminds me of “bog”–bogging, bogged. Like I am now. Bogged down with so much stuff that I don’t feel like blogging.
Good post!
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Linda, surely the power of suggestion is effecting our writing abilities. I’m confident that if it was called something other than a blog, then we would not be nearly so bogged. We should come up with a name that rhymes with “Gifted Writer.” Then we could let it go viral.
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Absolutely. Something like “Chocolate Haven” or something equally appealing would work, don’t you think? 😀
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