Does Your Blog Need to Reflect The Topic & Genre of Your Novel?
I’ve often wondered, “Is a blog supposed to represent one’s writing genre?”
For example, would Stephen King, if he were a normal moron like you and me, write on a blog site titled, “Scared Shitless?” As fast as that fucker is, he’d crank out short-story posts and write a 500-page novel half asleep while blasting Metallica.
(True story on the Metallica bit.)
You see, I’m no standup comedian. But my current novel I’m pitching is a dark comedy. I guess I find comedy in dark, dramatic moments. I’ll be honest, I can’t crank jokes out of my ass the way Kevin Hart can. That dude’s super funny. Period.
Off-beat comedy is harder to pull off, in my opinion, than the Kevin Hart type of comedy. Dark comedy is a balancing act between real life and humor or irony that is tied so inherently to the human condition, despite the tragedy in it all.
Deep stuff. Right? So, what to do?
Is it all right if your blog topics and interests are unrelated to your “break out” novel? Like the characters we try to form, we’re three-dimensional. Our writing should reflect that.
I just read Jane Friedman’s blog, the title alone telling you what she thinks regarding the subject: Please Don’t Blog Your Book: 4 Reasons Why.
I definitely agree that a blog is different from a novel. It reads differently and it should be a contrast. But, I’m not an expert. I just know that my 3 blogs aren’t at all in the same style as the 2 novels I’ve completed.
Blogging is a different type of writing altogether, yet industry pros say it’s vital to have one if you’re an aspiring writer.
The Bottom Line:
I personally think it’s fine to have blogs that don’t align with the novel(s) you’ve written. I also think most agents and publishers realize that blogging is its own genre, or at least they can market it that way. Again, I’m not a published author—yet—so I can’t say for sure if my hunch is correct.
Worst-case scenario…I can start a 4th blog designated to my specific genre. But, hopefully that won’t be necessary. Three is enough right now for me.
I’m attending a writer’s conference this weekend in Los Angeles, so I’ll definitely be taking notes and picking some brains. I’ll let you know what I find out.
Writing With Hope 
January 27, 2017 at 9:40 PM
I think this is a tough one. 😦 No perfect answer. Keep us updated on the conference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 27, 2017 at 11:33 PM
So far I’ve heard from agents & seasoned
writers that actually having blogs different from your novel is a good thing. One agent told me it was perfectly fine, so I feel a little relieved that I don’t have to start a 4th blog specifically reflecting my book!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 30, 2017 at 11:05 AM
Fourth blog! That would be a LOT!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 30, 2017 at 2:09 PM
It would be too much. I was told that the blogs I currently have are fine. So, that’s a bit of a relief.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 30, 2017 at 4:33 PM
Good to know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
January 29, 2017 at 10:50 PM
[…] take blogging seriously, like I take writing novels seriously. They’re both equally important, but different kinds of writing. Like I said, blogging helps to keep the writing juices flowing, keeps me relevant, and is a great […]
LikeLike
January 31, 2017 at 11:57 AM
My blog is all over the place, which is apparently kind of a problem in terms of getting and keeping an audience. It doesn’t always reflect my writing, sometimes it’s just a chance to review a book, rant about something, or put out the odd bit of advice. It started out as a writing blog, but I don’t post that much in the way of actual fiction on there. It’s good to know people don’t expect your blog to reflect your writing because I might be in trouble otherwise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 4, 2017 at 6:27 PM
Yeah, I sometimes wish I would have went with my name when I started my blog(s). I have more than one blog. But, there really isn’t a formula. It’s okay if you don’t post much. I read another article where the guy says that posting too much prevents people from commenting because they get overwhelmed. While, other bloggers say to post as often as possible. Who knows? I am in your shoes, I have blogs that are just blogs, not necessarily novel samples. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person