A writer writes, plain and simple. Yes
we read, seek out new experiences and research or do whatever is
needed to prepare for our next writing project but above all it is
about pounding away as those keys, crafting the sentences and
emotions for readers to enjoy all over the world. Blogging has
become a perfect way for writers to flex their muscles and write
anything they want without the pressure of intending to have it read
by publishers or producers. Blogging is also fun because it is
writing in short form without the standard formatting expectations
that a novel or screenplay should have.
Things that are unique
make a blog
stand out but would be
frowned
upon in other forms of
writing.
Blogging is a quick and easy free
exchange of ideas. One interesting example of this was
HackingNetflix.com, a consumer advocacy blog lunched in
November 2003 about news items, service features and methods of
operation for the movie rental start up NetFlix. This blog became an
undeniable sounding board for customers' opinions as Netflix engaged
in a war of attrition with Blockbuster Video, the rental giant of the
time. This blog was reported to be the source that Blockbuster
execuives used to study NetFlix's distribution centers as they
prepared to start up Blockbuster's online rental service. With the
10,000 monthly visitors who habitually read this blog, it had the
ability to and in fact did cause changes in NetFlix's policies.
In September of 2011 HackingNetflix.com
posted news about the companies plans to divide the DVD rental
service into a new company called “Qwikster” so you would have to
make two different payments and search two websites if you wanted DVD
and streaming content. Most of the customers who replied to these
blog posts criticized this idea heavily and a large number of NetFlix
subscribers canceled their accounts. The powers that be at Netflix
decided not to divide up these services due to public outcry.
Back in 2004 NetFlix put a customer
support phone number back up on their web site after
HackingNetflix.com posted that it was taken which spurred customer
outrage and got attention in the press. You can read more about all
this in Gina Keating's book Netflixed. I recommend this book,
it was an interesting read.
A blog is also a great way to promote
yourself as a writer and build a readership, just ask Brook
Busey-Hunt. Who is that you might ask? She is better known under
the pen name of Diablo Cody. Before she burst into the scene with
her academy award winning screenplay Juno, Brook wrote a blog
about her experiences working as a stripper. Talent manager Mason
Novick was one of the many male readers who no doubt stumbled upon
her blog. Novick contacted her and convinced her to expand her blog
entries into a non-fiction novel, a memoir which was published with
the title of Candy Girl. This well written novel started
Diablo Cody on her career path that led to the level of success she
now enjoys. Check out Candy Girl, it shows that Diablo Cody's
voice and writing talent was there from the beginning.
It is for these reasons that I started
blogging once I was fortunate enough to find a distributor for
Cam-Girl, a feature I wrote and directed and wrote on novel
adaptation which is titled Box Cutter Killer. This
blog is a great way for me to get the word out about the independent
films that inspire me and share bits of advise to writers and
filmmakers just like me.
So why should a writer blog? The only
question now should be what to write for your next blog post.
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