Recent Blog Entries
Stay on topic
Written by Tyme White on October 2, 2006
“Should I guess how many Round 5 submits there will be? Speaking of guess, I guess I should pay my credit card bill. Ha, I saw Bill in Taco Bell the other day and he gained 20 pounds. Oh, when was the last time I had pound cake? Did you see the make up caked up on that actor’s nose? I always thought about having a nose job…”
That paragraph started off talking about 9rules and ended up talking about plastic surgery. When someone is speaking to you and does something like that, it’s rambling. Same thing online. The reader starts to zone out after awhile.
Decide what you’re going to write about and stay on topic.
The other day I was reading a blog and I swear the person wrote 1000 word entries just like that. Every couple of sentences – new topic. Now there is nothing wrong with covering a couple of related things in one entry and let me be very clear, I am not talking about a link roundup of diverse topics. I’m talking about rambling, which is why I need to end this entry before I’m guilty of it myself.
Want to know where some of the messed up entry titles come from? Entries like my example above.
October 2nd, 2006 at 9:34 am
I wonder if there’s a writer out there who produces 1000 word entries of different topics in an entertaining and funny way. Like a comedian on stage.
Would you accept them in 9rules?
No worries, I’m not like that.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:15 am
Well, that certainly got the point across: half way through the initial paragraph i become unconsciously annoyed at the irrelevance and skipped to the second paragraph without thinking.
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:43 am
I say:
‘Try to stay on topic, but some times we can’t help it’
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:21 pm
I devote a lot of time in my day to a lot of different blogs. Really, I skim the content to see if it is any good, and then sit down and actually read it. Blogs that ramble do not get any attention from me–because there are a lot of alternative blogs out there.
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Hw can I possibly stay on topic when I’m rambling?
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Bahaha, your example reminds me of this Louis CK stand-up bit: he claims his wife talks exactly like that. And he tries to follow along, but he gives up mid-paragraph cause it’s just too much.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Should I assume that this rule is waived if you write about your day, as long as you talk about what happened during that day and related information?
October 3rd, 2006 at 3:47 am
staying in topic can be done, however what about people who stays on topic for half of the post and then they change topic ? Of course they have ended the previous paragraph by saying “and that is all i have to say about this topic”
October 3rd, 2006 at 4:45 am
Cool, basic writing skills as a 9rules requirement. That should eliminate a good 40,000,000 blogs from consideration.
October 4th, 2006 at 7:33 am
The style of writing is more commonly known as the Vicky Pollard effect.
October 4th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Ed, that’s awful…
October 8th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
So true!!! And those are often the same people who write sad, pity-me posts wondering why they don’t have more subscribers, commenters, etc.