“The key to a successful blog,” said my friend S.D.,”is to set low expectations.” I suppose that’s good advice any time. He was mostly referring to the frequency with which a blog is updated. I don’t reckon I have it in me to blog every day. Two or three times a week seems much more manageable. And I certainly don’t want to be one of those apologetic bloggers who starts every post by saying, “It’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog, but…”
Perhaps we can make this deal: if you, dear reader, will keep your expectations low with regard to the frequency of my posts, I’ll try to live up to your highest expectations with regard to the quality of the posts.
So what, exactly, can you expect?
I’m interested in stories. Sometimes I will use this blog as a platform for telling stories. Other times I will write about how stories do their work on us–how they convey grace to us, how they give us another world to inhabit. And from time to time I’ll pull the curtain back on my own stories to talk about how they were put together.
I envision a few recurring features. At least once a week (during the school year, at least) I’ll write about “What My Wife Is Reading.” Besides being a miracle in general, my wife is an elementary school librarian. She reads some great books to the students every week. In the “What My Wife Is Reading” features, I will bring my literary sensibilities and interests to bear on those books–say Ferdinand or Charlotte’s Web.
You can also expect amusing anecdotes–or, in any case, anecdotes that I find amusing–mostly about my relatives. This week’s amusing anecdote, for instance, is about the time my cousin Brett got his pants pulled down at junior high football practice. It is a story of human dignity triumphing in spite of all. I consider the amusing anecdote one of the great literary forms, and not something to be taken lightly.
The “Feechie of the Week” feature honors real-world people who comport themselves like feechiefolks, the under-civilized people who inhabit the wild places of my Wilderking books and my upcoming novel, The Charlatan’s Boy. This feature, I hope, will be reader-driven before long. Send in your stories of wild men and women you’ve known. Surely you went to school with some people who acted like feechiefolks. Didn’t you?
As for my expectations, I expect this thing to take shape as it goes along. And I expect you, dear reader, to help me figure it out. Fair enough?
I’d love to hear from you, either in the comment box, or by email–jr (at) jonathan-rogers.com.
Amy @ My Friend Amy
A couple of times a week is much more manageable than everyday and sounds perfect! I look forward to your blog.
Kaci
All caught up. 0=) Looking forward to it.
Abbye West-Pates
When I first arrived to your blog, you were looking straight ahead (in the top banner), in your “writer glasses.” Now, your head is turned toward the font in the banner! Magic!
This already my favorite part of your blog.
Looking forward to the stories…
Abbye
Jonathan Rogers
Well, Abbye, I hope you find more to like than the banner picture, but I have to say I like it too. There’s a creek across the street from my house, and my eight-year-old son took my picture in front of a root tangle. It looks very Okeefinokee, but it’s actually right here in town.
Curt McLey
As I read your inaugural blog entry, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it was the literal Jonathan Rogers voice that I heard in my head. I like that. I look forward your stories.
Aaron Roughton
Deal. In fact, if you keep using terms like “Okeefinokee” in normal post chatter, keep letting people like Curt McLey comment around these parts, and continue taking the thoughts of fellers like S.D. Smith into consideration, I’ll camp out on this site. Time to start thinking of some feechified stories, made-up or otherwise.
S.D. Smith
I will be monitoring this site for any literary slip-ups and to see if I can insert my opinion on any matter I might feel qualified discussing (note: everything).
Also, may I recommend banning Aaron “When He Was Bad He Was” Roughton for life right from the get go? His comments will make you look bad because he’s way funnier than any of us. This is a fact.
Nice blog. I don’t feel threatened at all by this. Not the quality of the posts, definitely not. Not one bit. None.
Aaron Roughton
I can’t believe a motion has been presented to have me banned and the website has only been up for 20 minutes.
Jonathan Rogers
Aaron, I was a little surprised myself, but the movement to ban Aaron from Jonathan-Rogers.com has been picking up steam. I’ve been trying to fend off my critics. We’ll see how this thing shakes out, Aaron.
Hoping for the best,
JR
S.D. Smith
Ban him! Ban him! Ban him!…ever-boddie nowe!
Dan Kulp
I say filter him. Only let his un-funny get posted so the rest of us have a chance. It’d limit him to 10% of his posts tho’.