Beer and Blog – Narrative Techniques For Blogging: An Event Review

Beer and Blog – Narrative Techniques For Blogging

When: Friday, August 8, 2008, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Where: Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub

What It’s About: Surely, if you ever read Silicon Florist or Portland Creative/Event Review series you’ve heard of this “Portland tech community” deal going around town.

Beer and Blog is undoubtedly the best way to meet members of this growing community in an informal, relaxed environments—if by “informal” and “relaxed” you mean “meeting local Tweeters and bloggers that you followed and subscribed to 24/7, but could only see in 48×48 pixel avatars.”

This session feature Melissa Lion, noted author and Recovering Californian.

To the notes:

*** BEGIN EVENT NOTATION ***

Sure, you can blog about aprons every single day, but people want to see something more. They want to see the humanity of it. At the same thing, though you shouldn’t hit that ‘humanity’ every single time.

What is your voice?
How are you doing it?
And is there humanity behind that blog?

Rick Turoczy talked to me before I went to talk to you guys: in my blog, I’m known as this potty mouth individual who talks about sex all the time. Well, this is my character. On your blog, the way you write every post is your character.

Also, who are commenting on your blog? They are your characters, too, because they come into your life. Don’t forget to respond to every comment; and if you can blog your reactions—even better. People love a shout out, and it adds to the blog’s character.

And don’t forget to comment on other people’s blog. I have to admit that I haven’t done this regularly. It’s really important.

There is humor, and then there’s irony. It’s a touchy thing, but try irony a little bit. Irony is simply when you say one thing and mean the opposite.

There’s also setting. My blog is set in St. Johns. Need an idea for setting? Look outside your blog—literally: outside your window.

For example, Lelonopo devotes one day out of the week to take photographs and blog about signs in North Portland—and nothing else. I love it.

The other blog that I love is boos on powerlines. The blog contains nothing but this guy in his late 20’s, who fixed his motorcycle and was pissed at her girlfriend who just broke up with her—nothing else. To me it’s compelling to see the movement of his motorcycle. It’s almost as if you really want to know what’s going on with the person that day.

The other thing that is really important: shiny things. People love shiny things on their blogs.

*** END EVENT NOTATION ***

Technicality: ☝
Translation: Geek talk happened before and after the presentation.

Interestingness: ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝ ☝
Translation: The principles that Melissa Lion talked about apply universally.

What I Learned From The Event In Six Words:
Rick Turoczy was a literary agent.

Tags: Beer and Blog, Blogging, Green Dragon, Lelonopo, Melissa Lion, Rick Turoczy, Silicon Florist, Swollen, Upstream