Scarcely imaginable but true– in a few months this blog (which way back in 2008 was actually two blogs that merged) will be four years old. A lot has happened since then: the blog gave rise to writing classes which gave rise to a writing center, as many of you know.
Another given: social media continues to evolve. Some even say that blogs are getting old-fashioned compared to Facebook and other more interactive venues.
On the other hand, newspapers and publishing continue to decline, and so we value even more the thin strands of connection we manage to keep weaving between Alaska’s literary community. A blog is certainly not fancy or revolutionary these days, but it does give us one place where we know we can always find each other.
We try to keep this blog interactive by inviting your comments (knowing that the vast majority of readers are lurkers — and that’s fine), but especially by having our featured authors, perhaps the number one way we try to keep things fresh around here.Our lineup for the rest of the year is strong and we hope you’ll check in regularly to see what your fellow Alaska writers and readers have to say.
What else should we or could we be doing? Are there features or blogposts you appreciate more than others? Is there anything you miss or wish we could include? (Volunteer resources are limited, of course, but we do want our bloggy time to have meaning for you!)
Summer is a slower blog time, for good reason, so I’ll post this conversation for a series of Wednesdays, knowing it may take a few weeks for our regular readers to spot it and comment or email.
Thanks for listening, reading, volunteering, brainstorming, and commenting.
Mostly, I'm a happy lurker here, and I do appreciate the posts.
One thing I would love to see is more ways to foster connections between AK writers beyond the in-person workshops (for those of us more remote folks). I'm sure I'm not the only non-Anchorage writer who would love to have a tribe of online writer friends to swap pages and thoughts with.
Erin, thank you for your input. We will be giving some thought to how to do this effectively and all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for asking! I'll probably forget something, but my favorite features on the blog are the guest posts, Friday updates (great way to get news from around the state), and the blogs about craft and the writing life. I also appreciate your posting podcasts of some of the events. And the blog is my chief source of news about 49 Writing Center, so please keep posting those kinds of updates too.
One thing to keep in mind: some of our readers/viewers are readers, not writers, so let's not leave them out of the conversation. Gracias.
So here in Juneau there's this Juneau Moms group on facebook where you can ask questions of other moms in the area. It's simply wonderful. Phenomenal for starting dialogue about hot topics and a great resource for everything from parenting dilemmas to how to find something in town. I think a 49 Writers group would be insanely powerful on fb, a place for writers to ask each other questions and dialogue about plot points and character arcs. I'd even be willing to volunteer to run it!
Thanks Eric and Lynn, and Jenifer, you've touched on something I wondered — whether the more interactive format of a facebook group page would be helpful. I will continue this in a new post on June 6.
Typo — thanks to ERIN.
And also to Lynn: yes, we need more for readers. Maybe a monthly librarian's or book lover's column?
Thanks Eric and Lynn, and Jenifer, you've touched on something I wondered — whether the more interactive format of a facebook group page would be helpful. I will continue this in a new post on June 6.