Less is More: Tumblelogs, Microblogging, and the Short-Form Trend

This is the writing lab for bloggers who are looking to write less, but still looking to write well. We’ll be exploring short-form blogging (aka “microblogging”, “tumblelogging”) and the new platforms that are embracing and fueling this recent trend such as Tumblr, Posterous, and TypePad Micro.

We’ll be discussing how this kind of blogging changes the way we write, changes what we want to say and/or how we want to say it. We’ll also be discussing how traditional bloggers are using this new platform to start second (or third, or fourth) blogs that go beyond their journal-format blogs.

Some discussion points:

• Can giving microblogging a try fight the blogging blahs? Will changing the way you blog make you a better blogger?
• Can the short-form actually improve your writing? What skills do you learn by writing more condensed posts?
• What is sacrificed when you start writing less? What is gained?
• Many of these platforms encourage real-time blogging.  What are the advantages of writing on the go? Does real-time blogging help fight perfectionism?
• How are traditional bloggers using this new form to expand their online presence? Does a second short-form blog help spur creativity in your main blog?
• How much does the medium inform the message? If there is no big text field to fill does that change they way you write? Does adding different kinds of media add to or take away from your writing?
• Why write at all? If pictures (and videos, and quotes, and reblogs) are worth thousands of your words why put forth the effort? Is it okay to throw the writing baby out with the microblogging bathwater?

Alana Reynolds of LetterB and Momku (on Twitter and Tumblr) will lead this discussion. Other panelists are TBD but will be writers who are both microblogging pros and newbies. 

Return to Room of Your Own submissions