The blog writer

Blog writer. That’s the title I’ve ascribed to myself since I realized late last year that it takes me far less time to write something for my blog than to write my articles for H&L or my written requirements for school. (Writing a short story or a poem likewise doesn’t take long; but I have to be in a special, indescribable kind of mood to be able to write either, so neither counts in this discussion.)

I’ve always wondered why that is so, and the reason I’ve thought of so far is that writing a blog is like talking to oneself or to a friend; whereas, writing a journalistic piece or an academic paper is like talking to a stranger; or worse, addressing an unfriendly congregation.

When you talk to a friend, there is no inhibition and your mood is quite relaxed. You say whatever you like in any manner that suits you, as long as it doesn’t offend your friend (friends don’t easily take offense, so no problem here). You are yourself; you have no problem letting down your guard, for with friends, there’s no need for pretense.

That’s how I feel whenever I write an entry for my blog. As you may have noticed, the writing style I’ve adapted here — the choice of words and turn of sentences — is quite informal (except, of course, those pieces I posted which were originally written for other purposes/media). Unlike in a journalistic/academic piece, there is no pressure for me to write elegant sentences nor to use standard grammar (international English usage, or standard Philippine English) in my blog. That means I need not think of the English equivalent of some non-English forms because I can use whichever form that readily comes to mind (Iluko or Filipino). What’s more, in my blog, I can invent words and even deliberately misuse (bastardize) a word to suit my purpose (or rather, whims). And the tone! Haha! I can be serious one moment, absurd the next, then turn funny, then be serious again. Ain’t that great?

Another thing I like about writing a blog is that I need not pretend I know a lot of things. I can say I don’t know this or that without worrying that my readers might think I am stupid (I don’t really care because I know I’m not, he he). Whereas, when I write for the magazine, I need to always be sure that I got my facts straight, that my sources are credible, and that I had not misquoted anyone, in addition to being cautious with my writing style — I cannot be too “lifestylish” when I’m writing a health/medical article, nor too structured when I am writing a lifestyle piece.

Writing an academic paper also has its own pressure. For instance, I need to sound like I know my subject and/or that I’ve evaluated the opposing views on the subject at hand and then be able to convince my readers that the stand I’ve taken is the logical one, in addition to being very careful with the words I use, as well as with my syntax.

Given all the pressures that come with the other types of writing that I do, how could I not enjoy writing my blog entries?

But if you have thought that the things I’ve written so far are the reasons that I enjoy writing entries for my blog more than I enjoy other forms of writing, then let me tell you this: you are wrong. I have not been completely honest. To tell you the truth, it’s not the pressures that come with academic and journalistic writing as opposed to the ease of blog writing that makes me prefer the latter to the former. It is really the freedom I enjoy — the freedom to paint the caricature selves of the people I care about through words — that is fueling my zeal to write entry after entry.

So you see, it all boils down to my top pastime — bullying. Why not? I’m suppose to be wicked here, remember? I’m just being my bully self. That’s what I do around friends, di ba?