Meet Muse

My Need to Read

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:59:48 GMT

I’ll admit it—I love to read blogs!

Look me up at almost any time of day and chances are good you’ll find me reading someone’s blog. I’ve read blogs before getting dressed in the morning (which is why my socks weren’t matching that day), while eating lunch, while painting my toenails (messy!), and even late at night when I should be sleeping.

Why? What do I get out of them? I’m glad you asked.

More than anything else, I get knowledge! Bloggers all have opinions and love to share them. Where else can you get advice from real experts? And I don’t mean experts who work for the company they’re endorsing or who write reviews professionally. I’m talking about video gamers (geeks), real car owners (everyone but me, it seems), people who read books for pleasure (harder and harder to find these days), and who listen to music constantly (like myself)—those folks know what they’re talking about. And they blog!

Blogs are also a great way to get to know your friends even better. Sure, I talk to my buddies all the time, but there are some things I find in their blogs that never come up in conversation. Plus, some people—myself definitely included—are much more comfortable expressing themselves in writing than verbally. Getting into someone’s blog can be just like getting inside their head.

Last but not least, I love blogs for their entertainment value! In one hour, I can step into the lives of dozens of people. I can learn about their likes, their dislikes, what makes them laugh, and the things that really drive them nuts. I can discover new music, new books, new movies, and new ways of thinking about life. I can share one blogger’s excitement over a good test score, cry with another about a lost pet, or giggle at another’s attempts to be cool. That’s pretty sweet, if you ask me.

How about you? Are you a blog writer, a blog reader, or both?

Live it, Blog it, Love it

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:13:55 GMT

I help people blog every day (it’s like my job, you know?), and the question I hear over and over is: “Muse, what should I write about?” Well, I’m here to tell you there are no rules to blogging (though try to avoid slapping and pulling hair is totally a no-no). You can write about anything, literally anything, you want.

There’s the straight journal entry: what did I do today? It’s that simple—just give a blow-by-blow account of the highpoints of your day. For the record, I had a good day—went to school, got an A in English (Iet’s not talk about math class, okay?), chatted with friends via Windows Live Messenger, went to band practice, read a good book, and am now writing this blog entry. All in all, a very satisfying day.

Bloggers can also write about something that’s happened in the past. Good memories to write about include your most embarrassing moment, your graduation day, the time you fell off a stage and broke your leg (all three of which, unfortunately, were the same day for me) or anything else that’s ever happened to you. But it doesn’t have to be a remarkable event—anything can be interesting if you try.

Another approach is fantasy. Pretend you’re someone else—an astronaut, a knight in armor, the President—and put yourself in an interesting position—Game 7 of the World Series, deep in the Amazon (the rainforest, not the website), or on a top secret mission behind enemy lines. (Myself, I imagine going out with that boy in my study hall whose hair is always in his eyes. My friends think he’s weird but I know he’s just sensitive and that I could… wait, off topic, never mind.)

Blog entries can even be abstract. Take this enty, for instance. What am I writing about right now? Topics for blogging! Turn your blog entry into an instructional entry and tell folks how to do something that interests you.

The only limit is your imagination! So, what’s your favorite blog topic?

-Muse

Photo Album: Muse Around The World

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:51:43 GMT

Muse Around The World

penguin

great wall

elephant in India

my mantra

Custom List: My Favorite Songs

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:42:36 GMT

My Favorite Songs

Paperback Writer
The Beatles
Every Day I Write the Book
Elvis Costello
Lady Writer
Dire Straits
Books about UFOs
Husker Du
Wrapped Up in a Book
Belle & Sebastian
Writer's Block
Cake
Return to Sender
Elvis Presley

Movie List: My Favorite Movies

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:42:36 GMT

My Favorite Movies

Capote
Author! Author!
The Neverending Story
The Sound of Muse-ic (ha!)