There is video clip on the NYT website that has Steve Levitt of Freakonomics talking about blogging. I’ve included the link for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately I can’t figure out how to embed the clip.
He basically says that there are 2 approaches to writing. There is the rigorous academic approach where all words are carefully considered, edited and fact checked prior to publication and there is the blog where we ‘just toss out bombs’. I find it particularly amusing that he says, somewhat perplexed, “The amazing thing to me is… sometimes people care”. Well duh – you co-authored one of the most read books in the country and have a NYT sponsored blog. Yes – people take your words seriously. And if you don’t want anyone to care, why write?
But getting back to us mere mortals, I think there there is a place in between Levitt’s 2 extremes where people write fairly well considered and crafted posts but nothing that would stand up to academic rigor. I”m mostly the drive-by type just tossing the words out there without thinking too hard about it. Every once in a while I want to be touching or funny and then I have to write a couple of versions and really engage my brain.
Where are you on that spectrum? Bombs or brilliance? What drives your posting? Do you feel you need to post with a particular frequency?
ps- yes I do have things to write about my life. So many, in fact that I can’t sort them all out so I’m turning the lights on you, dear readers, and hoping for some feedback. This temporarily interrupted show will return soon.
21st-century-mom.com 
as in most things, i feel am a mixture of both. sometimes i write (and edit and edit) about things that are on my mind and are close to my heart, and sometimes i throw things out there all willy-nilly. thinking about it, though, it seems to be very much based on my mood that particular day. and, i believe, is a fairly accurate respresentation of my personality in general. 🙂
as for frequency, i try not to go too long between so that my friends and readers worry something is wrong. and i try not to post too many “deep thinkers” too close together because it seems to dilute them. i need time to really soak up the responses to those ones. they mean a lot and they offer such great insight, its like seeing the solution to a problem from ten sides versus my single biased one.
these are good, mom, keep ’em coming.
I like to go for the brilliance but I’ll settle for someplace in the middle. Honestly, there are times when I have spent over 3 hours on a single post because I want it just right. But the surprising thing is, that when my writing is like that, I don’t even notice the time. I notice the time more on days like today – when I have promised a “positive” post but nothing is coming to mind that inspires me to write.
I like a mix – sometimes we want to know what’s going on in the big world and sometimes we want to hear the inner stuff…
PS.
I always enjoy you event posts.
I type it out as I think it – whatever subject it is — but I’ve been told that though I am funny in person, I can sometimes sound “harsh” in writing, so I usually re-read and re-word what I wrote until at least I THINK it doesn’t sound harsh. I never mean it to sound harsh! 😉
All subjects are open for discussion.
I post about once a week.
I also read only once or twice a week.
And I want to take this opportunity to let my buddies know that I love them even if I am away for a few days. I’m posting this message on your blog, 21st, because I know EVERYBODY reads your blog and this is a good place if I want absolute 100% readership of my notice! 😉
Love you~!
Jenny
Most times I ponder my posts before I sit to write. Then, as when I am at work, I write and edit; write and edit. Since the facts are not so important to anyone but me, I work to tell a story and let the facts fall as they may.
…. and if it’s longer than the height of my screen, it better be good or I’ll cut it down.
When I read other blogs, I do not have the patience for non-compelling posts.