I don’t know what makes a good blog (it’s all very subjective in my opinion) but what I have learnt is that the writing I enjoy in a blog is very different to that in a book.
When I read blogs I look for a quick read, something to do during a coffee break or lunch hour, something that is informative, opinionated or tells a short story. What I don’t want to read is a lengthy description about what something looks like or how someone feels. I don’t want lots of dialogue either. I don’t have the time. Neither do I look for a big audience around a blog to pull me in. It doesn’t bother me if a lot of people don’t comment on an article; to me this isn’t necessarily a bad reflection on the blogger or their writing. It may simply be due to the author not promoting their blog enough.
The big turn off for me is long posts. If I come across a blog that is too long (for me, usually over 1500 words) it doesn’t matter how well written it may be, I switch off because I simply don’t have the time to read it. For me reading blogs is akin to reading newspapers and magazines when information and opinion is more important than description and dialogue. That is best kept for a novel in which I can give time to sink into a storyline and live it for a while. Books are my emotional escape, blogs are my source of information and a place to discuss things. There’s a difference which doesn’t mean to say one is more superior than the other. They’re just different.
What about you? What you do look for in blogs?
