I am a habitually—even chronically—long-winded blogger. I always have been. I sat down a few weeks ago to write up an explanation of my running approach, and I haven’t finished it yet… because it is over 2,500 words long and growing rapidly longer. But as I have considered my approach to blogging of late, and as I have also been posting fairly regularly on App.net (my social media locale of choice), it occurred to me:

1. Blog posts do not have to be the lengthy things I usually make of them.
2. I often write up a series of thoughts—not necessarily an “argument” or indeed anything more than a series of connected thoughts—on App.net, connecting them via the ‘reply’ mechanism and enumerating them. Rather like I am here.
3. Doing so inevitably clutters up the streams of anyone following me.
4. That clutter may or may not be problematic: some folks may enjoy those connected thoughts. Others may not.
5. For those that do enjoy those connected thoughts, a blog post like this would probably serve just as well.
6. For those who do not enjoy them… well, this sort of thing would be a welcome way to clear their streams up without causing me any particular difficulty.
7. Using lists does not automatically mean I have given in to the constant temptation to make my blogging about driving views.
8. Seriously.
9. This blog will never drive substantial amounts of traffic. That is fine by me. Indeed, I would probably feel a bit odd if it did.
10. Therefore, when I have those sorts of thoughts-in-a-line in the future, I will do as I have done here. I will write a ‘listicle’ (the shame!) and share it for others to partake of—or not!—as they please.
11. Taking that approach will almost certainly free me up to blog more briefly when I feel like it, as well. That, too, can only be a good thing.
12. After all: I am happier when I am writing.¹