Niche or not

So I totally started out today not knowing what I would write this Monday's blog post about. I could go way off topic, I guess, and write about the kind of things that I used to: thrift shop finds, the battles my skin has with the dry air in Winnipeg and how I fight them. But that wouldn't really be about writing or my daily adventures, would it?

The received wisdom about blogs -- especially ones that, like this one, have a tacitly promotional goal -- is that they have to be 'niche'. Further, that same received wisdom states that since my main 'products' that I am trying to promote are fictional stories, then my blog should stick to adjacent topics: how to write fiction, et cetera.

But isn't it the exception that creates the rule in the first place?

Frankly, I have a difficult time writing non-fiction. I find that I am frequently short on ideas. When it comes to fiction, I am never without an idea. When I tackle my daily 1,000 words each day, they get filled up and fly by quickly. Whether or not what I am producing is of any worth is a matter to be resolved in the revision stage.

But the point here is that non-fiction is difficult for me. So rather than just focusing on one single topic, I'd really like to be able to share more of my life with you than just the same old writing advice that you can read on thousands of other blogs.

I like, more the idea of sharing my writing journey with you. But even then, there might be days when I'd like to write about something else.

There's An App for That

Okay, well not exactly an app. More of a widget. Lately, I've heard of this functionality that can be added to blogs, allowing readers to vote for entries. I'm thinking I might use this widget. That way, you can let me know pretty easily which kinds of stuff you want to read about. You'd also be able to see which entries are most popular.

So, what do you think about that functionality? Now I actually have to find how to add it! Yay! Learning internets as I go! :P