So apart from the rare scattered post, you haven't heard from me in a long time. The simple fact is: I'm very burned out from blogging. I did it intensely for a solid four-five years, and then suddenly I just found I couldn't do it anymore. The ability to conjure words for reviews disappeared and even the massively easy-to-assemble meme posts became a chore. My love for reading didn't go away, but my love for discussion did.
I thought that by focusing on the video aspect of The Reading Hedgehog would help - and in some ways, it did. Book hauls and reading wrap-ups were still fun, though I never have found a satisfactory way in which to video reviews. And it seems like every time I try and get back into book blogging/Youtubing, the energy for it dissipates very quickly.
So what changed? And how do I get back into it? Well, like I said: I mostly just got burned out. I grew tired of constantly analyzing every single book I read; I got tired of feeling pressured to read new books by a certain date so my review could still be relevant. And I got bored with my review format. I forgot what it was like to read a book simply for the fun of it. But there's something else keeping me from getting back into book blogging, and I'm not entirely sure what it is. Oh sure, I've told myself that I'm simply too busy to do it anymore, but that's a lie. I am very good at prioritizing things and making time for what I want to do. I still buy lots of books and I still have opinions on them - very heated opinions. However, the joy of sharing it with the book community simply isn't there anymore and I don't entirely know why. I've never been one to shy away from expressing my opinion, whether or not people will agree.
So for anyone out there - blogger, reader - who has had this happen to them: what do I do? What can I do to regain that passion and interest and energy I once had for book blogging? Because while every time I think about having to write reviews I feel immediately tired, a very large part of me still misses it horribly. The Reading Hedgehog never got much reader feedback, but even so I took comfort and joy in knowing my quiet followers were still there, reading what I had to say and either agreeing or disagreeing in their minds. ^_^ I miss the reviews, the author events, the weekly memes, getting excited over upcoming releases. So if any of you have any suggestions on how I can get my book blogging mojo back - please, please, please share. Because I miss all of you a lot.
I so relate! o.o I've only been a book blogger for a year and half, really (since that was when I started my review blog) but I get really tired of having to analyze and review things. I do love to enjoy books. I... don't have any advice for you really, though, because I haven't had the burnout as bad as you have and don't know how to fix it. :-/ But maybe taking a break? Reading stuff you want to read... Or try writing brief reviews, or only the parts of reviews that you like, or... something. I'm so sorry you're going through this! *hugs* I hope you regain your spark. <3
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deborah. ^_^ I've been taking a break for quite a while now and it doesn't seemed to have helped at all. If anything, returning to blogging feels like an even bigger chore the longer I take a break. But maybe I just need to ease myself back into it.
DeleteOn the one hand, I think it's really cool that you want to get back into book blogging. On the other hand, if you're not excited about it, I wouldn't push it. I know what you mean about not wanting to do long-form reviews. I want to chat more about some books than others, but it's more...if I liked it, I'll recommend it. If I didn't, I won't?
ReplyDeleteMy compromise has been still writing full reviews for eARCs, but just including small snippets (which I then usually copy to GR) about the books I read in a monthly wrap-up post. Nothing long, or nothing at all if I really don't feel like talking. :)
I guess I'm saying, find something you're excited for or happy about. Maybe that isn't blogging...maybe it's more direct discussions on GR or Twitter. Whatever winds up working for you. :)
I'm still trying to evolve the Youtube channel aspect of it, because I am still relatively excited about that (just need to stop beating myself up every time I take a break during summer). But I do still miss the blogging aspect. Maybe I need to just start all over. With the passing of my hedgehog, it became even less exciting to work on this blog specifically.
DeleteHi - no need to respond, but I found your blog after an image search for "hedgehogs and books"; I'm sorry that your Bilbo passed - should you ever be ready or interested in another quilled companion, the Hedgehog Welfare Society has an active rescue/adoption component. (www.hedgehogwelfare.org)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I wanted to comment about blogging and burnout: when something you love becomes a chore, that's a sorrow. If you want to keep blogging about books, then write what *you* want to write, read what *you* want to read, and explore what *you* want to explore.
Maybe you can play around with different approaches? Do what makes you happy - find your joy and let that offer some guidance.
Good luck - I'm off to read more of your site. :) Laura D. (A reading, non-blogging, hedgehog-snorgling person)
Hi, Laura! Thank you for visiting and your kind words on Bilbo. I intend on getting another hedgehog someday, but I've found that the loss of my first cuddly ball of rage is still too raw, so I'm waiting a little longer until I feel I can give a new hedgie the love it deserves. ^_^ I very much hope I can get back into blogging one of these days; I keep turning format ideas over and over in my head, and one of these days I'm sure I'll hit on exactly the right combination. If anyone has content ideas (i.e. what would you like to see on The Reading Hedgehog?), I would love to know! I think part of it is while I absolutely want to blog about what *I* want to blog about, I also want to do posts that my readers will enjoy. You guys are what keeps a blogger going - you really are! ^_^
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