I bought my brother Tod a blog for his birthday. That was three months ago. When the Los Angeles Times mentioned Tod in an article this week, they referred to him as "blogger and screenwriter Tod Goldberg." What’s interesting to me is that in just 90 days, "blogger" has become his identity (we’ll gloss over the fact they also called him a "screenwriter," even though he’s never sold a screenplay nor, to my knowledge, has he ever written one). Not "acclaimed novelist," not "LA Times Award nominee," not even "creative writing instructor." No, now he’s "Blogger Tod Goldberg."
How long do you have to be running a blog before it becomes you? Is 90 days… or less… all it really takes before the mere fact that you have a blog eclipses your professional accomplishments and every other aspect of your public image?
Am I now "blogger Lee Goldberg?" Or am I still "TV writer and author Lee Goldberg?"
You’ve pretty much been a blogger, at least from my POV, from the moment Sarah Weinman egged me into responding to your first fanfic rant. This despite the fact that I’d already heard of you as a TV writer.
Strangely enough, I think of Tod as a columnist. I guess it’s the face you present to most people first. After all, has Robert Plant ever truly left Led Zeppelin for anyone over the age of 35?
Maybe he should start a blog.
I am inclined to believe the MSM uses the term ‘blogger’ before anything else–‘screenwriter’, ‘homicidial maniac’, ‘social gadfly’–because it implies they are With It: They know the current trends, etc. I suppose if Podcasting makes as much of a impact as blogging and you are doing it they will refer to you as ‘podder’ so-and-so.
Since you’re the screenwriter they’ve mistaken the two of you. I’ve had a blog for three years, so that must make me an elder statesman. As for the fad and blog triumphalism no one is a bigger cheerleader than Hugh Hewitt. His efforts yesterday got him booed.
You write other stuff besides this blog???
Maybe it’s whatever dominates at the time. You’re the “mystery author and blogger” because you’ve got a number of books out and projects in the works, but no TV shows.
A suggestion: The next time you get button-holed for an interview or sound bite, demand you be identified as ‘blogger and male prostitute. . .’.
See what happens.
In that case, I’m blogger and Amazon reviewer Mark. After all, I’ve been blogging for over three years now and reviewing for over four.
Finally, I have some identity. I feel such a sense of accomplishment.