I recently received great advice on how to drive more traffic to my blog.  During this discussion, the topic of whether or not the art of writing is dying came up.  And if it is a dying art, what is killing it?  It is no secret, we live in a TMZ world.  A lot of articles use some form of click bait to attract readers, and a lot of headings are in place for nothing more than shock value.

I learned that one of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog is to follow the current writing trends.  It is not so much about your writing, spelling, grammar or content but more about the strategies utilized to keep a reader engaged.  It is all about catching and retaining your reader’s attention.  The majority of the world is reading from a smart phone or tablet and they are just itching to keep scrolling.  You have about 2 seconds to grab someone and maybe another 15 seconds to hold their attention.  That is not a lot of time when you are more of a prose writer like myself.

I was very appreciative of the advice I received but I wonder where do I draw the line?  Do I have to sell my soul, lose my integrity and shift my purpose to be successful?  My style of writing may not appeal to non-readers, gossip lovers or people who want simple, generic blog posts.  I was told I write like a Harvard grad and maybe I should consider dumbing down my writing.

Kim K is notorious for using her sexual wiles to keep the public engaged.  It seems just when all Kardashian news is quiet, Kim pops up naked somewhere.  Some deem her a marketing genius, some say there is nothing wrong with her embracing her sexuality and others feel she really has nothing else to offer.  Whatever her reasoning for doing what she does, it is not my place to judge and sit on my moral high horse.  I simply believe it is not a path I want to follow.

One of the comments I received on my post Whatever Happened to Keeping it Classy? stated that I should not be slut shaming.  What that reader failed to realize was he/she was shaming me for expressing my own principles?  It is the same situation here.  Kim K does what she does to get to where she wants to be and I will continue to do what I know to get to where I need to be.  I could drastically change my writing to gain more recognition but would I still recognize me?

Nahhhh, I think I will stick with the overall purpose for my writing.  I may tweak my style, add some new techniques and spice things up from time to time.  But overall, I refuse to sacrifice my morality for a few more clicks.  This is my passion and I am not in it to become a multi-millionaire.  I do it because I love it and I am open to wherever that may lead me.

Until next time, stand up for what’s ‘write’ even if you ‘write’ alone!

~ Mara Prose

Announcements:

– Be sure to visit the Mara Prose Virtual Book Club Page.  We have selected our next book and will be having our first Snacks & Chat after the July 4th holiday.

– I will be debuting 2 new blogs after the July 4th holiday!  I am very excited about these additional endeavors.  Now let’s pray I find the time to stay on top of all that I have on my plate.

– My Poem “The Masks We Wear” will be published and released in the next 6 to 8 weeks via Eber & Wein Publishing’s Where The Mind Dwells.  Hurry and order your copy within the next 48 hours for the sales price of $39.95.  After that, it will go up to $69.95.

– RealBlackLove.com: I will be submitting my first article this upcoming weekend.  Stay tuned!
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