Help a Blogger Out: A TLS Survey, MorniMete Style

This was a survey that True Life Seek has put out there for bloggers to try called "Help a Blogger Out: A TLS Survey." I felt it was interesting so I gave it a shot.

It also made me think about the goals I had for "Morning Meteora" and what I had in mind for this space in the blogosphere, along with its place. For a long time, I was asking myself these questions: "What's wrong with Morning Meteora?" "How can I improve it?" I've been trying for ages to get these feelings, these inquiries into an entry but circumstances kept me from doing so. Now, I've decided to vent out these emotions into this survey since they made me go inside myself, become introverted about what I did, what I do, and what I will do.

Goals:

• Why do you blog?

I blogged to share my ideas. It started as a hobby out of a desire to start a blog, inspired by the many great blogs at IW. IroIro Aru Sa, HNPH, the big blogs, the ones we read the most and look up to the most.

• What long-term goals do you hope to accomplish, if any at all?

I've already achieved "Get noticed on International Wota" so I rarely have any "long-term" goals. Become a better blogger perhaps?

• Where does your blog fail to meet your goals?

It's too stagnant (it's mostly my fault for being "lazy" and pre-occupied with life atm), not to mention somewhat "closed." I want to expand my horizons and show that I'm more than "Hello! Project and Linkin Park." After all, "Morning Meteora" is just a name.

• If you do have goals, what will accomplishing them do for yourself?

It'll help me establish a sense of expansion and share my thoughts with fellow fans. Besides, isn't it good to keep your mind (and blogging palette) open?

• What do you want to gain out of blogging? A creative outlet? Praise from others? Personal satisfaction? Money?

Mostly personal satisfaction, a creative outlet, and praise from others. However, I've grown to accept that not everyone is going to like my blog (as we all have our detractors) so I'd might as well expect less praise.

• Do you feel that your blog should meet a requirement for amount of entries? Do you feel any particular entry should be a certain length?

One per day. If I make any more, I feel like I'm bombarding you. I want to space out my posts because everyone doesn't have as much free time as I do.

As for entries, if it's short like the one for Milky Way and Iida Kaori's baby boy, it's too short for me, too "drop of candy." Then again, it's good to have a variety of lengths to keep yourself flexible.

• For any particular entry, what motivates you to start and finish blog posts?

Any ideas that pop into my head and current events.

• Do you actively consider long term goals for each individual post?

Rarely. I've even stopped expecting every entry to be covered because, compared to other blogs, it's pretty low on the totem pole.

Subject Material:

• What do you blog about?

At first, it was about Hello! Project and Linkin Park (hence the name "Morning Meteora," stemming from H!P's flagship group and LP's second album). Right now, I'm considering making an entry about Polysics (because I love the song "Rocket" and it's high time I spotlighted my love for the group) and another about the various versions of "Computer Obaachan."

• Would you be keep a blog even if it wasn’t about the subjects you tend to cover?

Maybe, maybe not.

• Do you write about the material to promote it to others?

At times, yeah. The "Linkin Berryz" entry served the purpose of attempting to bridge the two worlds, along with the Chester Bennington Birthday post that took a look at H!P members born in his decade.

Readership:

• How much do you care about readership?

Used to care a lot but now I don't. I've come to realize that, while I need to advertise more, my blog may not be as popular as the blogs that inspired it.

• Does it satisfy you to know people are reading, even if they don’t comment?

Yeah. Blogs are meant to be read after all.

• What effect does receiving a comment have on you?

Gives me a sense of well-being. It makes me feel that someone is still supporting this blog.

• Do you write with a particular audience in mind or an unspecified general audience? Why?

At first, I tried to cater to the Hello! Project fan because H!P was something I truly knew about (even with the LP fanlove). The Linkin Park thing came later because I was showing to other people and they're more likely to know about Mike Shinoda than Miho Shinoda. Right now, I want to expand even beyond that because I'm more than just out-of-style idols and a rock band.

• If you write for a particular audience, is it International Wota? If yes, why?

At first, it was the International Wota crowd because it was the crowd that inspired my blogging. Now I realize that I may have fallen out of favor of the crowd with how out-there and rambling my posts tend to be. Plus, some of my most thought-out posts are ignored nowadays =P.

Community: (The International Wota section)

• If International Wota didn’t exist, would you blog?

IW was what led me to blogging in the first place so no.

• When IW covers an entry of yours, are you encouraged to blog more or less?

Yes, because it's exciting to know someone's reading and reviewing. However, after a while, I just wrote entries just so they can be covered (hence the decrease in quality).

• When IW does not cover an entry, are you encouraged to blog more or less?

Yes, because I had a hope that the next entry would be covered. Now I've come to the conclusion that I may never be covered on IW again. Would I still blog? Maybe (as soon as I get the motivation and inspiration).

• How often do you read other blogs?

I check IW every day but now I have little motivation to read every entry (partially due to current circumstances I'd rather not share).

• How often do you comment on other blogs?

Not much... I have little to say, despite being wowed by the words. Also, the pressure of commenting and the self-promotion sorta takes away from my motivation (even if the lack of comments is probably why I don't get that many comments on my own blog).

• If another blog covers a topic that you wanted or wished to cover, do you still blog about that specific topic? Why or why not?

Yes and no, because we share the same interest so there's a chance that we'd think the same thing. "Great minds think alike," ya know? At the same time, what's the point? It's covered.

Commitment:

• How serious is your attitude towards blogging? Do you consider it just as something to do for fun?

Half serious, half fun. I do want to put in more quality work into this quaint little blog.

• How often do you blog? How often would you like to blog?

In the beginning, very often. Why? Because I wanted it to be covered by International Wota and I wanted to see it covered more. Then, after a while, I grew lazy and somewhat mentally fatigued. The "attention" aspect of the blogging left me and when I tried to be more creative, my blog was left alone. Some of the etnries were rushed and the quality of my blog suffered because of it.

Now, I'll blog for as long as I can because I've just stopped caring about "attention" and "How fast can I get the scoop so I can be covered (read: ignored)?" somewhat (my blog is low on the totem pole, I want to make it better, and sitting around is not going to solve anything).

• What priorities do you or have you put aside in order to blog? Why?

Quality, creativity, presentation are the priorities I put in blogging.

What I put aside is my schoolwork but I try to blog when I have free time.

• Do you see yourself blogging in 6 months? Why or why not

Maybe, maybe not. Why? I have other commitments in my real life perpaining to my future and blogging is just a hobby, a side-project if you wish.

Personal:

• Would you say you blog for yourself?

In some ways, yeah. My thoughts, my feelings, myself is in this little blog. In all of my thoughts of abandoning it, I just couldn't because it's like a baby to me.

• What is your feeling after posting an entry? Is it relative to the time and effort you put in an entry?

I feel a sense of well-being, along with a bit of nervousness as to the reaction. Plus, in some of the lesser-quality ones, I feel somewhat ashamed at putting junk like that on my blog. As for stuff I put real thought into (like the French-laced review of "Seishun! LOVE Lunch") I feel a sense of happiness (though I was somewhat dismayed that my Linkin Berryz post wasn't covered. Then again, I don't think Morning Meteora's covered anymore anyway).

• What needs does blogging fulfill?

The sharing of ideas and feelings, getting the news out there and stuff like that.

• Do you consider yourself a writer?

Yes. I'm a bit more of an artist than a writer but writing is one of my talents.

• Do you consider yourself good at writing? Good at blogging?

Yes. In fact, I know I'm a good writer. I don't really consider myself good at blogging though. Sure, I've gotten better with time and experience but there are better bloggers out there to inspire me.

Or maybe... I've just lost the will to blog (blame school and the fact I have to spend more time getting ready for graduation and college than looking up idols).

• How much of your personal life do you share on your blog? If none, why do you leave this out?

No, because I really don't feel comfortable putting all of my business out there. Plus, it's a blog about my interests, not my life. As much as you know about me is my country of origin, gender, and that I'm in high school. That's it. Besides, it's good to leave an air of mystery.

So that's that. One thing though: If this survey replied gets covered, I'm going to laugh on the floor and smile because that's a miracle.

- Magi-Kat