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Back from a Radical Sabbatical

07 Jan

Posted by Steve as Other

I want to let you know that while I haven’t posted since December this blog is still alive and I am currently working on several posts. A co-worker told me today that I had better post something soon or people might start thinking I went AWOL. I decided I needed to take a break from blogging and reasses my goals. Christine’s online business is growing larger and faster than we had planned (that’s a real good thing), the boys need a lot of attention, and Ergotron has some very cool things planned for 2008, so blogging has slipped to about #4 on my priority list. So stay tuned, I haven’t gone away, I love to write, and there is more coming in 2008.

A variety of topics continue to capture my attention, personal growth, financial growth, libertarian politics, and storytelling. I am considering creating two more blogs. This blog will be my personal blog and be dedicated to personal and financial growth, a new blog with political stuff (I feel like I bore many of you with my political rants), and a third blog where I can publish short stories.

I’d be grateful for any feedback on the possibility of three blogs. I have serious reservations about trying to maintain three sites.

*******

On a very important side note…

Can anyone out there help me?

Do you work for Amazon or know anyone who works for Amazon? Particularly the Amazon Alliance?

I’d sure like to talk to someone from Amazon about a simple misunderstanding that has been almost impossible to resolve due to automation and I know it would be resolved if I talked to the right person.

I appreciate any help.

16 Responses

Jen, writer MembershipMillionaire.com

January 8th, 2008 at 5:51 am
1

While I can’t help you with your misunderstanding with Amazon, I can say that I’m looking forward to the third blog. I’m not too interested in political rants but I’m a real lover of fiction or creative non-fiction. It helps that we have a creative blog where we can showcase our talents. Another blog for our personal selves and others for other topics. Best of luck. Have a prosperous new year!
Craig Harper

January 8th, 2008 at 6:30 am
2

Hey Steve,
Great to hear from you and a great time to reassess your priorities.
If I were you I would support Christine and make the boys your No.1 priority. Ergotron pays the bills for now so it’s a distant second, and blogging well… whatever! You only get one chance in life mate!
Suellen

January 8th, 2008 at 7:33 am
3

Steve,

Love your blog, your politics, and your sense of humor. I’d probably subscribe to all three. But as a blogger who works FT AND owns her own business, I can attest to the time challenges of blogging. If you create realistic expectations as to the frequency of said blogs, it may be more manageable and you may have less guilt when life rearranges your priorities.

Suellen
Libertarian, Entrepreneur, Self-Helper, Money Saver
Michael Snipes

January 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
4

Hi Steve! I’m new to your blog but am hooked already. You ask if maintaining three blogs would be possible, I’m thinking why start from scratch when this blog is already well positioned? You’ve got categories to the side and reference to them I see in your other posts. Could be me, but I’d stick with one place and really grow it even bigger than it is. Enjoying myself and thank you.
Steve

January 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
5

I appreciate all the feedback via comments and email. After considering everything you’ve said, I think I will continue to post everything here. It seems my ADD hasn’t pushed too many of you away. Maybe it’s even attracted some of you. I have a terrible time staying focused on one subject.
Michael G.R.

January 8th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
6

I suggest you publish everything here until it becomes a problem. If it does, then you can assess your needs and see if you really need another, or two other blogs. Otherwise, there’s a real danger of spreading yourself too thin and to start enjoying writing less because you feel obligated to produce enough to sustain three blogs to a decent level of activity.

My 2 cents.
shagaia

January 8th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
7

Steve! Back at Last! I’m sure your other fans are as excited as I am about your return. Puttin all three here makes sense to me but I’ll read’em wherever you put them.
Nicola

January 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
8

I am very excited. Steve you are the best I am your fan.
etavitom

January 10th, 2008 at 10:24 am
9

Thanks for deciding to write more! Your blog is phenomenal… All the best in 2008, Brad
Dale Fildes

January 10th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
10

Steve,

Glad you are ok and all is well. We all know that life can keep us busy sometimes – especially with home businesses and kids.

The fact that you are reassessing your goals and values is a great thing – I wish more people did that on their blogs.

Until then,
Keep smiling.
Nneka | Spirituality Blog

January 11th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
11

Hi Steve, I like the politics here. I love the discussions and it goes with your theme. I don’t know of any other blogger that talks about politics and creating freedom in your life.

BTW, I’ve thought about doing a short story or fiction site as well. I realized the question with blogging is not finding the time to write, it’s finding the time and energy to grow and nurture an audience. That said, I was all set to write a hiatus post on BLC when the best stuff started flowing out. So I’m going to go lighter on the audience growth this year and refocus on the stuff I really like — writing.

Happy New Year,
Nneka
Jalaj

January 14th, 2008 at 2:05 am
12

Three seperate blogs would be advisable only if you plan to write too frequently for one or more of them thus avoiding loosing reader for remaining ones. This though seems unlikely for you. Other reason may be that you want to exclude your name from the domain for the new blogs.

You writing frequency is less and each post carry a lot of content to read thus will be exhaustive if you go into separate three blogs (even if you do that I would subscribe to all).
News By Tom Brownsword › The “dofollow” Movement

January 14th, 2008 at 3:56 am
13

[...] Steve Olson. I think I’d enjoy sitting down for a cup of coffee with Steve. His blog posts seem to be [...]
Steve

January 14th, 2008 at 8:08 am
14

Thanks again all!

I agree, three blogs is a bad idea. Right now I’m having trouble finding the time to write for this blog, so I’ll have even more trouble with 3 sites.

I’ve got a new post nearly ready…

About my fiction writing,

The stories I am writing have some pretty raw stuff, crime, violence, profanity, anger, drugs, racism… not that they promote any of those things, they are simply attributes of stories and characters I am developing and are needed for the stories to feel real, and I don’t know if this is the right place for that kind of material. We’ll see. I don’t know if I’ll ever publish any of them here.

My ultimate dream is to have the stories turned into scripts for a uncensored series like the Sopranos. A series where you can put a human face on some ugly realities and sub-cultures within American suburbs. If you’ve ever seen the movies Alpha Dog or Rivers Edge or The Outsiders you’ll have an idea what I am writing.
Travis Wright

January 14th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
15

Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.

Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.

Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.

Who’d have thought they’d lead ya (Who’d have thought they’d lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we tease him a lot cause we’ve hot him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Jennifer

January 25th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
16

Try this number for Amazon – 1-800-201-7575.