Some pets don’t lower blood pressure….
I started to write about blog peeves I harbor but writing about pet (“petty”) peeves is an indulgence. Instead of wallowing in the madness of pet peeves I have about other peoples’ blogs, I’ll tell you what I hope to do to make my blogs more reader friendly. I mean, I worry about your blood pressure!
1. I’ll break long blocks of text into paragraphs because more often than not there are points in all text blocks that break naturally into new paragraphs.
2. I’ll post once a day most times, though some topics (my recent five-parter on pain related to shingles) start out as one post but grow into something too long to contain in one post.
3. I’ll re-edit everything I write until I simplify text into something readable. I am notorious for needlessly complex, drawn out sentences. If I can’t read it out loud without stumbling or running out of breath, a sentence is too long or complex and needs a re-edit! For example, the last sentence.
4. If I don’t have anything to tell you or share with you on a given day, I won’t post anything. It sounds obvious, and it should be if I respect you and your time!
5. I’ll use re-blogs sparingly. This is a variation on Number 4.
6. Another vice I’ll try to contain is excessive use of parenthetical asides, especially inside a sentence. Most times, a re-edit of such sentences results in clarity and improved readability of the text. Let’s take a look at Number 2, above:
I will post once a day most times, though some topics (my recent five parter on pain related to shingles) start out as one post but grow into something too long to contain in one post.
Here’s a re-edit:
I’ll usually post once a day unless I write about a complex topic that needs multiple posts. A recent example, the five-parter on pain related to shingles, started out as one post. It grew into something too long for one post, so I broke it into parts.
7. I won’t blow off reader suggestions to improve content or readability of this blog.
8. I’ll try to avoid excessive use of favorite punctuation, especially the exclamation point! [!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – There! Oops. I have some work to do to get it out of my system for today.]
9. When all else fails, I’ll post a cute picture of Andy or Dougy. Better yet, I’ll post a video!
=(^+^)=>>>>>>>This ain’t no kitten. It’s a “pet peeve”.<<<<<<<=(^+^)=
Look at that face!! Of course you’ll get a ton of feedback posting pictures like that!:)
Ha! Ha! That was a baby picture of Andy, taken the first day I had him home. He had a rough day: taken away from his littermates and mommy; had to have a “poop bath” to clean him up after diarrhea; new surroundings and new rules. He was standing on my keyboard when I took that photo. Of course he was. He’s a cat! Ha!
Nice play on the word pet, hope I haven’t added to your blog pressure. 😛 I often read back and find mistakes and yes, probably an over-indulgent use of ! Oh well. 😛 Have a relaxing day 🙂
I recently revisited something I wrote over three years ago. (I was curious.) I found a typographical error, so corrected it. I doubt anyone will ever visit that post again, but, if they do, it will be letter perfect! LOL!
Thanks for the comment!
Ah the growth of blogging and blogger … I should also pay attention to all those. And yep, post pics of Andy and Dougy, they are worth a thousand words right there. 🙂
Your postings are very well written, in my opinion. I don’t see the bst&t (blood, sweat, tears, and toil) you put into them, but they are clearly written, interesting, and always worth my time! Yep! I’m a fan! (And serial abuser of the exclamation point!)
LOL I was careful not to add one to my comment 😉
Thank you for the kind words! Much appreciated.
I am fascinated by the frequency with which Americans stick their noses into Canadian history and get them bloodied! Ha! There is lots of overlap in our two histories, one reason I don’t understand why many (most?) Americans aren’t interested in Canadian history to the extent I am.
Excellent post with a great picture at the end! (I’m too fond of ‘!’ too!)
I sensed you and I shared that vice! Anyway, thank you for your comment. I’m atingle anticipating the next revelations about Punchyland in tomorrow’s post! (!!!!!)
😆 Yes, I was sure that you put that one in special for the professor! He just can’t use enough exclamation points!
Thank you! Tomorrow’s post is a video! (!!!!! I suppose I really need to get over using those dadblame things!)
I agree, to a point. An exclamation point, of course! I just uprooted this quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald:
“Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes.”
No doubt that narrow-mindedness and lack of appreciation for the exciting exclamation point/mark flavored Ernest Hemingway’s opinion, to paraphrase, that Fitzgerald was a hack!
http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/exclamationpoint.html
Thanks for sharing that. 😆
My pleasure! Another punctuation point I am partial to is the interrobang, but it never gets the respect it deserves. For example, though it was designed in the 1960s (I think- that’s when I came across it), I have yet to find it on any keyboard. For shame!
I hope you looked up the interrobang. I suspect it is punctuation you’ll find charming!
I’ve really never heard of it!