I'm doing this all wrong

I went to a blogging workshop at the Writers Center in Bethesda on Saturday and discovered that I have been doing this blog all wrong. For one thing, my paragraphs have been too long. I haven't used a lot of color or images. But, worst of all, I haven't had a strong focus for the blog--I can't describe it in five words or less.

Apparently, writing what's on my mind is not going to work as a blog.

So, I am going to rethink the format of this blog in the next few days. Probably what will happen is that I will keep it as an electronic closet for my thoughts (from which I can build larger essays) but shut it down to search engines and any outside links, and people will only be able to find it by invitation.

In addition, I may start a new blog focused on blogging/writing for blogs and writing for publication, which will be more publicly accessible.

I'm also toying with the idea of a collaborative blog on places people have lived, which will compile short pieces on places all over the country, and in other countries. I did something like this a long time ago with "a very small magazine"--we ran an issue on places people lived, with the nitty-gritty on cost of rent, food, etc. I may go for both the poetic and the everyday with the new blog. I would use some of the pieces I've already written for this blog on "places I have lived" to start it. Of course, once I start researching this, I'll probably find that someone else has already done it.

I'll be visiting other blogs and Internet spaces in the next few day and may post something on what I'm finding. Until then, I'm lost in cyberspace...