The thing about blogging

The other day, I was posting at the journalists' forum I use about our quest to find a good nursery for El. I had a great, big, meaty discussion with my fellow forumites about the pros and cons of Montessori, the pitfalls of state schools, the swindling nature of non-refundable fees and the fact that I'd probably sell my soul to get him in the nursery attached to one of our local schools.

Matt was looming over my shoulder as I aired my views and he commented that this is how I like to sort out my dilemmas - in the form of a written, lively discussion. He was right. And I realised that in many ways, my participation at said forum has replaced my thirst for blogging and that's probably why I don't post much anymore.

When I worked at 20six I was a) being paid to blog, b) playing an almost parental role in the proceedings and c) part of a community. One of the drawbacks I always found about blogging there was that people I saw very little of knew what I was up to, so when we met there was nothing much for me to say. People I saw all the time knew far too much about my plans, my problems and my decisions. I watched with envy as anonymous bloggers wantonly slagged off their nearest and dearest under cover of pseudonym. My blog was a little window into my world and sometimes I wanted to close the curtains. When you're on the payroll at a blogging platform, transmission cannot cease.

I've enjoyed this blog because it's been less available/advertised to people and because I've updated it on my own terms, when I've wanted to. I probably used to make more posts in a week at 20six than I have in the year since I started this. And with the secrecy comes the temptation not to bother; my infrequent posts have made the likelihood of anyone actually reading this very unlikely.

When I started blogging I wasn't writing much professionally and the blog was my outlet. Now I do nothing but write (and research and interview) and I don't have the same need to vent.

I used to enjoy discussing parenting matters, but as El has grown, so I've come to realise that I don't have much to say about it in a purely personal sense. There's a fun, healthy, strapping dude living in my house and we have a good family life together. As his personality blossoms I feel the same amount of protectiveness toward his privacy as I do Matthew's or other members of my family. Again, there's a working parents section on the forum and I pop in there if something is on my mind and I've been writing for Practical Parenting regularly for the last year, so I also have somewhere to share burning parenting issues with the wider mum's network!

I met some fun, interesting people through the old place - but as my blogging has drifted, so have our friendships. At the forum I've met like-minded, like-careered people who have become friends - friends I'll likely have for a long time. I feel like my need for blogging, in the old sense of the word, is coming to a close.

I've decided (at last!) to set up my own site. A professional platform to showcase the work I'm doing, tell potential editors and interviewees a bit about myself and provide a virtual cabinet for all the awards I'm going to win (ha ha). I'm going to have a blog attached, but it will probably be a different kind of blog. Something much more "professional" (ha!) than I've attempted before - designed with potential editors in mind (I've lost count of the number of times a client has told me they've been having a read on here and I've scrolled through old posts amid palpitations to see what I've been crowing on about).

If anyone out there still reads this, I'll stick in a link to the new site when it's ready and would love you all to pop along and visit.

It's been a peaceful year here on this blog, and I do miss the fun we used to have at 20six. This curtain call is much quieter than the last, but I think it's for the best.