Comments on: Character Blogs http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Sat, 19 May 2012 08:23:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: violet http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-111928 violet Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:23:22 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/#comment-111928 Those are good character blogs themselves and I must say I have found other good ones over the time. Those are good character blogs themselves and I must say I have found other good ones over the time.

]]> By: Sour Grapes http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-96998 Sour Grapes Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:37:34 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/#comment-96998 Two good character blogs are <a href="http://jonswift.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Jon Swift</a> and <a href="http://houseoffame.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Geoffrey Chaucer</a>. I don't see them as any less authentic than a lot of realistic blogs, where the character being portrayed is perhaps slightly less outrageous, or indeed medieval. It all belongs in the fine tradition of Peter Simple, Auberon Waugh, Craig Brown, Dear Bill etc. There ought to be room in such an enormous arena for a little bit of everything. <strong>jb says</strong>: Yeah, I'm all in favour of making room for a little bit of everything. Two good character blogs are Jon Swift and Geoffrey Chaucer. I don’t see them as any less authentic than a lot of realistic blogs, where the character being portrayed is perhaps slightly less outrageous, or indeed medieval. It all belongs in the fine tradition of Peter Simple, Auberon Waugh, Craig Brown, Dear Bill etc. There ought to be room in such an enormous arena for a little bit of everything.

jb says: Yeah, I’m all in favour of making room for a little bit of everything.

]]> By: Ira Socol http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-96997 Ira Socol Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:00:24 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/#comment-96997 This goes along with the current craze for "memoir" - where bad writing is excused because someone claims an interesting life. All stories are authentic in the same way, and they are all fictions, crafted by the author's perspective. It just might be that the author of the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs is telling a far more compelling story than any real "Steve Jobs" could. Give me good "fiction" any day over mediocre memoir. This goes along with the current craze for “memoir” – where bad writing is excused because someone claims an interesting life. All stories are authentic in the same way, and they are all fictions, crafted by the author’s perspective. It just might be that the author of the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs is telling a far more compelling story than any real “Steve Jobs” could.

Give me good “fiction” any day over mediocre memoir.

]]> By: Cappuccino http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/comment-page-1/#comment-96977 Cappuccino Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:58:38 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/character-blogs/#comment-96977 I think character blogs are interesting from a voyeuristic standpoint, take for instance the Andy Kaufman (http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/) character blog. I can remember when it came out and the flurry of speculation it caused, but in the long run I am more interested in real experiences from real people, not imitations. Good post! <strong>jb says</strong>: Hi Cappuccino. I don't know the blog you mention, though I will take a look at it. My point was, rather, that sometimes a blogger may need a little distance from his or her subject. And although that might mean that the blog is fiction rather than autobiography, or fiction rather than lived recollection, it doesn't mean that it is less true or less real, indeed it might mean the opposite. There is no real measure of objectivity and often someone may believe that they are relating the facts, and only the facts, when what they are really doing is letting their imagination have free reign through the medium of memory. Similarly, a writer who sets out to tell a fictional story, may well be addressing objective, inner truth, through a medium which allows him or her a veil of anonymity. I think character blogs are interesting from a voyeuristic standpoint, take for instance the Andy Kaufman (http://andykaufmanreturns.blogspot.com/) character blog. I can remember when it came out and the flurry of speculation it caused, but in the long run I am more interested in real experiences from real people, not imitations. Good post!

jb says: Hi Cappuccino. I don’t know the blog you mention, though I will take a look at it. My point was, rather, that sometimes a blogger may need a little distance from his or her subject. And although that might mean that the blog is fiction rather than autobiography, or fiction rather than lived recollection, it doesn’t mean that it is less true or less real, indeed it might mean the opposite.
There is no real measure of objectivity and often someone may believe that they are relating the facts, and only the facts, when what they are really doing is letting their imagination have free reign through the medium of memory. Similarly, a writer who sets out to tell a fictional story, may well be addressing objective, inner truth, through a medium which allows him or her a veil of anonymity.

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