But this is Chico, too

Starting a blog has begun to remind me of what it must be like to launch a talk show on TV. It’s all about ratings. Will it be a hit, or will it bomb? Blogging is still an experimental enough format that I feel I have time to flounder around and try to hit my stride. I’m not in danger of being “canceled,” but I feel committed to doing a good job of selling myself. At the same time, I don’t want to sell out. I want to succeed as a blogger, but I don’t want to lose touch with who I am as a writer.

As the writer of the column “But this is Chico” in the Enterprise-Record, I’ve always been concerned about my audience. I’ve always craved feedback. I get a few calls and e-mails about my columns every week, and that has always assured me that I have some readers. New people continue to contact me, so I’m gradually developing a sense of the size of my audience.

Blogging leaves you with no illusions about how well you’re doing with online readers. It all boils down to the number of “page views” you get. So far, Dan Nguyen-Tan has scored NorCal Blogs’ only runaway hit with his “Bullfight” blog. Compared to him, the rest of us our struggling to find our niche — some of us more so than others.

As much as I admire “Bullfight” — I liked it before I even knew how popular it was — I’m trying to avoid the “how can I be like Dan Nguyen-Tan?” syndrome. I want to retain my “But this is Chico” voice. But clearly, I need to figure out how the blog version of that should work.

I’ve already started posting more often and making each entry (except this one) shorter. I’m beginning to think I should add photos. My blog is about Chico, so it shouldn’t be hard to come up with photo ideas. On the other hand, where do I find time to even think about this when my job duties already include blogging, writing a column, doing interviews, writing stories, assigning photos to go with the stories and laying out pages? If this were a hobby, I’d be writing and posting blogs at 3 in the morning — and loving it. But sleeping is my favorite nighttime hobby. It’s at the top of my list of fun things to do in the still of the night. It’s the only time I have to dream.

I don’t have trouble being “controversial” — stating an opinion strongly. Columnists are as well known for that as bloggers. But as I’ve said before, when it comes to Chico issues, I’m not an ideological purist. I would probably attract more followers if I were more partisan. But my whole perspective is based on my belief that Chico’s polarized political environment is one of its weaknesses. I think people who wear either a “liberal” or “conservative” label must sooner or later end up supporting untenable positions. And if they ever break away from that label, they leave themselves open to accusations of being inconsistent.

I could write funny blogs, but that’s hard work if you aren’t blessed with a wry sense of humor. I’m more silly than funny. Children find this entertaining. My son thought I was funny until he was about 10. I don’t know if silliness is a bankable form of blog humor. Besides, the columnist in me just seems to gravitate toward serious subjects. Can a popular blog persona be based on that?

Do I have what it takes to develop a blog persona? That seems to be one of my main concerns after having spent a few months inside this modern-day Tower of Babel, where millions of voices are clamoring to be heard. I’m almost certain I would be a washout on TV, but I still don’t know enough about what the blogosphere is like to have a sense of whether this medium is for me.