5 Reasons to Use Tumblr If You’re a Writer
Published by MaxBro on Tagged Features
1.) Tumblr is free, easy to use, and looks nicer than most other blog services out there. Words matter, everything else on the web is just bells and whistles. With Tumblr, you don’t need to worry about plugging in an RSS feed, dealing with tags, or worrying about Web 2.0 apps like Digg buttons and such. I still use WordPress for longer pieces, but I can’t help admire Tumblr’s overt simplicity and focus on content.
2.) Tumblr allows for those random bursts of inspiration and lets you write instantly and unfettered. Got an idea for an awesome article or story and want to blog it as you think it? Or maybe you just snapped an amazing photo of your friend and it’s just screaming to be posted. Tumblr lets you get whatever you want online and fast. With the “Share on Tumblr” button, you can also instantly share anything you find on the web on your blog.
3.) On Tumblr it doesn’t feel like you’re blogging, it feels like you’re contributing. Gone are the days when blogging implied long, drawn-out posts or pointless diatribes. Tumblr caters to shorter, observational type pieces that can be just about anything. As a writer, sometimes a weird idea just pops into your head. It might be the opening line to a story, or maybe just a few points to be made in a future article. No matter what it is, Tumblr caters to creativity in all forms. Tumblr isn’t about having to write out lengthy, “meaningful” entries on your blog that live up to some imaginary criteria, it’s about expressing yourself as a creative individual.
4.) Tumblr doesn’t suck up your processing power with self-promotional graphic-heavy garbage like Yahoo or Blogger does. You won’t get bogged down in Frozen Screen City if you’re using an older, slower computer, so feel free to write as much as you want on Tumblr’s dashboard. This is also a big plus if you’re tired of MS Word’s hidden tags that make it impossible to transfer something you write directly to the web without using Notepad first. Even if you use Google Docs or some other online service, it’s still nice to know if you want to write something on Tumblr you’re not going to have to deal with much trouble.
5.) Tumblr is addictive, and makes you write, write, write. Stephen King’s advice for young writers: Read a lot, write a lot. While it’s up to you to hit the books, Tumblr definitely helps you out with the second part. Once you get started, you’ll find the mere simplicity of Tumblr’s system makes posting fun and addictive again. No more worrying if your Rich Text Editor bungled the HTML, no more dealing with long upload times. No more worrying if the word count of your post is “high enough” to deserve posting. Just write it, post it, and move on in life.
***Bonus Reason: If you’re a fiction writer, Tumblr’s focus on shorter entries is perfect for when you’re writing multiple installments in a long story that might take a few weeks or months to complete. It’s easier on your readers to sit through a 500 word section of a story rather than the full 5,000 word finished product. Using Tumblr allows you to both continually update a story when inspiration strikes, and keep your readers satisfied until you write the next piece.
Tumblr Blogs I Read:
Jakob Lodwick - This guy is pretty smart and touches on everything from economics to philosophy to OMG what is that thing?! Also, he updates constantly.
MaxBro on Tumblr - This my blog on Tumblr I started yesterday. I like using it because it caters to a stream-of-consciousness style of output.
White Whine - Pure hilarity.
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December 16th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
I don’t understand what prevents short blog posts on a normal blog. I mean, I’d like it if Moveable Type made posting pictures a little easier but I don’t understand what Tumblr has to do with the stuff you mentioned. Almost all of it comes down to how the writer stylistically structures their posts and not the platform.
December 17th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Good points, Ryan. I really see Tumblr as a blogging platform that caters more to shorter, non-specific type blog entries whereas WordPress, Blogger and others seem geared more towards lengthier posting.
You don’t see postings from a Tumblr blog show up on Digg or Reddit too often, and I think it’s because it’s not a blogging service meant to be used with the intent of promotion. Whereas you can download WordPress to a seperate hosting site, put up ads, download all kinds of interactive plug-ins, etc. Tumblr is something you treat like a scrap book and post whatever comes to mind as opposed to posting more focused content.
Perhaps these are all mute points, but it’s interesting that as more blogging platforms emerge, you’re seeing some focus on niches. While it’s true what you said that it comes down to how a writer stylistically structures their posts, certain platforms fit certain types better than others. For example, White Whine fits well on a Tumblr platform because it’s one small posting a day, almost like a daily rip-off calendar. However, a site like StevePavlina.com would never work on Tumblr because it contains big, in-depth articles that require a larger framework for support.
January 6th, 2008 at 3:59 am
I’ve loved using tumblr and it really has made an improvement to my variety of posting (videos, music, pictures etc) and frequency of posting in general.
Also - to comment on the “contributing aspect” - there’s a very real community that you’re part of if you look hard enough. That combined with the other aspects have been the difference between me being an average user to a super user.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Tumblr really takes the pressure off community wise. With sites like Livejournal it feels almost as if there is a requirement to post at least 100 words. With tumblr you can just dump an image or a link, and it looks good.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:12 am
http://junkdnafiction.tumblr.com
About: Serialized and short fiction blog of Made in DNA. Feel free to tumble my work.
Tags: cyberpunk, bizarro, alternate universe, science fiction, erotica, dark fiction, noir, hardboiled
Enjoy! =)
April 17th, 2008 at 6:33 am
“With Tumblr, you don’t need to worry about plugging in an RSS feed, dealing with tags, or worrying about Web 2.0 apps like Digg buttons and such.”
——I don’t know what most of those words mean, thus, I spend very little time worrying about them.
“Or maybe you just snapped an amazing photo of your friend and it’s just screaming to be posted.”
——I don’t even own a digital camera.
“Tumblr lets you get whatever you want online and fast. With the “Share on Tumblr” button, you can also instantly share anything you find on the web on your blog.”
—–I’m a think first, re-read, think about it again, write a little about it, and then share kind of a guy.
“No matter what it is, Tumblr caters to creativity in all forms. Tumblr isn’t about having to write out lengthy, “meaningful” entries on your blog that live up to some imaginary criteria, it’s about expressing yourself as a creative individual.”
—–Yeah, I’m no artist. If I’m given a task I can go about it creatively, but people who are artsy or just creative for creativity’s sake always kind of weird me out.
“Read a lot, write a lot. While it’s up to you to hit the books, Tumblr definitely helps you out with the second part.”
—–People who don’t write a lot on a daily basis don’t do it only because they haven’t yet discovered Tumblr. There are deeper issues going on. It’s why I carry a notebook and a pen around. Tumblr just sort of sounds like a “five-easy steps to being a better writer” program. If you’re not a better writer, five easy steps won’t help you. It’s about hard work and discipline; not a miracle web-site. If you suddenly do get a Tumblr and you start writing more I foresee that lasting about as long as most New Year’s diets.
“No more worrying if your Rich Text Editor bungled the HTML, no more dealing with long upload times. No more worrying if the word count of your post is “high enough” to deserve posting.”
—–Do people actually worry about stuff like that? Is that something honestly worth worrying about?
I’m not opposed to Tumblr; I just don’t see any of these five reasons as particularly convincing.
June 4th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Very good list.
Tumblr rules. I just made a new Tumblr theme and its available for download @ SkyLite.Tumblr.com.
Come check it out and feel free to follow my tumble log @ chvnx.com