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3:11:00 PM EST
Hearing Chains of Love -- Erasure
Thinking About Weekend Assignments
AOL Journaler Mommysquiettime has written an entry speculating on what it takes for me to come up with the Weekend Assignments; you can see her thoughts on the matter here. I certainly do appreciate that she appreciates the work I do regarding the assignments, but she also gets it right in that I have a lot of fun thinking these things up. I think one important thing is to mix up the topics, so that we don't have too many "hard" ones in a row, or too many "easy" ones, either. Some should be challenging and some should be just fun, and I think some of the fun is learning which it's going to be any particular week.
She also hits one of the primary reasons I started putting together the weekend assignments:
Sometimes I just don't know what to write about. You know...you've had one of those days when you just don't have anything to write about in your journal, but still...you want to write something. Well, if that happens on the weekend, never fear! You have a topic handed to you by way of the Weekend Assignment. The only catch is that you have to make this topic your own and make it interesting.
Exactly. One of the things we know about writing blogs and journals is that a lot of people start writing them with enthusiam, but after a while all the easy topics have been done and you wonder what to write next. A lot of people simply stop writing -- whch is no good for their Journal and no good for our community. Something as simple as a Weekend Assignment can keep people engaged in their Journal, and that means more to read and more ways to get engaged with other Journalers. And, after all, that is part of my job around here -- to encourage people to keep writing and participating.
This is fun, and it also serves a purpose to help the AOL-J stay strong and vibrant as well. I'm always so pleased so many AOL-J members play along and participate. I'm glad you think it's worth your while. I'll keep trying to think of new and fun assignment to keep it that way.
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Wow, thanks! I did not at all expect to have you write an entry regarding this, but I'm so "tickled" that you did. :-) Made my day. I genuinely enjoy the assignments and meant every single word of that entry. Thank you, again. This was a cool little surprise for me. :-)
Micheyle
http://journals.aol.com/mommysquiettime/RedFlannelPajamas -
Hey, John !! I always look forward to the weekend assignments. It is nice to have somebody else come up with a topic, especially because it's always something I wouldn't have thought to write about myself.
A few weeks back, I was sitting in front of the computer, with no idea what I was going to write, when I decided to check out a site dedicated to writer's quotes. This gave me an idea !! From now on, when I am short on inspiration, I will pull a quote, and see where it takes me. "Writer's Quotes # 2" is the topic of my January 28th entry ( the first one is dated 1/11 ). This has worked out really well for me, and I plan to continue it when ever I am feeling less than creative !!
Take care, Tina ...... http://journals.aol.com/onemoretina/Ridealongwithme -
Mr. Scalzi, Sometimes I lack commitment to do those very things I have pledged to do...but since I have started my journal (8 Sept 04), I've not missed an assignment. In fact, October 21st, I went all the way back in your journal and did all the assignments that came prior to my journal's existance. I did them all because they ARE fun, challenging, silly, interesting...I enjoy doing them, but I also feel they contribute to the cohesion of AOL J-land community...I visit other journals through your weekend assignments and some of the entries are absolutely delightful. Thanks, for doing what you do, and for doing it the way you do...grins, debra
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Thanks for all of your hard work John and for being such an important part of this community. I have not been playing along with the weekend assignments lately, maybe I'll have to give it another try.
Off to Mommysquiettime to see what she had to say ... she's soooo sweet.
*** Coy ***
1/30/05 12:45 PM
I am also impressed with the amount of reading John has to do. Thats a lot of work to look up each entry and read it and then post a comment about it with the link.
Makes me proud when I am included in the mix.
http://journals.aol.com/chasf