A few weeks ago, I celebrated 15 years of blogging by opening the virtual floor for questions. One of those was very inappropriate. Shame on you-know-who!
(J/K. They were all very PG.) You asked, I’m answering!
What’s your favorite blog topic. What topics get you the most passionate? (Writing from the Heart with Brian)
I love writing about embarrassing or humorous events that have befallen me, like the time I snapped a selfie with music legend David Crosby before a concert and eagerly shared it to social media, only to learn afterward he was an imposter. What can I say? I consider self-deprecation an art form, and for some reason, there are an awful lot of this-could-only-happen-to-Mark moments in my life.
I also really enjoy writing about my latest pop culture obsessions – TV, music, books, movies, you name it. Weirdly, I don’t do this often. I may have to share more “Currently watching/reading/listening to” posts like some of my favorite bloggers do.
Travel is also a fun topic to write about. Posting trip highlights, whether a two-hour getaway or a two-week vacation, is always a treat. After burning the midnight oil every single day of our road trip to Ohio while Tara lounged in a bathtub reading a book or otherwise kicking her feet up and relaxing, I vowed to limit the vacation blogging so I could live more in the moment.
And once in a while, I like to mix things up and talk about my beliefs in radical theories like UFOs and reincarnation and simulated realities. Those posts tend to get a lot of views, so clearly there is interest in fringe subjects.
Here’s a question (since you once posted a pic of your shower beverage back in South Dakota): When did you start drinking in the shower? (Raconteuse)
Tara introduced me to the wonders of the shower beer soon after we began dating, so if we’re carbon-dating this question, that would be 2011. After a hard day toiling in the Back 40, nothing hits the spot better than a hot shower – with the possible exception of a cold beer. My wife was wise enough to figure out you could combine the two for maximum enjoyment and efficiency!
I’ve never been much of a beer fan other than sours or cheladas, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the occasional shower beverage, too. I have been known to sip a Bloody Mary while soaping up, though I have yet to go to the trouble of bringing an Old Fashioned in there. I suppose you gotta draw the line somewhere.
Lest you think we’re the only oddballs who enjoy shower beers, they actually make beverage holders designed to stick to shower stall walls. I know, because we have a couple!
How about advice for new bloggers? I’m at that choosing my niche stage which stumped you for a while. What were your keys to finding your supportive tribe? Was it your SEO experience or just hours in the seat and great posts? (Treechange Life)
You’d have to go back to my very first post to know that I was ever stumped and searching for a direction here. While my 15th blogging anniversary was Dec. 16, what I failed to mention was the fact that I actually started my blog a couple of months earlier. It started out as a writing blog, but writing about writing full-time was boring, so I deleted two months’ worth of posts and started fresh. My new theme: no theme.
And that’s the advice I’d give new bloggers: don’t feel like you have to pick a theme. I decided instead of writing about one thing, I’d write about all things. This gave me unbridled creative freedom and the ability to jump from topic to topic on a whim. Having said that, if you do want to focus on one particular topic – say you’re a Civil War reenactment buff and only want to write about Civil War reenactments – knock yourself out. Really, you just have to find your passion(s). Fortunately, I have no shortage of those.
As for Part 2 of this question, finding my supportive tribe took hard work and commitment. Y’all didn’t just fall into my lap! Check this out:
From 2014 to 2017, I began posting less frequently. A lot of my followers disappeared, and that was pretty demoralizing. But then I had an epiphany: I could find new bloggers to follow! So, I started reading a lot of random blogs, through featured posts and platforms beyond WordPress. And I found myself making new connections, which inspired me to step up my blogging again. It’s right there in black and white: I didn’t have one single like on any of my posts in 2017. The next year, I had over 300. In 2024, I had over 3,000. It takes a lot of effort, but for me this was time well spent. I love my blogging tribe and feel a personal connection to so many of you!
I’m sure SEO helps, but I really didn’t gain that experience until I started working at TobacCo in 2022. If you focus on quality writing, respond to comments, and show genuine interest in the lives of your followers by reading and commenting on their blogs, the rest will fall into place. You should also write consistently. For some of us – I won’t name names – that means once or twice a day. I strive for twice a week, but if I’m feeling inspired or creative, I post more frequently. Gotta strike while the iron is hot. Find a schedule that works for you and try to stick to it.
Welp, that was fun! Thank you for the questions. I’m always willing to answer anything you throw my way, so if you’re dying to know something, ask away – no prompting needed. Speaking of, there were a few comments on other posts I thought I’d address since I’m on a roll.
Several of you were unfamiliar with cookie guns. They are more commonly referred to as cookie presses and are used to make classic spritz and other pressed cookies. There are many different designs but most include interchangeable metal or plastic discs that enable you to make uniquely shaped cookies. I’m no baker, but I make spritz cookies every Christmas because they are simple and delicious, and you can create some really vibrant colors using gel food coloring.
For many years I’ve relied on a Wilton cookie gun that requires you to squeeze a trigger (fun!)…
…but the extruder that pushes the dough through the discs is stupidly made of plastic, and after years of use, has cracked to the point where you can hardly fit it in the barrel. Adding insult to injury, Wilton does not sell this very basic replacement part.
So, after this year’s Christmas baking, I broke down and bought a new cookie press. Both Food & Wine and Serious Eats rated this OXO as their top choice, and it was only $32, so I took the plunge.
This one is less gun-like – there’s no trigger to squeeze – but also appears to be more ruggedly designed. Guess I’ll find out in another 11.5 months.
Another person asked me to share a photo of the Mid-Century Modern wall sconces I got Tara for Christmas. They aren’t mounted yet – Tara wants to clean and polish them up first, and needs to find a suitable spot – but here’s one of them to tide you over.
We are both big fans of the Mid-Century Modern design style, which is probably why we had such a blast visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin last summer. If it were up to us, we’d be living in a fully tricked-out MCM home, but alas, that fad had passed when Dick had this house built in 1979.
We do have some cool MCM furnishings – end tables, a starburst clock, a vintage print, and barware – but it’s more of an eclectic hodgepodge than anything else. Lava lamps don’t really fit into that design aesthetic but you’ll have to pry mine from my cold, dead fingers.
Does your blog have a theme? What’s your favorite topic to write about? What do you like to read on my blog? Do you enjoy shower beverages?
Mark My Words 
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