POSTS

Charles Murray and blogs

Very cool... I just got mentioned on C-SPAN's BookTV! The author Charles Murray mentioned that he reads blogs as part of his morning routine - so I emailed to ask if he keeps one, and why or why not.

He said he's not a first-draft writer. He continually reworks what his writing until he finally reaches the end point, thus writing for a blog wouldn't quite work out.

I find it interesting that his personal writing style relies on drafting in the form of writing out a full version, then reworking it. To me, it shows a talent that was honed prior to the ubiquity of computers and word processors. Personally, as I write, I am constantly reworking the piece. Sometimes it is to my own detriment - a sentence might look right as a read it, but as I edit it later it doesn't fit. Nonetheless, I wonder how many other bloggers make drafts of their work, and how many of them constantly revise like I do.

Here's the email I sent it.

Question for Charles Murphy

Hello Mr. Murray,

You mentioned that you read blogs as part of your morning routine. Do you keep a blog? Why or why not?

Travis Swicegood

If you happened to hear it, they mispronounced my name. It's pronounced like twice with an s not like swiss cheese.