It's cool that your thoughts are somewhat parallel to Tucker's here: http://ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com/archives/if_you_want_the.html.

So is there anything to look for in the next little while? Best of luck with the rewriting.

That's not really a coincidence. Keeping focused on the ultimate goal is something that I've talked to Tucker about a lot and it's something that all of us talk about in regards to Rudius.

Taking the ads off of this site is something that I've been thinking about for a while but seeing his post today got me thinking about what I wrote specifically in my post. It's only been recently that I've really gotten past my page view thing.

Also, I'll keep writing on this blog while I'm working on my next story. So there's that (although, how much value this blog actually provides is probably debatable) and I'm hoping to have my next story finished this summer. So its only a few months away.

writing interesting blog posts on the daily is next to impossible. you'll find yourself stretching to come up with anything decent and readers will be able to see through it.

i had a sex blog at one point, which was less of a sex blog than it was a 'stupid things i do that involve sex or romance,' and it was actually pretty good over the summer because i live in a very hip area of brooklyn and it can get kind of insane here when the weather permits. but when school rolled around in september my posts started to fall off and so did my readership, which was depressing. i tried to make up for it by posting less-enthralling entries, and that was a mistake. it's awful looking back at bad writing and knowing that people have seen it.

Hey Kate,

I can't tell you how many times in the past I thought "Hey, my life is interesting / I have a cool perspective on things. I'll start a blog." And I'd write for six months before losing interest and letting it die. I did for like eight years.

It was good practice though and it taught me what it would take to run something like bencorman.com. And I'm right at the six month mark and still going strong. I guess I learned something along the way.

Hey Ben,

I understand the overall point you are trying to make, but I'm still a bit unclear on your reasons behind contemplating removing the ads.

Is it because you don't want to put monetary motivations on yourself to post more frequently than you're comfortable with?

Is it because the advertisers have expectations and that creates pressure?

Something else?

I think they detract from the overall aesthetic of the site. Deciding where the ads go is generally a trade off against how clean the layout is going to be.

Plus I generally ask myself whether they add or detract from the experience of coming here. Right now as I look at this page, I've got a t-shirt ad, a bunch of ads on how to make money blogging and some scientology shit. I don't think those ads are really adding a lot of value. I don't have a real firm grasp on the demographics of you guys but I don't think people are coming here for t-shirts or religion. And the stuff that interests me around successful blogs are more the meta issues. How to create value for the reader not "here are ten tips that will explode your ad dollars."

I want to make money because I have this blog not off of this blog. I want this blog to open doors for me, so it's my writing here that gets me noticed for a book deal or a speaking engagement or whatever. And conversely, once I'm better known, if someone discovers me through my book, I want this place to be where people can come interact with me.

The blog portion is supposed to be a little messy, a little unpolished. It's where I spill a lot of the thoughts in my head because writing them down and getting feedback on them is really how I refine those ideas. I want that interaction to be meaningful, not simply there to drive ad dollars.

There hasn't been any pressure from advertisers. I'm not that big and probably won't be for a long time. It's more the idea that if this blog is a stepping stone to something bigger and not a profit center in it's own right, why compromise the design and why annoy you guys with ads? I think it would be a better experience for everyone without them.

Okay that's a lot clear and makes a lot of sense.

I can only speak for myself, but the ads do not bother me in the slightest. Although, I'm biased because I frequent a few Rudius sites, and I've become accustom to the layout to the point that I don't even register the ads.

I wonder if the ads in some backwards way actually bring some appeal to your site. I know that sounds ridiculous on the surface, but the "corporate" (for lack of a better word) or professional look of the Rudius brand means you've already achieved success. Maybe you can't see it from where you're standing, but you keep some pretty good company. You've obviously put a lot of effort into your work, and with hard work comes rewards. I would argue that you deserve to have ads on your site because you've achieved what several people have not.

You're holding yourself to your own high standards, which is an attitude that breeds success. At the same time, you're also providing value to other aspiring writers -- both through your writing and through the opportunity to correspond with somebody that's struggling (and in a good position) to break through.

In a very intrinsic way writing and making money seem to be binary opposites. Not just in the practical sense that it pays shit until you make it big, but also in the more idealistic sense that struggling for your passion breeds creativity. Maybe it's the guilt that comes with making money off something that is so much more important to us than money. Maybe it's a belief that money cheapens our creative endeavors. I don't' know. Nonetheless, I'm starting to believe that if you have the opportunity to make a bit of cash without sacrificing the actual quality of your work -- then why the hell not?

I love the story. I've already forwarded it to a couple friends. Your blog posts are enjoyable as well. Try to publish what blog posts you can while writing your fiction. Best of luck with the new project.