The In-Tray: A Collaborative Workspace for Journal Authors

Trollheart · 01-27-2015, 07:38 PM

Depends on what you're going for, and also depends on what you mean when you say which works better: for who? You or the audience?

I like a mix of both. The Playlist runs plenty of themes, as does the Couch Potato, but then anything can crop up in Bitesize. The Psychic one is obviously themed. But then, Urban's is a masterclass in eclectism and it's been around since 1948. Unknown Soldier's is certainly a theme and it's one of the best and most popular journals here.

If your question refers to the audience, I think it's wrong to try to appeal to a specific group unless you're heading in that direction already. If you try to shape your journal to what you think people want, and it's not your own preference, it's likely to fail. Hell, if you try to shape it to what you think they want and it IS your own preference, it may fail anyway. There are no guarantees.

If you mean with respect to yourself, I'd say do what you're most comfortable with, or have a mix of both. As Urban has mentioned, your journal can be a mixture of things: it doesn't have to follow a set format, even if you begin it that way. It's your journal. There are no rules, but if you think you're breaking the format you set for yourself, throw in a quick line that says listen I'm changing things around. Who's going to stop you?

For me, the main thing is passion. Don't write about something you're not really interested in just because you think others want you to, or it's what you think people want to read. I learned that lesson with my defunct jazz journal. Write stuff you like, that you enjoy writing and that doesn't seem like a chore. Once it begins to feel like that, it's time to look at what you're doing, and why.

None of which answers your question but I think there is in fact no catch-all answer. It's up to you to decide what you write about, and how you write it.

Neapolitan · 02-16-2015, 06:27 PM

Would a thread about albums be better situated in Members Journal section or Album Review section?

Key · 02-16-2015, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

Would a thread about albums be better situated in Members Journal section or Album Review section?

It depends on if you think you can put it in hour already existing journal? I messed up by making a different journal for my 30 or some odd albums you need to hear, when I've done it in my main journal multiple times.

Machine · 02-16-2015, 08:45 PM

I'm kind of stumped right now, but I almost want to start fresh in Journaltown and just talk about whatever I don't want to review nessesarily, but I do want to talk about music and what I'm working on, and other crap but all in one. It might not happen yet, but I don't know it could be good. I wouldn't be posting in my other journals anymore though.

Key · 02-16-2015, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machine

I'm kind of stumped right now, but I almost want to start fresh in Journaltown and just talk about whatever I don't want to review nessesarily, but I do want to talk about music and what I'm working on, and other crap but all in one. It might not happen yet, but I don't know it could be good. I wouldn't be posting in my other journals anymore though.

From personal experience, starting new and fresh can be better. That's what I did when I sort of got tired of my old not so organized journal, I requested for it to be closed, and then I made a much more fresh and organized one that I still post in today.

Trollheart · 02-17-2015, 05:11 AM

Yeah, if a journal doesn't work for you, just close it and start anew. Otherwise you'd end up with a fistful of journals .... oh. Wait.

Look, when it comes right down to it, you decide what's going in your journal(s) and if it doesn't work, just change it, scrap it or do whatever you want. I started "Bitesize" on the specific criterion that I would only review albums I had not heard before. I'm changing that now. Why? Because it's my journal, it suits me and nobody can tell me I can't do it. It'll make the experience better, for me anyway and hopefully for my readers, so why stick to a rigid format just for convention's sake? The main thing is to enjoy your writing, not find yourself constricted in a cage of your own making. Besides, it's fun to break the rules now and again, even if they're your own rules.

Key · 02-17-2015, 08:43 AM

^Thats why I always change my format a little bit every year or so, to give myself something fresh and to make my journal interesting through the years. It seems to work for me, since i'm still enjoying it and I enjoy it more each day.

Aux-In · 02-18-2015, 06:27 PM

I'm working on my next write-up for my Journal. What I'm trying to decide is...I am a visual person as well, so I'm not sure the spoiler tags will be right for me. OK, I am sure...I really don't want to do that. I am new to this process, but the goal is full creativity. I don't mind if it takes awhile to get approved. It's a journal entry and not a regular forum post, so even if it took a day or two, it just looks better to me to have the videos be ever-present in conjunction to the points I'm trying to make. What say you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

Q: What kind of journal works better, one that's thematic or one that's eclectic?

Journals can all be different depending on what you'd want to do. If I started a journal about rock, for instance, I would want to try to resist the temptation to go on tangents about other types of music...tempting as it is. It's about whatever works for you. If I started a general one and then had an idea for something unrelated but specific, I might start a new one focusing on said specific topic.

**Frownland** · 02-18-2015, 11:30 PM

http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...r-edition.html

It's what the people want, Trollheart.

Neapolitan · 02-18-2015, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aux-in

I'm working on my next write-up for my Journal. What I'm trying to decide is...I am a visual person as well, so I'm not sure the spoiler tags will be right for me. OK, I am sure...I really don't want to do that. I am new to this process, but the goal is full creativity. I don't mind if it takes awhile to get approved. It's a journal entry and not a regular forum post, so even if it took a day or two, it just looks better to me to have the videos be ever-present in conjunction to the points I'm trying to make. What say you?

I think do whatever works best for you.
For me, I think back to the days where going into Trollhearts journal meant a computer crash. But that was back when I had an older computer, I don't have that problem now. Still that affected how I present my journal and how much stuff I put in my journal (i.e. pics and videos). Because I embed videos I use less pictures in my journals. I don't know if that is a trade off that does anything - computerwise. I would rather have the videos though. I try to keep the count down, to keep a balance between text and videos.

Q. How many videos do you feel are too many?

01-27-2015, 07:38 PM	#11 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	Depends on what you're going for, and also depends on what you mean when you say which works better: for who? You or the audience? I like a mix of both. The Playlist runs plenty of themes, as does the Couch Potato, but then anything can crop up in Bitesize. The Psychic one is obviously themed. But then, Urban's is a masterclass in eclectism and it's been around since 1948. Unknown Soldier's is certainly a theme and it's one of the best and most popular journals here. If your question refers to the audience, I think it's wrong to try to appeal to a specific group unless you're heading in that direction already. If you try to shape your journal to what you think people want, and it's not your own preference, it's likely to fail. Hell, if you try to shape it to what you think they want and it IS your own preference, it may fail anyway. There are no guarantees. If you mean with respect to yourself, I'd say do what you're most comfortable with, or have a mix of both. As Urban has mentioned, your journal can be a mixture of things: it doesn't have to follow a set format, even if you begin it that way. It's your journal. There are no rules, but if you think you're breaking the format you set for yourself, throw in a quick line that says listen I'm changing things around. Who's going to stop you? For me, the main thing is passion. Don't write about something you're not really interested in just because you think others want you to, or it's what you think people want to read. I learned that lesson with my defunct jazz journal. Write stuff you like, that you enjoy writing and that doesn't seem like a chore. Once it begins to feel like that, it's time to look at what you're doing, and why. None of which answers your question but I think there is in fact no catch-all answer. It's up to you to decide what you write about, and how you write it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-16-2015, 08:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	I'm kind of stumped right now, but I almost want to start fresh in Journaltown and just talk about whatever I don't want to review nessesarily, but I do want to talk about music and what I'm working on, and other crap but all in one. It might not happen yet, but I don't know it could be good. I wouldn't be posting in my other journals anymore though. __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

02-17-2015, 05:11 AM	#16 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	Yeah, if a journal doesn't work for you, just close it and start anew. Otherwise you'd end up with a fistful of journals .... oh. Wait. Look, when it comes right down to it, you decide what's going in your journal(s) and if it doesn't work, just change it, scrap it or do whatever you want. I started "Bitesize" on the specific criterion that I would only review albums I had not heard before. I'm changing that now. Why? Because it's my journal, it suits me and nobody can tell me I can't do it. It'll make the experience better, for me anyway and hopefully for my readers, so why stick to a rigid format just for convention's sake? The main thing is to enjoy your writing, not find yourself constricted in a cage of your own making. Besides, it's fun to break the rules now and again, even if they're your own rules. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-18-2015, 11:30 PM	#19 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...r-edition.html It's what the people want, Trollheart. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-17-2015, 08:43 AM	#17 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	^Thats why I always change my format a little bit every year or so, to give myself something fresh and to make my journal interesting through the years. It seems to work for me, since i'm still enjoying it and I enjoy it more each day.