This blog has seen its readership swell like a shoulder suffering from bursitis, like a river-sunk corpse, like me at Christmastime. (MMM COOKIES THEN BOURBON THEN COOKIES WHY PANTS NO FIT NOW FALL ASLEEP UNDER TREE ZZZZ) I mean, for real — in 2011, readership here almost quadrupled. I’m not sure if you’re here because you think the site is funny or offers wisdom or simply because you like when I make poop jokes and say “motherfucker,” but whatever the reason, I’m happy you’re here.
It’s always interesting to see which posts strike a chord and which don’t — which ones catch fire and go “viral” via sites like Stumbleupon or what-have-you. Most of these top posts of the year come from this year, which is cool. A few standbys from 2010 show up again (dang, that Beware of Writer post keeps popping up here and there), but most of these are from the last 12 months. Plainly, the “Lists of 25” posts are popular — I know some folks don’t like “list” blog posts, and to them I apologize. It’s just, lists are easily digestible online reading. You can read and skip and easily break a single post down into digestible snidbits. It also, for me, forces me to put more content in a given post. Each item needs to be packed with potent writer-flavored antioxidants, so (as with Twitter) it demands a certain brevity.
Anyway. Here, then, are the top 25 posts of the year here at jolly old terribleminds.
Thanks for coming by here, you silly little marmosets, you. I should ask:
What was your favorite post of the year?
1. 25 Things Every Writer Should Know
2. 25 Things You Should Know About Character
4. 25 Ways To Fuck With Your Characters
5. Turning Writers Into Motherfucking Rock Stars
6. Why Your Novel Won’t Get Published
7. 25 Things You Should Know About NaNoWriMo
8. Why Your Self-Published Book May Suck A Bag Of Dicks
9. Six Signs You’re Not Ready To Be A Professional Writer
10. No, Seriously, I’m Not Fucking Around, You Really Don’t Want To Be A Writer
11. 25 Things You Should Know About Storytelling
12. 25 Things You Should Know About Dialogue
13. Of Google-Plus And Circle Jerks
14. NaNoWhoNow? NaNoWriMo Dos And Don’ts
15. 25 Things You Should Know About Self-Publishing
16. 25 Ways To Become A Better Writer
17. 25 Things Writers Should Know About Rejection
18. 25 Things You Should Know About Plot
19. 25 Things You Should Know About Writing A Novel
20. How To Tell If You’re A Writer
22. 25 Things You Should Know About Writing Horror
23. 25 Things Writers Should Know About Social Media
24. 25 Ways To Plot, Plan and Prep Your Story
Josin says:
Well I, for one, appreciate the lists and 25’s and all the rest. (I must shield my delicate eyes from some of your potty-mouth, Mr. Beard, but I manage.) 😛
Seriously, though. This blog is a wonderful resource, and a lot of fun. Your Flash Fiction challenges have helped knock loose a block for me more than once simply by making me think about things I’ve never considered before. (And I’m still not sure I’ll ever get those freaky photos out of my head.)
Obviously, I have succumbed to the end-of-year sappy-itis and must now leave before it gets any worse.
December 27, 2011 — 12:59 AM
Scott Chamberlain says:
I cannot believe none of the Search Term Bingo posts made it into the top 25. They are seriously funny (and unique). Enjoyed your blog this year, Chuck; its quality, its humour, and its utter reliability (serious kudos for that). Look forward to 2012.
December 27, 2011 — 4:51 AM
terribleminds says:
@Scott:
The Search Term Bingo posts actually get relatively few views compared to the writing-related posts!
— c.
December 28, 2011 — 6:14 AM
Steph says:
I have your 4th place finisher printed off and hanging on the bulletin board next to my desk. I also appreciate your flash-fiction challenges. They have gotten me over humps, back in the saddle, heading down a new path, etc, many times, whether I actively participate or not. So…thanks! Happy 2012 to you!
December 27, 2011 — 9:36 AM
Jess Corra says:
I’m just delighted by 25. Bottom of the list, being all, yepppp you know it.
December 27, 2011 — 9:58 AM
terribleminds says:
Haha.
…
Yeah.
— c.
December 27, 2011 — 9:59 AM
Anthony Elmore says:
The Flash Fiction Challenge has been like a reform school for my imagination, sans the group showers. The “25” lists as well.
December 27, 2011 — 10:32 AM
Darlene Underdahl says:
I’ve always felt that sharing knowledge, rather than hoarding knowledge, paid the most dividends.
Hope you’re getting lots of dividends this holiday season.
The Flash Fiction Challenges are good. I try to read all of them, even if I don’t comment. Writers aren’t content with same-old, same-old, the security blanket of less imaginative beings.
December 27, 2011 — 11:40 AM
Jeannie M. Leighton says:
I liberally quoted a few of your “25 Things” in this year’s NaNoWriMo work with copious rambling responses (being the notorious rebel word padder that I am) but my current favorite post is your 22 December memory of your father. I cried, as did several of your readers. I did not post a response to that because, well, not to sound sappy but it touched me deep.
I thank you for opening up your soul and sharing as you do, as writers do. It helps me to dig into my own scabbed over wounds, clear out the sore spots, and use the beauty of words to heal.
December 27, 2011 — 2:46 PM
terribleminds says:
@Jeannie —
Why thank you. It’s hard writing stuff like that sometimes, but it’s also easy in its own weird way. It pays to be authentic — I don’t mean just in shallow terms of affecting readers, I mean, just from a personal standpoint it’s good to find ways to deal with what’s going on internally with one’s own wordsmithy.
— c.
December 27, 2011 — 2:53 PM
Arachne Jericho says:
I’m so new here that I’m still reading through the 25.
But my favorite post so far is the recent “Christmas in a strange place” flash fiction challenge, because without it, I wouldn’t have written and finished something, and thus achieved a modicum of victory in a season when I’m so lost. Thank you for that.
December 27, 2011 — 11:42 PM
Todd Moody says:
Chuck, I love your blog. I think you have the most authentic and entertaining blog in the entire blogosphere. Awesome is not a strong enough word. I open my morning surf by hitting your site 1st and I can honestly say I miss you on the weekends. I know you need some downtime too. I hope you continue blogging even after you become as big as Stephen King!
December 28, 2011 — 10:52 AM
T.J. Janneff says:
The Adolescence Sucks post didn’t make it? Gosh, I loved that post for all the right reasons. It was a really big eye opener – especially myself being a teen!
Regardless, I’m SO happy 25 Ways to Fuck With Your Characters made it on the list. It’s the reason I found this blog. 🙂
December 28, 2011 — 11:30 AM
Laura W. says:
I for one loved “25 Ways to Fuck With Your Characters.” I actually made it into a form and filled it out according to my wip, to see if I had fucked with everyone sufficiently.
I was surprised none of your flash fiction challenges made it in here. I love those! Especially the flash flash fiction ones, like stories in 1,000 and 100 words, or in 3 sentences.
I’m fairly new to the blog, so I haven’t read all these posts, but it’s clearly a list I need to get started on. 🙂 Whatever you do in 2012, don’t stop the hilarious profanity.
December 29, 2011 — 4:14 PM
Imelda says:
Hey, newbies, if you want to read all the 25things posts, without trawling through the blog and while also supporting the penmonkey what writ ’em, buy his books! They’re cheap and fun and come in many formats! Pants optional! (Link above – to the books, not the pants. What do you take me for?)
And no, I am not his wife or adorable baby or employed by them – just believe in kicking back!
January 1, 2012 — 11:32 PM