The Pittsburgh Writer With almost 200 blog posts under my belt – we’re a mere ten away from reaching that goal – there are many things I’ve learned about a venture such as this. 1: you’re not going to find instant success; things like blogging takes time. 2: what you want to write versus what’s actually popular is a very tricky combination to navigate. 3: writing takes time. 4: research takes time. And finally, 5: not everyone earns tens of thousands of reads. So if you think, “Yeah, sure, I wanna blog. I want that fame and notoriety that comes along with it,” you may want to reevaluate your reasons for having such an outlet.
While this site has seen steady growth since 2016, it in no way attracts that kind of attention. It’s always had very specific niches, and I am quite all right with that. If you’ve found this site enjoyable, and come back for more, then I can call you a kindred spirit (NOT a bosom buddy like Anne does in Anne of Green Gables because, frankly, I’ve always found that phrase a little weird). I digress. For today’s Blogtober post, let’s take a look at my seven most popular blog posts of all time. In no particular order:
I Read the First Fifty Pages of “Shine” by Jessica Jung. Here Are My Thoughts
There was a time when I followed the world of Korean pop music. This was back in the early 2000s, long before it became as mainstream as it is today. To this day it weirds me out a bit that I can hear popular Korean songs being played in American public places. Example: Gangnam Style during a Pittsburgh Pirate’s baseball game. So it wouldn’t have been so weird for me to read a book written by a Korean pop artist.
Let’s just say that my opinion of this book isn’t as glowing – or “shining” – as she may have hoped. I doubt she’s even seen my review, but not everyone is meant to be an author. This particular story proves it. Read either my post or the book at your own risk. Fair warning: neither are our best work, but the post did get a lot of extra reads right before the second book, “Bright,” was released.
The Character Arcs in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
For most of my life, Star Trek was a staple in the Hartman household. So much so that my parents would rush home from band practice at church to watch it on Wednesday nights, and Mom would tape it (yes, tape it) when Dad was deployed with the Air Force. Having been a fan of the genre for over twenty years, I really had a
lot of fun dissecting the crew’s character traits for this particular post. I don’t know if I’m “spot on” or anything, but I felt I knew enough about the show’s plot points and themes and characters themselves to turn this idea into a successful post. Did I do all of the shows? No. Did I still enjoy it? Yes.
Meet the Librarian | Maria Joseph
The first post in a new blog series is always a funny thing. One never knows if it’s going to be a popular contribution or not. It also really depends on what the subject matter is, and the individual being interviewed. Some folks, too, have loads of connections. And that was the case with this particular interviewee.
This particular interview was quite a popular one. As I debate whether or not to keep the Meet the Librarian series alive, this one makes me want to keep it around. However, with my recent abandonment of most social media, I’ve found its continuation to be quite challenging. We shall see.
Five Booktube Channels I Recommend
In a quest to limit my time online, I don’t watch as many channels like the ones represented in this post anymore. Another reason for the change lies in my disappointment in what the online book community has become in recent years. I thought, for a time, it might be fun to run a channel like this myself, but being in front of a camera really has no appeal.
I went back through those represented in the post linked above and found that I am no longer subscribed to any of them. Watching “live” reviews and getting a myriad of book recommendations was exciting, for a time. Now all these opinions are just, well, overwhelming. As a result, no more booktubers for me.
At the time I wrote this, “booktube” channels were quite popular. These were also the channels that would show their writing processes and who they were able to collab with. So that’s why I think this post was popular.
The Character Arcs in Star Trek: Voyager
This post was built under the exact same conditions as the one for the characters in Deep Space Nine.
As with DS9 (as those of us who are fans of the franchise call it), I saw the same potential with VOY. However, by the time I finished this post, my love for the franchise had somewhat diminished. Written at a time when Star Trek Picard wasn’t faring too well, I didn’t see any reason to continue an analysis of TOS, ENT or TNG characters.
Here’s Why “The Siege of AR-558” is the Finest Episode in All Star Trek
Star Trek, as a whole, had its time and its place. It doesn’t need a hundred films or shows to carry on its legacy. It is its own legacy. For a time I thought I wanted more Trek, especially to compete with all the content Star Wars fans were getting.
But then I remember episodes like “The Siege of AR-558,” and I’m proud of it. Which might seem like an odd thing to say, considering I didn’t write, produce or act in it. I’m proud of it because of how it was able to show storytelling in such a way that made you believe it was real, that the characters grew from that incident, and it showed real, raw humanity in times of great conflict.
I don’t care about any “future” Treks that may appear. I’ll take the classics over them any time.
Celebrating 76 Years of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and the Man Who Loved Them
I’ll wrap up today’s post with the most special one of them all: Celebrating 76 Years of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and the Man Who Loved Them. I think this post was so successful because of not only the rail and history communities, but because it was one I actually shared with my family. Why is that? Because “the man who loved them” was my Grandpa.
The Redman family has a personal history with this particular piece of, well, local history. While we may not visit as much as we used to when us cousins were younger, I would like to visit again with my niece and nephew (and other second cousins) sometime soon.
