A New Adventure

An idea has been brewing in my mind since last summer. But it was in seed form, and I wasn’t entirely sure what the plant would look like when it was in full bloom. So I waited for it to grow.

Many authors write books for one particular audience. They make speeches, record podcasts, create free material, and develop blogs with that audience in mind, hoping to engage with as many members as possible. Seth Godin calls these like-minded audiences tribes (think iPhones or molkeskine notebooks). Tribes have a common love for something, so the members gather to talk about it, creating their own culture.

When you think about the tribe of Nicholas Sparks, you probably think about a woman who wants to escape her hectic life for an hour every day to disappear into a romantic world Sparks creates in his novels. He taps into something his audience longs for – the power of romantic love. (Although, as a man, I am not ashamed to admit that I have read every Sparks novel.)

When you think about the tribe of Tom Clancy, you probably think about a man who wants to wants to escape his 9:00 – 5:00 office life for a thrilling adventure. He too taps into something his audience longs for – adventure.

My own writing has been all over the place – sports, devotions, how-to, features, interviews, hard news – you name it, I’ve probably written it for publication somewhere. That makes it difficult to connect with any one audience. That works if you are employed full-time with one particular publication, but not so much if you are a freelancer.

Last fall, I taught a class at a writers conference about getting the most out of your blog. Little Nuances was already undergoing subtle changes you may or may not have noticed – a new sub-title, re-arranged categories on the right side of the page, and a more concerted effort to stay within those boundaries.

But frankly, the topics on this blog are too broad for most people who don’t know me personally to care about. I knew that before I prepared to teach the class. As I pulled the materials together to actually teach the class, it became even more clear. My intended audience here is much different than the one my books are aimed at, so very few of those readers follow me here.

So, is this the end of Little Nuances?

Honestly, I don’t know. For now, I’m going to say no. I love it here. And I love you for hanging out here with me.

But I’m redirecting my blogging efforts toward a topic I’m passionate about, and have written books for – Christian men who want to develop a richer devotional life. I rarely feel more alive than when I’m face-to-face with a friend over a cup of coffee discussing what we’ve read in the Bible that week, or what an author said in a devotional one of us is working his way through.

My new blog is called The Spiritual Man Cave – a blog where men can find refuge from the world while going deeper in their devotional life. I’ll be doing interviews with the authors of men’s devotional books, and book reviews of men’s devotionals. I’ll also be writing about spiritual journaling and sharing stories about how saints of old spent their devotional time. And I’ll be doing giveaways of my own devotional books.

I hope you’ll stop by to subscribe via email and if you would 'like' the new blog on Facebook, I would appreciate it. Oh, and leave a comment or two while you are there to encourage new readers to do the same.

I’ll see you there.