Rant: Time To Quit Writing

If you have a food and/or drinks blog, or you write in another medium, maybe it is time to quit your writing. As you ponder that matter, you should ask yourself a few questions. Do you still possess a passion for your subject matter? Do you still learn new things about your subject matter on a regular basis? Do you still approach your subject matter with a sense of wonder? Does the act of writing still feel more like pleasure than work?

These are all questions I've been considering recently as I approach my blog's anniversary. On Wednesday, May 9, I'll reach The Passionate Foodie's 11th Anniversary, and I've actually been writing about food and wine for 12 1/2 years. That's an extremely long time to be blogging, and I've seen many other bloggers come and go during that period. What is the secret to my longevity, if there is even a secret to it?

To me, the secret is that I still possess a sense of wonder and passion about food and drink. I am still eager to learn more all the time. Even after over 12 years of writing, I understand that I know only a fraction of what is out there. That is part of the reason why I never specialized with my blog, as I wanted to be able to explore all aspects of food and drink. I didn't want to be confined to a specific type of food or drink. In general, writing to me isn't work, though of course there are a few days here and there when it might seem a chore.

I was thrilled the other day when I found some Turkish wines at a store in Watertown. I still get excited when I find a $10-$15 bottle of wine that over delivers for its price point. A new Greek-Mexican menu at Committee sparked my interest. An Uruguayan restaurant thoroughly impressed me. I'm still not jaded about food and drink. I still find plenty to fire my passions.

I sometimes read other food and/or drink blogs and occasionally I see such a lack of passion within them. They present very little, if any, information of value and it seems clear the writer hasn't learned anything new. It is like they are simply going through the motions, for whatever their reasons. If you're bored reading their writing, then they were probably bored when they wrote it. Those writers should simply quit, shut down their blogs, and do something else, something which fuels their inner passion.

Ask yourself the questions I posed in the first paragraph and be honest with yourself. Maybe it is time for you to quit writing. Just find something else to do, something which brings you more pleasure.