Monday 17 August 2015

One million plus...

I'm just back from my travels, to discover that a little while ago, this blog had its one millionth page view. Like all statistics,this figure should be taken with a large dollop of salt. It doesn't include views or visits to the blog before the current stats started - some time after the blog began. On the other hand, each visitor may view a number of pages per visit. All the same, one million is a big number, and I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has supported this blog over the years. I'm especially grateful to those who have commented or emailed me about topics that I've featured.

How long will Do You Write Under Your Own Name? continue? I really don't know, but the short answer is that I plan to keep it going for as long as I continue to enjoy writing the posts - and one thing I can say is that at present I enjoy the blog as much as I've ever done. There are various reasons for this, one of which is that it's introduced me to a good many lovely people and activities. And it seems to do me good - for instance, I kept the blog going during the most difficult time of my life, five years ago, and it proved unexpectedly and significantly therapeutic.

The joy of writing is the key. I've always believed that writing should be a delight, not a chore. If I don't get pleasure from writing something, why should anyone take pleasure in reading it? Of course, I'm never totally satisfied with what I write, because a few days later I can usually think of a way in which I could have written it better, but that's a different matter. I like to think that readers of my Harry Devlin and Lake District novels buy into the fun that I have in writing the stories, and I'm very glad that reviews of The Golden Age of Murder have consistently picked up on the pleasure I take in the books I write about in that weighty tome.

At present, my plans for the future of the blog are to maintain the mix of subjects much as it is now. I'll talk about my own work from time to time, naturally,but there will be guest blogs, discussion of films and TV, the craft of writing and reviews of new and forgotten books, as well as thoughts about topics that I find interesting. And every now and then I'll seek feedback from you, my loyal readers, as I did recently with a question about the extent to which you are interested in the lives of authors as well as in their books. That's a subject that I do find really fascinating, and I will return to it in the future.

In the meantime, thanks again for all your encouragement over the years.  

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

A million page views is a good achievement, Martin, and your enjoyment of writing shines through in all your posts. So carry on the good work, and here's to a million more! Ruth.

Anonymous said...

thank you for your excellent, well researched, enjoyable and informative blog

lyn said...

Congratulations on the magic million! I especially enjoy your posts about the process of writing as well as the reviews of books I haven't heard of so I do hope you continue for many years to come.

Anonymous said...

Martin – a million page-views? Crikey! Congratulations! And do keep it up. Yours is easily the most interesting and enjoyable crime writing blog on the net, so far as I’m concerned anyway.

Best,

Paul

Spade and Dagger said...

Thank you for your blog, always interesting and I've learned a lot.

J F Norris said...

So well deserved and so well earned. Thanks for being one of the champions of the Golden Age of crime fiction, for your stewardship of the Detection Club and work as fiction historian, and your unflagging love for the genre and its future. The mystery world --dare I say the literary world-- is all the richer for it. Congratulations, Martin! Onward and upward!

Sue said...

I really enjoy your blog - it's given me a picture of the north of England and the many superb writers there. I have also admired your graceful tributes to other crime writers.

Clothes In Books said...

Congratulations on your stats! Your blog is always enjoyable: long may it continue, for the benefit of you and us...