@blissmo: my enthusiasm ebbs and flows too, which is why I usually have one or two drafts saved in reserve. I don’t think you need to learn classical guitar to play electric - I personally found classical really hard but then, electric suits what music I like to play. I think I might have to ‘unlearn’ some techniques like power chords and playing with a pick if I wanted to learn classical now!

blissmos last blog post..Ar Tonelico 2: My January 20th 2009 Is Open.

@Hige: your advice over on GTalk was really helpful - I’m at least glad you’re still around, even in ’slow blogging’ mode (your blog’s even older than mine, don’t forget!)

@buster_machine: thanks. I recognise you as a regular commenter too so cheers for your input over the years!

@Sasa: no need to be worried, but expect a bit of a slow-down in posts. I still enjoy it, but my current approach is pretty draining.

@bateszi: as with Hige and Sasa, we go back a long way in internet terms so thanks for your advice! It does feel like I’m stuck in a bit of a rut so I’m waiting for the inspiration for a change of direction to come. I guess I fell into a certain style of blogging without realising, and it’s only now beginning to tell on me. Weird, but there you go. The ‘old pair of shoes’ is a good analogy I think.

@Wildcard: duly noted. I can’t stress how rewarding it is when people benefit from recommendations and long-term effort that goes into this. Your regular input has not gone unnoticed!

@Owen S: it’s probably not the project you’re thinking of (which is currently awaiting a cosensus, no rush but I hope it works out some day). Hope to see you on GTalk before uni claims your soul again!

@Ghostlighting: again, I’ll try to stay in touch via GTalk - rest assured that as long as you guys still keep blogging I’ll at least lurk in your comments threads!

@Orion: Good to see you’re still alive! You’re dead on with your current philosophy - as sorely missed as your posts are, it’s preferable to the idea that you’re not enjoying what you do. Hopefully other people will be as welcoming with the ‘diversify’ idea…

@tungwene: an ‘unsung hero of site traffic stats’ is more accurate than ‘lurker’ but it’s a bit of a mouthful! Denno Coil brings back some good memories and I’m glad you enjoyed my posts about it. Thanks for speaking up and announcing your presence!

@lelangir: I contribute to Nakama Britannica on occasion and still do regular(ish) DVD reviews for AUKN so I’ve had a bit of experience in the team blogging thing, but it’s nice to have a personal space to air my views without worrying about breaking anythng or saying something out of turn that might affect the other writers. It’s a slightly different experience that has its own benefits though, so it’s something to consider in the future I think.

@usagijen: I think a change for me is long overdue. I feel like I’ve been around forever but it’s great to see new faces because you guys are so often a source for inspiration. I love the community spirit we have here, honestly.

@Hanners: don’t worry, I read your blog fairly regularly! An ad-libbed, off-the-bat approach is the exact opposite to what I do currently so maybe doing that every now and then might be a refreshing change (Twitter and my MAL blog are quite fun in that sense).

@Chris: what a traumatic experience! I make a point of backing everything up whenever I do a Wordpress upgrade, just in case. Database disasters can happen but my backup file is now getting a bit unweildy; I’d hate to lose it but maybe a fresh start is the best solution.

@Karura: there really aren’t many of the old crowd posting much any more these days, are there? All the more reason to find a way to bouce back I guess. I miss your regular updates but I know how real life can get in the way…

Anyway, on a similar note I am not actually dead, but there is no way I can post the way I used to- I haven’t even watched anything from the autumn season!

Karuras last blog post..Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2

If your going to go on hiatus let me offer a little advice to you. As a fan of anime for almost thirty years I have been involved in almost all aspects of anime culture and my biggest regret was not saving my previous work. During the mid to late 90’s I owned and operated a bulletin board dedicated to anime and VHS anime fansub distribution, it contained a lot of reference articles written about anime and it’s history, symbolism, and so forth. But around 2000 I got so tired of the developing anime flame wars that are so common today that I just killed the whole thing, didn’t save a damn thing. Now jump forward almost 8 years when I started my blog and how I now wished I had saved the articles so I could have converted them to blog format to post. So if you do stop blogging save a backup of you material because you never know how you might feel years later.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck and success in your future endeavors, and (Ki o Tsukete)

Chriss last blog post..Clannad ~After Story~ 10 review; So, begins the first day of the rest of your life.

Anyway, to close out this overly long comment, you have a great ‘Blog now, so I’m 100% confident that whatever you end up with will be at least equally as good, and that all your regular readers will carry on visiting regardless. As long as you’re doing what you enjoy, the rest will follow.

Hannerss last blog post..Full Metal Alchemist - S2 teaser trailer

Oh and your quality posts make bloggers like me fall into shameee XD

If you want to go a bit insane, then (1) delete your blog, (2) join over 9000 team blogs, (3) write a short note in GR shared notes for every post you write linking to it and tag each note as “centralized feed”, (5) whore that feed as best you can, (an optional 6) reputation? wuts dat?

But yeah, good luck with your blogging endeavors! These past few months I’ve seen a few people burn out, but we all hope they’ll return soon…like..uh…a Saiyan that’s his strongest after he recovers from a mortal wound?

ps. I was joking about the 2nd paragraph, the first paragraph is a serious suggestion. Ask Riex? Maybe a deadline nazi will spur those creative juices or something.

I’ve been reading your blog since I first found it through your Dennou Coil posts and started shoving links to them in people’s faces to convince them they should watch it because I am not nearly articulate enough to do the show justice so I let you do my work for me. There is no doubt in my mind your blog is my favorite anime blog. Your writing is always so thoughtful yet has an approachable and easy to digest style that I like.

I’ll be sad to see this place go and I’ll be happy to read every and anything you post in the future.

That said, my policy (as I’m sure you know), has always been that if ever blogging becomes a burden to the point that’s it is no longer enjoyable for me, I simply don’t post. While going on indefinite hiatus like I’ve ended up doing is definitely not the most ideal solution, you shouldn’t try to overextend yourself out of some sense of obligation.

In any case, there’s nothing at all wrong with switching up your posting style (i.e. - shorter, easier posts) or broadening your focus. I, for one, happen to enjoy blogs that frequently branch out to other topics and have a wider range of content and discussion.

0rions last blog post..Happy 1 Year Anniversary Epic Win!

This post was much appreciated, in any case–at least there’s none of that silent death we’ve had from many a blogger. You go ahead and do what you have to do to get that fire burning again (I highly suggest delving into visual novels, particularly F/sn).

You’ve put all of us to shame with your substantial and regular posts, so you deserve that break all the more. Is that blog what I think it is? Hmm. Anyway, see you around on GTalk. Gone but not forgotten.

Owen Ss last blog post..Fate/stay night, Unlimited Blade Works Route

I can understand the feeling that you shouldn’t quit because you have a readership or you’re on 9rules, and you’ve always been gracious to your readers, but it’s not as if you’re charging a fee. You owe us nothing. Nothing is required of you and I hope nothing has been demanded. If you need time off to recharge and reorganize; don’t let us stop you. If you add non-anime stuff, that’s cool. It’s your blog.

As Bateszi pointed out, things change over time. If you feel constricted by the current setup by all means change it. Some of us might like the changes, some might not, but I seriously doubt that any of us will stop following, and you might attract some new followers!

Change and progression are a part of almost everything in life, so perhaps this alternative blog may indeed be the solution for you.

This whole blogging rigmarole can become draining after a while, especially after a few years of hard graft. We can change so much over time without even noticing it and suddenly find ourselves struggling within a system/manifesto/idea that was conceived years previous, like an old pair of shoes! In many ways, it’s fascinating watching a blogger evolve over time, as I think we all hit this crisis point sooner or later, but rather than give up, I hope you strive to continue, because the results are always interesting when a writer’s grasp of the ‘rules’ begins to disintegrate.

I’ve known you long enough now to not really have to say this at all, but I’ll be reading your stuff, regardless what you decide to do. An investment in a blog is, for me at least, an investment in the person that writes it.

bateszis last blog post..Casshern Sins: You looked as if you were dancing

No, seriously. I would understand if you feel like you have to stop for a bit, and here’s hoping you would soon feel like resuming blogging again.

Higes last blog post..C-Bombs and Modified Vespas [Detroit Metal City and Michiko to Hatchin]