Oct 17, 2012 / Posts We Loved

What Makes a Post Freshly Press-able: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Every day, a handful of WordPress.com bloggers are featured in Freshly Pressed. And every day, many more wonder, “What do I have to do to get Freshly Pressed?”

Well, it’s time to reveal what the folks who push the launch button are thinking. Each week, we’ll take a close look at one post and why we thought it was Press-worthy. We hope we can provide insight into the process and give you tips and tools to make your blog the best it can be.
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Many Freshly Pressed picks make us laugh, introduce us to new ideas, or provoke conversations. After all, one reason for having Freshly Pressed at all is to inspire everyone to blog more, so we’re drawn to posts that will stimulate discussion.

Sometimes, though, a post slices through the din of the blogosphere on the strength of raw emotion. When we run across those posts, we share them for three reasons:

  1. There is power in the words used to so bluntly describe a painful experience.
  2. We know that the WordPress.com community will respond with support.
  3. Sharing the post might help some else facing a similar situation feel less alone.

That’s why we recently featured There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, from new blog Charlie’s Other Angel. Two things about this post forced us to stop in our tracks:

The opening line made us sit up and take notice.

It’s not often that you click over to a blog and are confronted with:

My ex-husband died tonight.

There was no cute story gently introducing the topic, no collage of family photos, no loving words about the deceased; just four simple words landing on our screens with a thud. “My ex-husband died tonight.”

Those words tell us what the post will be about in more ways than one. Yes, it will be a post about a serious loss. And it will be straightforward and unforgiving. There will be no scrim softening the line between the experience and the post—this blogger is going to lay things bare. This will not be an easy post to read, and if this topic is a trigger for you, now might be a good time to leave.

She pulled no punches.

True to her opening line, she was honest about her ex-husband, their relationship, and herself.

Because, over the 22 years I’ve known my ex, it hasn’t been easy.  It was often fun.  I laughed and cried and laughed some more.  I got cancer.  I attended a lot of Al-anon meetings.  I wished his death on at least one major occasion, and luckily God knew me better than that weakness of character and said No…

I am so sad.  And not just for our boys — though most especially for our boys.  Sad at what might have been for this sweet man.  Sad that he hadn’t been able to kick the demons.  Sad that it took his final month to bring us all back together, so close.

This is not a storybook memorial to a prince charming. It’s a real-life look at the flexibility and resilience of the ties that bind family members, even those from whom we think we’re unfettered. Ultimately, it’s the story of a woman who was able to knot off one of those ties in a way that brought her peace, and the redemption of a man ultimately bested by his addiction.

Blogging can be a scary activity when we’re publishing something lighthearted; there are always elements of fear and uncertainty when we release our words into the wild. To write so openly and eloquently about such a deeply personal experience takes another level of bravery, one that we’re moved to acknowledge.

Charlie’s Other Angel is off to an incredible start with this post—will you stick around to read more?

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  1. “Light That Never Goes Out” is an exceptional post. And your explanation of why it stands out is right on, Michelle. Nothing beats clear, crisp writing from the heart.

    Will I read more of this blog? Good question. One good post does not make a good blog, but the writer is off to a great start.

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  2. Thanks for the great tips – as a recent new blogger I am still finding my way around, but loving every blogging minute! I wholeheartedly agree with the comment “write because you love it – not to get Freshly Pressed.

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    1. well done. i imagine this post will definitely get you freshly pressed. i know that if i was in control and read this i would bump it to the top of the pile. the whole genre of “amazing shit” feels like one that has yet to be tapped and to know that someone out there has been doing it for 285 without notice…well, i am heading straight to the shed and getting my pitchfork and flaming torch and if someone can just point me towards the FP headquarters a statement WILL be made…

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  11. This one was a good choice – well written, told a poignant story. Many people could identify with this. I felt myself reliving my own mother’s death and how I felt writing about it, although the circumstances of her death were not the same, I felt as if I was back at the bedside watching my father die after a tragic accident, something I’ve never been able to write about.

    Although this was a wonderful post, which I actually missed when it was FP’d, I doubt I’ll take on following another blog.

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  12. Interesting post on what makes a piece press-able. In the end, I still think it’s all subjective though. Many seem to fawn over certain writing which I’d find utterly boring. Similarly, some of the stories I read are intriguing but others feel differently.

    I do agree with blogging about some new idea to generate discussion, though. Perhaps if I wrote out all that happens in my mind (before my own censoring), people would be intrigued by what I write. Who knows? Juggling between what you truly want to say and what you end up saying given that you know you’re somehow writing for an audience, is not easy. We all want to be heard, but when we write for an audience, somehow, our own unique voices are muffled, so what people read is not a true reflection of the writer but an alternate persona the writer has impressed upon others just so his or her work will be read.

    So, what does all this suggest? That I’m in a moment of deep, deep thought lol.

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    1. Part of the beauty of blogging is that you don’t have to persuade an editor that your words are publishable. You get to decide what’s worth putting out there, so there’s less of a need to tamp down your personality. And that’s what people are going to respond to, anyway, so you may as well go for it! Artifice can still come through on a screen.

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      1. Ha! I was just going to say that. Anyone who’s written for a news organization knows that an editor is your worst nightmare. (But a good editor often keeps sloppy writers from making fools of themselves.) You quickly learn not take the editing personally. It comes with the territory. A writer, like an actor, needs to be able to respect the audience, even suffer for the audience, but still speak and act as fearlessly as if no one’s watching.

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  15. I Love the witty title, There is a light that never goes out. Why I love it? Because it’s true. Sometimes the light just waits for the perfect time to gloriously shine until you do something about it. Everything that we do creates the perfect atmosphere to share our own successes, problems, and all human emotions but sometimes it is us who fears to be brought out in the light due to our own fears. Thank you for this post. The title led me to you. 🙂

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  16. Agreed, great post, very moving and real. I really appreciate your frankness about how scary it is to blog. I thought it was just me being insecure! You just never know how people will regard what you say. Thanks 🙂

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  17. Sometimes, albeit rarely, life is simply black and white and things need to be said as such. Just laid out as they are. A touching post indeed.

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  25. *Tips hat*
    *Slight bow, glance toward Freshers*
    Two good things
    Evolutionary impulse here
    The courage to write it, yes
    The courage to choose it and gift a new why
    Yes
    Culture in motion

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  27. I thought hers was a well-written version of a certain type of post I’ve seen a lot on WordPress and other blogging sites. I’m very sorry for her family’s loss, and hope it helps her to know that her words moved so many people.

    What about other writers who’ve dug deep and written about parts of their lives that you may not recognize as common yet frightening to reveal? If the experiences they write about haven’t reached that uplifting swell that says bravery to you loud and clear, does that mean their words are unimportant? What about people who are saddled with a script that hasn’t made sense yet? Don’t the arbiters of Freshly Pressed think the 99% wants to read about those truths, too?

    The more you write these posts about the reasons you give a momentary spotlight to certain pieces of writing, the less I understand the thought pocesses involved. Why don’t you just admit that there aren’t enough hours in the day to look for consistently good writing and fresh voices whether the subjects are serious, humorous, political, artistic, literary, etc. It’s hit or miss. You all fill the spaces as best you can from the relatively few posts you’re able to get through in a day. What’s so hard about saying that?

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    1. We fill the spaces with content we think will be engaging and thought-provoking for the community. Often, that means stories we think will resonate with many readers, but not always; any topic is fair game.

      Of course, we could have dozens of editors scanning WordPress.com 24-7 and never find all the great posts that are out there, but we stand behind our picks. And as always, we invite y’all to send us posts you think are exceptional, either via email or (even better) on Twitter–we’re @freshly_pressed.

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      1. Hi Michelle,
        I read this gripping post and was blown away by this courageous well writtin story. Thank you!
        I have a post that I think is worthy of you taking a look: http://zentcreativeblog.com/2012/10/16/must-all-traditions-be-fossilized/ While you are there take a look at other post. I have two that are continuing true stories that have quite a few loyal readers. If you have any comments or suggestions about my blog I would love to hear them.
        Thank you
        June

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  29. Definitely not what I thought this post would be when I saw the title (in the best way). I love it when I see anything encouraging passion over overthinking, while still stressing the importance of a cohesive and well-thought post. Yay for you WordPress!

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