Something has recently occurred in the blog world that's compelled me to talk about it here . . .

About a month or so ago I got a comment on my blog from somebody named "Nora" asking me to visit her blog.  A bit of an unusual request, as normally people just leave a comment and leave it up to the blogger to visit them in return or not.  But I decided to pay her a visit.  Her blog is named "Code Name Nora"......She tells us she's an 80 year old woman who recently moved into a retirement facility and she's going to be blogging about her day to day escapades living there.  Because she's also mentioning other residents she informs the reader that "Nora" is a fictitious name.  Okay.  So far I'm hooked.  So I begin to read.

Good writing.  Darn good writing.  Humorous and entertaining.  But by the fourth or fifth entry something isn't "sitting" right with me.  Call it instinct, call it foolishness.....but definitely call it suspicion on my part.  Despite the talent of the writer, she didn't "sound" like an 80 year woman living in a retirement facility.  It could be because I visited a million of those facilities doing nursing visits.  It could be because I've attended too many writers conferences and learned about "voice" for a writer.  I admit, "voice" isn't easy to define but you read it, you know it.  It rings true.  The author might be a 40 year old, yet the "voice" of the teen telling the story is on the mark.  The author captured the "voice."  For me....while Nora is a good writer.....the "voice" didn't feel right.  Also, I found it a bit odd that she wasn't looking for more friends via other blogs, nor looking to read more elder readers. No.  She was looking for more readers to her blog.

What it felt like to me was somebody.....male, female, young, old, who knows......writing chapters for a potential fiction novel.  Nothing wrong with that, except.......this Nora has visited other blogs looking for recognition and more readers to her blog.  She managed to catch the eye of Ronni Bennett on Times Goes By and Ronni listed her in the blogroll on her side bar.  A few more bloggers began to question the legitimacy of "Nora."  And apparently somebody emailed Ronni to question her integrity by listing somebody of dubious elder authenticity......to which Ronni replied with a post of her own.  She also quoted my comments that I'd left on Nora's blog and gave the reader the feeling "what did it matter."  What did it matter if this Nora isn't who she says she is.  She provides good reading, entertainment, etc.  True.

Except.....I don't totally agree.  Especially not in today's world.  We're lied to constantly.  From the White House, to politicians, to advertisers, to our friends, and on and on.  Society has become a crowd of people avoiding the truth.  We're told there's weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the President says we must start a war.......and like sheep, America nods her head and says okay.  Well, we all know how that ended up.  As for me.....I'm tired of the lying.  And yes, this Nora could BE an 80 year old lady in a retirement home.  Of course she could be.  I just don't happen to think she is.

As a writer, I know how very difficult it is to "make it" in this industry.  By that I mean obtaining a top agent and top publisher to consider your work and then go on to publish it.  Having talent?  Doesn't mean a thing in this industry.  Having a "gimmick?"  That could help a lot.  Agents peruse blogs looking for fresh, untapped, talent.  Word of mouth is everything in this business.  Anybody recall Petite Anglaise?  She's the British young woman from England that moved to Paris 10 years ago, got a lover, had a little girl with said lover, started a blog......and made the mistake (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her) of mentioning her boss on her blog.  She was fired from her job.  She sued the company. (and won) BUT......somebody, somewhere, read that blog.  She was a good writer.  Had talent and NOW........she got noticed!  Her book will be released by a top NYC publisher in 2008.  The rest is history.  Are you getting my drift here?

But Petite Anglaise didn't fool us readers with WHO she was.....we might not have known her real name, but we knew she was a 30-something woman from England, living in Paris, raising a daughter on her own.  Her "voice" rang true with each and every blog entry.  For me......Nora's does not.

And so.....whether Nora is for real or not, my problem isn't with "Nora."  My unsettled feeling is all about honesty.  In the meantime, she's getting herself some notoriety.  If that's what she set out to do.....then I'd say she accomplished it.

Just my opinion.  See you here next time........