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Writing the Farewell Symphony
The famous composer Haydn and his orchestra were once under employment of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. They entertained the Prince and his guests one summer long ago.
Fast-forward a few centuries, and we find the orchestra of the blogosphere playing for the Prince of the Internet. The music chimes on and on while bloggers the world over entertain anyone wishing to listen to the performance.
The music is not always beautiful, though, just like some symphonies from history. Discordant sounds arise here and there. The music can sound ominous or it can sound sad. Jarring chords and notes rise up through the performance.
Haydn had that problem, too. His orchestra began to long for home. They were tired of the continual performances. He had a problem on his hands. You see, the Prince wasn’t ready to let the players go – just like readers sometimes aren’t ready to let bloggers go.
Most blogs don’t live past three months and even fewer last a full year. Blogging is a hard job, especially when you have to maintain the music for a long time. The pace needs to be constant and continual, and it also needs to follow a predictable pattern. Blogging when you run a business is even harder to maintain. There are times when you need to rest your instrument.
Imagine a never-ending performance. You’d grow bored. The music would begin to sound stale. The instruments would slowly go out of tune the more they were played. The beauty of the orchestra would begin to lose its shine. If the musicians stopped playing, would you get up and leave?
This is a fear of bloggers – numbers are everything. Readers are the lifeblood of blogs. No readers, no blog. But bloggers need to rest and recharge to be able to create new symphonies or tune their instruments for the next performance.
Haydn knew this. He tried to continue to satisfy the Prince, but he wanted to satisfy his musicians, too. And so he wrote the Farewell Symphony as a solution to the situation.
Bloggers typically don’t write Farewell Symphonies. They fear a sound that signals the death of a blog, but they forget that this sound is crucial to every performance:
The sound of silence.
Silence is integral to a perfect performance. It lets people absorb the moment of music and appreciate the effort and skills of the musicians. Silence lets the audience enjoy the experience and look forward with anticipation to the next performance.
Haydn knew this. His performance of the Farewell Symphony integrated silence to create a sensation. Each musician played near a lit candle that glowed softly. One by one, Haydn’s Farewell Symponhy wrote specific instruments out of the performance.
One by one, the players blew out their candles and left the stage, slowly bringing silence.
Our blog is rarely silent. We have played long and well – and now it is time for a moment of silence. Perhaps our silences should happen more often, but as bloggers, we share many of the fears others do: that silence might leave us with empty seats and no one to play for.
Most of all, though, our reluctance for silence had to do with fear. My fear. I didn’t want people to say, “Ah, we knew it. They can’t handle it. They’ve burned out.”
Not at all. We simply want a moment of freedom to focus on our business. It’s time to clean up lingering personal projects, concentrate on giving our clients 100% of our attention and adjust our infrastructure slightly to accommodate the wild growth we’ve experienced.
My fear was a foolish one. It was unfounded. We can handle everything we do, or we simply wouldn’t do it. We aren’t having a burnout or suffering depression. We won’t lose readers. We won’t suddenly fall from favor. We won’t be labeled or judged.
It would be foolish to force ourselves to devote attention away from our core business. As a reader commented, this blog is only part of our lives. It is by far not the only aspect of our business.
It would be foolish to feel guilty over posting free content we offer because we want to offer it. We have no obligations beyond the ones we have set for ourselves. Our main obligations (and our true joys) are giving our clients the care and attention that they deserve and being relaxed enough to be creative and write good posts that make a difference.
It is very foolish of us to be afraid of people’s criticisms of our decisions and actions. We choose our path because it is the right one to take, not because people expect us to walk this road or that. We take decisions because they are the best for our business and for us.
Also, our community and our readers believe in an orchestra that gives each performance its all. They understand that a beautiful symphony requires optimal tuning and well-rested musicians – and they are willing to wait and anticipate the next symphony we create.
Most of all, we have always chosen to lead the way for others and go where most people hesitate. We like to be different, challenging the rules and shaping the Internet to our needs, not the other way around.
Our recent post that discussed bloggers taking a break accomplished an important goal. While some readers perceived the post as our personal request for permission to take a break (it wasn’t; we generally don’t ask anyone for permission), others perceived the crucial point we were trying to make:
Bloggers need to free themselves of the obligation to maintain a never-ending performance. They need to shed the guilt of not posting and face the fear of losing readers. Other things matter more.
Our post went live, fantastic discussion ensued, and posts suddenly started popping up on the Internet. Bloggers began announcing a break. They gave themselves permission to pause.
That was the goal of our post – to provoke thought about how we pace our lives.
And so, we are going to break the cadence and create discord ourselves. We are going to blow out the final candle in a moment of extremely rare silence. There will be no posts for a period, but the show will go on, of course.
In the meantime, we’ll still be around. We’ll be commenting on your blogs, active on Twitter, responding to emails, working on projects, devoting time to our clients and developing a stronger infrastructure.
When we take up blogging here at Men with Pens once more, our finely tuned instruments will ready to play new symphonies once more – and we promise performances that will be better than ever.
Performance is scheduled to resume in full on Monday, June 16. Thank you for your understanding and your patience.
Help spread the word!
Welcome to our community. Kick back, put your feet up and join the discussion.
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James is reading:
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Taylor is reading:
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Social Hookups
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See you on the other side, my friends. We’ll miss you.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..best laid plans.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo!
You’re doing the right thing.
Dave Navarro’s last blog post..Embrace The Suck:How To Hate What You Do And Love It
Have a nice vacation. Or vacation from blogging if you aren’t taking off from everything.
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..Page Views Per Visitor – more isn’t always better by Anthony Lawrence
Applause
Well that didn’t work the way I hoped it would…lets try again:
“Applause”
@ Kevin – Hey, you came back for an encore…
Thanks everyone. We’ll still be here, we just won’t be *here*.
Enjoy your blogging vacation!
Lillie Ammann’s last blog post..So You Want to Become a Freelance Writer? Part 3: Finding Gigs
Bravi! Bravi!
Nicole’s last blog post..New Addictions and Getting Organized
What an eloquent way of putting into words some of the things I went through with my own blog.
The two of you have got so much going on — what with the two new gaming/writing blogs as well as your cat blog, personal writing projects, oh, WORK that pays the bills and whatever else you haven’t even publicized!
Plus, James, you have a family to help raise.
It’s great that you’ll be taking a break, and I’ll certainly be waiting and eager to log on to your site when the time comes.
Best,
Nez
Nez’s last blog post..The One-Tenth of a Cent of Gas Prices
*standing ovation*
*runs to be first in line to get tickets for the next performance*
Allison’s last blog post..Jumpin? Jack Fish Roll
You guys are too much.
How ironic, the CD player just started Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation.
Well, this won’t be one of those, but the lyrics fit well enough. Catch y’all on the flip-side!
Recharge those batteries, fellas! No fear losing this reader… I’m still using your generous advice and helpful tips from last Sunday’s drive-by to improve my blog — Thanks again and enjoy your “break”
Good call, boys. Gives me a chance to catch up on all of those old JCME posts. I didn’t find you until you were MwP
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey’s last blog post..4 Characteristics of a Useful Link Post
@James: What a post! A standing ovation from me — and those were my roses on the stage (yes, that wasn’t my underwear!). I look forward to the next concert.
steph’s last blog post..Fiction. Episode IV: Return of the Canadians (for real)
Fantastic, James. Just fantastic.
Jamie Grove – How Not To Write’s last blog post..How to Write a Book and Why I Write About Writing
A beautifully written post. And, after yesterday’s post on whether bloggers can take a break, I’m glad to see that you’re allowing yourself a vacation. (And a long overdue one, I would say–working 7 days a week, year after year, is bound to take a toll after a while, no matter how much you love your work.)
Don’t think of it as “farewell,” though. Think of it as “see you later.” Because you will see us later. Devoted readers won’t begrudge you some well-deserved time off. Enjoy it.
Debbi’s last blog post..Quotation for the Week of June 1
Well said….and well done…!!!
Too many people get caught up in blogging because they feel the “have to”, not because they “want to”.
Luckily, you guys haven’t fallen into this trap. And you’re able to show us the Big Picture as well.
Nothing wrong with taking a break. Hey…Life happens.
Take whatever time off you need…we’ll still be here when you come back!
- Friar
Friar’s last blog post..WordPress Party in San Francisco
If ever something needed to go viral.. It’s indeed time to revisit the prevalent posting habits/pressures across these here internets. Given my comment on the previous post, made just prior to reading this one, I’m experiencing a bit of instant gratification.
It’s precisely because you two are trend-setters, rule-breakers & smarter/braver than your average blogger that I knew you would & could get the rethinking rolling. Kudos replete w/niebu & coffee!
(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Leisure only means a chance to do other jobs that demand attention.†~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Dorian aka coffeesister |_|)’s last blog post..Found Fridays; links loved, finding Fridays
I knew it. I knew you couldn’t resist gaming full time. I knew you had wrought the sword of your OWN DESTRUCTION.
And I was pleased.
Hurrah for Men, and vacations, and devastatingly awesome new projects. And my next blog post, which, at 1:00 in the morning, I have yet to write. Perhaps a break is in order . . .
Tei – Rogue Ink’s last blog post..Roleplaying for Writers, Or Why It’s Cool to Geek Out.
Good night, Men. (Only it’s morning when I find you.) Rest well.
No wonder little Pen slept so well.
*cheers* and Cheers.
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
Ahh. Smiles and good wishes. I have season tickets so see you on the 16th.
Janice C Cartier’s last blog post..Uh Oh, It’s Getting A Little Whacky
Tim Ferriss would be proud. Good luck on your projects.
John Hewitt’s last blog post..Get Rid of Ugly Wordiness: How to Cut Your Novel Down to Size
“It would be foolish to feel guilty over posting free content we offer because we want to offer it. We have no obligations beyond the ones we have set for ourselves.”
Exactly.
This respite should bring you back more charged up than ever.
In fact, when you guys do come back, you might want to do what you’ve thought about, James–taking the weekend off, posting M-F.
Good luck.
Jesse Hines’s last blog post..Writer’s Block or Procrastination? Be Honest
Wait, you’ll be here but you won’t be “here”?
So if we go “there”, you won’t be there? Or is it if we go “there” you’ll actually be “here”?
I’m sooo confused..
Tony Lawrence’s last blog post..Page Views Per Visitor – more isn’t always better by Anthony Lawrence
I’ve always wondered how you guys can consistently pump out such high quality work every day without ever taking a break.
Great farewell post – everybody needs a break and nobody should need permission. Enjoy – and I’ll be looking forward to your return.
Chad’s last blog post..Top 60 Blogs for Freelance Writers
@Tony,
Just go listen to some Pink Floyd, and then it will all make sense. Maybe.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..best laid plans.
Pink Floyd makes everything better.
@Harry,
Oh yeah… it’s like the soundtrack of my life.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..best laid plans.
Hayden wrote his best work after he left Esterházy. Listen to the late string quartets and symphonies, and especially the Creation Oratorio. Being freed of the obligations of Court allowed him to open up and he produced some of the finest music ever written. No pressure.
James Hipkin’s last blog post..5 Principles for Successful Client Service
Enjoy your vacation, fellas. I am feeling the need for some time to get away from everything and just refresh. I’ve not done so hot in the blogging department lately. Not that I do it much more than to blather on as a hobby, but I start a post and find I have nothing to say. However, I never have nothing to say. I’m just too tired and warped to turn it into words.
Heck, even if you guys came back and were only posting four times a week instead of seven, I think we’d all be right here reading. You guys are fun and thought provoking.
Enjoy some time away from the blog, and refresh yourselves. I have a four day weekend coming up and I’m trying to figure out how to make it as relaxing as possible. Day-to-day has strained my brain.
tjwriter’s last blog post..When I Know I’m Right, I’ll Prove It
James H.:
It didn’t help Floyd much. A Momentary Lapse of Pink Floyd…?
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
You guys are my blogging heros!
Enjoy the time off – you deserve it and even though you don’t owe me anything, I owe you. You guys have taught me a lot about blogging and content writing.
See ya in a couple weeks!
John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post..How To Buy A House Like A Real Estate Investor: Part 6 – Finding The Right Property
Loved the historical reference! See you on twitter.
Michael Martine | Remarkablogger’s last blog post..The Bass-Ackwards Method of Starting a Business from Your Blog
Congratulations! I hope that you get as much, or as little, as you want to get accomplished during your break.
Laura Spencer’s last blog post..Of Note: How Not To Write
James, as always great advice which I have taken. While I don’t necessarily need a break I have taken to heart that the world won’t end if I miss a day or two of posting. To be in bondage to anything is to squelch the passion from it. I have chosen to come to the page boldly and with passion, not out of obligation. I am realizing that I owe it to myself to operate with passion and purpose, and in doing so I can serve and help others.
Thank you for the advice, so beautifully written. Of course you will be missed here but I won’t let you off the hook of talking to me during your break.
Karen Swim’s last blog post..I Am an SOB!
Not adieu, but au revoir? Looking forward to seeing you back. Enjoy the break.
Sharon Hurley Hall’s last blog post..Posts On Writing May 2008
Great post,
good decision and enjoy your break.
Looking forward to the performance on the 16th.
zania’s last blog post..How comments can help when you make money online
Enjoy your R & R and catch-up time.
Amen friend. Which isn’t something I say very often, being the anti-christ and all.
Enjoy your hiatus.
Amy’s last blog post..Perception: It’s What’s For Brunch
Enjoy the break you all. It’s summer, who wants to be stuck inside blogging.
I know these days I’d much rather be doing yard work that stuck inside doing creating meta tags or banging my head against the wall trying to come up with something fresh to post about — when everybody’s at the beach anyway.
That settles it — I’m finishing early today, I have a hedge in my front yard, some azaleas some weeds that need my undying attention!
Yuwanda
The Freelance Writer’s Blog’s last blog post..Will You Ever Make Money Blogging? Answer 1 Question to Find Out
Clever post. Already looking forward to the 16th. Enjoy your break!
Andrew’s last blog post..Quicktips: Staying Hydrated
Wow. That didn’t take long: I already miss you guys.
steph’s last blog post..you know it’s hot when?
Wow that was beautiful. That was the most beautiful “I’ll be back” I’ve ever read. *sigh*
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You.’s last blog post..Your Q&A: Getting to Know Yourself
what at load of bs – are you just too old to multi-task ?
Haydn’s Farewell Symphony . . . I guess we’ll have to see what music you’ll be playing when you return . . . maybe “Spring” from Vivaldi´s “The Four Seasons”. Beautiful post.
Marelisa’s last blog post..4 Steps to Unleash Your Creative Genius
@ Marelisa – I have it all chosen. It’ll be perfect.
Have a great vacation… would eagerly await you return
Nathalie Lussier’s last blog post..Accepting The Source Of Your Income
{stands up and applauds}
Meryl K. Evans’s last blog post..Jumping out of a Plane
Hi you too. Don’t blame you for taking a break. I know you guys are getting busy and it’s best to concentrate on what pays the bills. Have fun.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..Are You In The Business Of Misery?
I don’t blame you guys for needing a break
I’ll keep my eyes open for your next post and look forward to seeing what you all come up with next <3
r.l.david02 – TKD Happiness’s last blog post..Whoops!
See, this is what RSS feeds were created for. (Or, if not, they should have been!)
When you come back, we’ll know it immediately, and come running to see what new wisdom you have to impart.
Enjoy your break!
Carole’s last blog post..Twitter Updates for 2008-06-14