Passing the one-year mark on this blog has led me to think a lot about what I should change around here. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing when I started Hey Epiphora in October of 2008, and I’ve just been kinda going with the flow since then. That flow has mostly included reviews, contests/giveaways, and miscellaneous banter.
In my recent contest, I asked for suggestions. A couple readers suggested that I write about my personal life. I wasn’t sure — and still am not sure — how to feel about this. This blog has never been grounded in my personal life; certain posts detailing specific life events have cropped up over the months, but I haven’t had much desire to write more than that. I still don’t have much desire to write about it.
The truth is, my current life is really boring. I get up in the morning, drink coffee, check Twitter and my RSS feeds. I watch documentaries and bad reality TV. I take naps. I hug my boyfriend. I go to the grocery store. Sometimes I make casserole. I work on reviews, little by little. I think about cleaning my apartment, then I don’t. I consider my unemployment and how I’m ever going to get a job, then don’t do much about it. I chat with the few true friends I have on Google Talk. Sometimes, but not a lot, I hang out with these friends. I eat popcorn in bed. I sleep.
Is this day-to-day drivel what you want to read about? It’s not what I want to write about. I want to write about sex toys. I have realized that shaping this into a catch-all sex toy blog is probably what I want to do. I’d like to start having more features, recurring features. I want to write the occasional post about my sex life, sure, but no more than that (if you didn’t know, I loathe the idea of writing anything that could at all be interpreted as erotica. Ever. On any planet.).
So here are my ideas for the future of Hey Epiphora. Some of them were suggested in the contest, some were not. I would love your feedback on them.
- Guides. I’m slowly working on a guide to worthwhile porno guys. Other guide ideas: phthalates, materials, the G-spot. These will take a while, so I’m a bit afraid of them at the moment.
- Round-ups, once I figure out how to easily format them, so that you can see my latest posts at a glance.
- “Um, No” and “Hell Yes” features — succinct, pithy posts about sex toys/sex toy related things that are either horrifying or alluring. I already did one, and enjoyed it greatly.
- Comparison reviews. This is a stretch, for me, as it will probably involve re-reviewing certain toys… but I hope it will be useful to you. Any ideas for product comparisons?
- Live tweeting/blogging. I think this would be really fun, but I need ideas as to what I should live blog/tweet. I was thinking porn, or perhaps a complicated sex toy?
What do you think? I appreciate any thoughts/suggestions you have. I hope Hey Epiphora can become a blog that you enjoy visiting and reading even more than you did before.
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November 6th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I totally feel you about the personal life. Mine is similar if you swatch boyfriend and coffee with husband and Mt Dew. Maybe you could involve your fantasies or something, if that’s what people are looking for?
I also feel you on being “Scared” of big projects. Sometimes I get too many ideas and nothing happens with them because they’re so.. huge.
Hmm. I saw your Tumblr where you wrote about not having responses about prizes, by the way. I’ve been thinking I’m sort of sick of seeing the same prizes (Gigi for example). I think it would unique to have prizes that are the best buys under a certain amount – $20 or $30 for example. Staples on a budget kind of thing (could work into a guide, too? Hey! Maybe I should do that
)
November 6th, 2009 at 2:22 am
@Adriana: SWATCH?! WTF IS THAT? Swap/Switch. Haha
November 6th, 2009 at 7:36 am
We (Joseph and me) tend to bring personal aspects of our sexual experiences into our reviews – especially me – but I feel similarly to you about posting more frequent purely personal reviews. Little to no desire to do it. There could be personal touches that you add to your site; however, I see that as something that should always be completely dictated by you. If you’re uncomfortable or dreading it, then it probably won’t be a good post. Or a good addition.
What you’ve got in mind sounds good. I know the guides are daunting, but it seems like something you’d be really good at putting together. Plus it’d be really helpful. We’ve been planning to do it, too, when Time suddenly expands to include 36 hours in a day. Oh well, other projects.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:08 am
i’m excited to see what will be in store
November 6th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Congratulations on your blogiversary! All of your ideas sound interesting and worth stopping by to read. Maybe you could write some erotica or tell us about interesting times in the past (or in someone else’s life). Interviews might be fun, too. Go get ‘em, Epiphora!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
@Sexorcism:
“I want to write the occasional post about my sex life, sure, but no more than that (if you didn’t know, I loathe the idea of writing anything that could at all be interpreted as erotica. Ever. On any planet.).”
Oops.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
@Adriana: Don’t worry, I won’t be giving away a Gigi ever, considering I never use mine. Oops.
@Sexorcism: Mimi covered it, but otherwise… I have considered interviews as well. Must ponder it longer and think about who I would interview.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:02 am
kudos on the blogaversary! I definitely come from the ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ school of ideaology but I know that this blog is growing and so are you so run with it and HAVE FUN. We’ll have fun with you. I also know that whatever realm this blog crosses into, so long as its powered by your funny, awesome brain, will be a raging success.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:40 am
write what you want, and damn the squakers
Or, said a bit more reasonably – you will never make everyone happy.
The wankers want erotica. The gawkers want life drama. The shoppers want reviews.
Red just wants more posts, because she is selfish.
Enjoy the journey!
November 7th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
@LOLmerrill @red: You guys make me smile. A lot.