merkal2005: Hi Francis, please tell us about yourself.

franscud: I'm a writer, web designer and community activist living in Chicago. I left the 9-to-5 work-a-day world back in 2006 and have been dedicating myself to writing more consistently while living off freelance jobs.

I'm a searcher and a traveler by nature, and I am continually seeking out new perspectives on the Web.


merkal2005: When did you start blogging? How did you name your blog? How is it going now?

franscud: I started blogging at "Caught in the Stream" in July, 2006. It was my second attempt at blogging, but my first try at a more personal focus. At first I saw it as a way to document my daily activities and share my thoughts; a type of public journal.

I like the name because it has an ambiguity to it, which I think evokes my writing style. It references the ideas that I'm pulling from my stream of consciousness, but it also conveys the sense of being overwhelmed by the currents of mainstream media that bombard us all.

I think the site is still evolving. Early on, I wrote mostly about news stories and politics. Lately I've tried to focus more on my poetry and personal writing. I still try to engage in political and social commentary, but with more of an arts focus.


merkal2005: Where do you get your inspiration to write?

franscud: I take my inspiration more and more from the sometimes random, sometimes planned encounters of day-to-day life. There are a lot of ideas and images floating around the ether in this modern world of extreme connectedness.

I watch a lot of movies, listen to a lot of music, read news and fiction both printed and on the Internet, and try to talk to as many different people as I can. Within in all those interactions I try to find the kernel of a post.


merkal2005: Tell us about your future plans and 2008 goals

franscud: More and more I sense that I need to shift the blog toward a modern style of story telling. I'm not sure what exact form it will take, but I hope to establish a consistent narrative voice. Once I'm more confident with that, I'd like to take my posts in new, more creative directions.

I'd of course like to build more of an audience for "Caught in the Stream," and that may require some other technical and visual changes.

I've met some really wonderful bloggers through this experience, and I also hope to broaden the circle of writers I'm active within right now. The blogging community has been amazingly supportive, and the conversations I have with other writers really boosts my creative energies.


merkal2005: Do you have any suggestions to new bloggers?

franscud: For me, it's been extremely helpful to commit to writing roughly a post a day. The more consistently you write, the better you'll get at it. Some days it's hard to find the inspiration or energy to write, but if you keep at it eventually it will come. You can even write about not having anything to write about ... I've done that.

It's also important to visit and read as many other blogs as you can. Find blogs that you find interesting, and try to strike up a relationship with the author by leaving a comment or two. It's always good to see what other people are writing about and it will help you get a sense of what will and won't work for you.

Finally, write what you know and love. Readers respond to honesty and passion. Don't get caught up in trying to mimic a popular format just to build an audience. Write about the things that interest you, then find others who share the same focus and try to build relationships.

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