Regular readers have undoubtedly noticed that the rate (and enthusiasm) at which I post here has dropped off in recent years compared to when I started out. Everything was so fresh and new when I launched the blog. I had so much to share!

Going into my eleventh year of blogging, though, and with only myself to draw upon (unlike most podcasts, for example, where multiple hosts can bounce off each other for new ideas and deeper conversations), I’ve begun to feel like I don’t have a lot left to say. That’s especially true when there aren’t new episodes on the air to delve into.

But recently I was challenged to dig into a favorite Classic story and find a new way of looking at it. What else could I possibly say? I wondered, after my first attempts turned out to be well-trodden ground. It took some effort—and yes, engaging with someone else to test my ideas—but in the end, I found a new perspective that is not yet a dead horse.

I’m hoping that this experience (which is still ongoing; that project is in progress) will inspire me to be a bit more creative here on the blog, as well. My reviews have, to my mind, kind of stagnated a bit. Partly that’s due to the fact that there’s little engagement with readers anymore. Fewer posts and my nigh complete absence from Twitter have reduced my already small readership these past few years, and I don’t get many comments, so it feels a lot like my words are disappearing into the æther.

But I still have a sense of pride about continuing the blog. Despite the reduced readership and difficulty in thinking of new things to say, I’m not ready to give up on it just yet. That’s why I’ve felt vaguely dissatisfied with what little I’ve had to say these past months, and that’s why I’m newly hopeful that I can up my game again.

Because being pushed to dig deeper and find something unique to say about a well-known story has helped me recognize that part of what’s been bothering me about my posts lately is that they’re not very interesting. And I think the root of that blasé feeling is the fact that I’ve not been very innovative in my approach.

When I started blogging, I was all about bringing a new perspective. I, as a brand new fan who hadn’t yet been steeped in Received Fan Wisdom, would look at these stories in my own fresh, unique way! I would shake things up and make people think a little harder! But my fan perspective is not shiny and new anymore, and neither am I.

So I need to dig a little deeper again. I need to find that fresh, unique way of looking at things, even—especially—the ones I’ve seen often enough that I barely think about them anymore. I’m hoping to start that effort later this month, when my regular review posts. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and wish me luck!