I've been running some version of Sketchy Details for years now. This is the one that's held on the longest in a stationary location, though that hardly means it hasn't changed and grown in two years. One of the big things I've focused on is writing about what I enjoy. I'm not typing up content just to hop on a trend or grab for views. I'm writing what I'm interested in. Even when there's a negative review or a strong critique, I'm only that passionate about it because I was interested to begin with.
This month, there are a few things that will happen that I figured I'd clue you into from the start.
First, Halloween is coming up. It's my favorite holiday. To celebrate, I will be writing about a different horror film every day. This includes the weekend. The first one will be up later tonight because I've been rather sick all weekend and just wound up lucid enough to leave the house this afternoon.
Second, the chip in fundraiser is still going on. Basically, I'm holding out my hat and hoping that you, the reader, think enough of this content and the enjoyment you get out of it to consider donating to the site. The goal is to bring other paid writers in by the end of the year.
Let's be clear here: Sketchy Details is self-sustaining at this point. The ad revenue is enough to cover hosting and anytime I have to bring in another set of eyes to fix up the coding. I'm not rolling in bank off of this site. I do not feel comfortable bringing on other writers on a site where I'm taking in any money when I can't afford to pay them. I'm not even paying myself at this point. If you donate this month, I can bring some fresh blood around here for more great content from different perspectives.
Third, I'm going to be experimenting with new content as the month goes on. Whether or not it all even goes up on the site (let alone comes back for a second go around) is another story. Be open to experimentation and we can start to do some real cool things around here.
Fourth, feel free to comment. I like feedback. I like hearing what you think. Switching to Disqus has erased the hundreds of spam messages that I had to moderate each day. Even if you just have a question or complaint, submit it. Everything that's not hate speech or filled with abusive language (see: cursing, libel, slurs) goes through and I always try to respond.
That's what you can look forward to this month. Join the fun over at the Facebook page where I'm just about to announce the movie of the month. Follow me on Twitter and shoot me questions/recs/comments over there. You can also find my favorite links over at my new Scoop.It! account Nerdtainment or share your own comment over at Read and Rave.