You took down the writing practice one? I mean honestly man, I understand the vulnerability, but but it's very much a fan appreciation post, and I am a fan, and I like to be appreciated. What gives?
Sorry man! It was a premature post! I'm not ready for that one yet - that's the final post of the blog, kind of a summing-up situation.
I hit 'post' way too many times by mistake instead of save, on a draft I mean to publish later!
I should probably do more fan appreciation posts.
What would you like to see?
I'm kind of at sea with what other people might want. I ask from time to time, but a lot of the time I bollix it on the attempt to fulfill. But still, I should take more cracks than I do at that.
Oh shit - wait, I'm not like in the midst of being about to quit in the next month or anything!
You should see how many drafts of my resignation letter I've written, at a job I actually for the most part love! Sometimes it seems like a thing needs to end. Other times, putting it into words can clarify whether it does or it doesn't, yet.
Hey, no worries. I just came back from the bar ready to comment and I found that particular post...sweet maybe? Anyways, very much in line with my emotional state, and I found it cruel that I couldn't comment. That's what Google Reader will do to a person.
As for fan appreciation posts (see/sea), I don't know, linking is a bit passe, as is re-posting the "best" comments, at least obviously. I would suggest (and you may do this already) integrating phrases found in comments in future posts, but without any fanfare, just casual. It will reward the close reader, perhaps the psycho reader, but it won't hurt anyone. People who will close read are rare indeed.
I am going to have to not only sleep on it, but then read it AGAIN for additional comprehension, and then twice further for enjoyment. Before I can even play off of it.
How many times have I said that? Quite a few, quite a few.
You know what? I don't think it worked.
No, I'm kidding - it totally worked! I was just thinking back, looking at myself now versus when I started. Now, I'd like to think I could write pretty well to begin with! I'm not sure if my top-level quality has improved - in terms of how high is the highest mark I can reach. I'm as streaky and unevenly brilliant and stupid and groan-inducing as ever. My lows are certainly no lower than they ever were. But the highs still come pretty regularly, I think - and by "highs," I mean just when I can look back on a thing months later and say, "I'm really happy with this."
But what's the improvement, then? If the quality is about the same across the board, what has improved with practice? Well, the thing is: writing has gotten so much easier. Writing poetry in particular - and I defy anyone to claim my quality has declined with increased volume, poem-wise! But it isn't just poetry. Writing in general is so much easier. I believe it is from the conscious focus on the nuts, bolts, strategies and styles of writing that this blog has provided. The constant dumping of random ideas or cut/pastes from other sources into drafts for later elaboration. The constant going back through and honing, honing. The final selection and scheduling of finished posts to autopost on future dates. Like I said: quality hasn't measurably improved, but the constant working at working at it, over the past few years, has made writing easier for me.
I think in complete paragraphs now. It's like weird.
And then there are the unexpected bonuses. My psycho stalker, sure! But even above and beyond that, there have been a lot of real human beings coming out of nowhere, basically, out of the digital woodwork, to take the time to read - and sometimes, comment on a post. Sometimes with something goofy, playing off the goofiness of a post, other times with a thoughtful question. Sometimes with just a kind word of praise. I can't tell any of you how much it means to me, but it has meant a lot. And not one bit of it was something I expected. I never expected anyone to read or comment, really. Because my blog has always been pretty much about nothing. A self-indulgent enterprise.
So you have flattered me terribly with your interest, and I thank you for it. I have been more than just flattered, I've been touched - by so many of you who have looked past the seeming random array of nonesense I've thrown against this wall, and seen underneath it all to whatever corner of my heart or my mind or my soul I was speaking from. You've been kind enough to join me there, walk beside me in my silly walk, or call me on my bullshit, or dance with me in my dark and mysterious gropings with the ineffable, pretty much all in equal measure as time has gone by.
8 comments:
You took down the writing practice one? I mean honestly man, I understand the vulnerability, but but it's very much a fan appreciation post, and I am a fan, and I like to be appreciated. What gives?
Sorry man! It was a premature post! I'm not ready for that one yet - that's the final post of the blog, kind of a summing-up situation.
I hit 'post' way too many times by mistake instead of save, on a draft I mean to publish later!
I should probably do more fan appreciation posts.
What would you like to see?
I'm kind of at sea with what other people might want. I ask from time to time, but a lot of the time I bollix it on the attempt to fulfill. But still, I should take more cracks than I do at that.
Oh shit - wait, I'm not like in the midst of being about to quit in the next month or anything!
You should see how many drafts of my resignation letter I've written, at a job I actually for the most part love! Sometimes it seems like a thing needs to end. Other times, putting it into words can clarify whether it does or it doesn't, yet.
Hey, no worries. I just came back from the bar ready to comment and I found that particular post...sweet maybe? Anyways, very much in line with my emotional state, and I found it cruel that I couldn't comment. That's what Google Reader will do to a person.
As for fan appreciation posts (see/sea), I don't know, linking is a bit passe, as is re-posting the "best" comments, at least obviously. I would suggest (and you may do this already) integrating phrases found in comments in future posts, but without any fanfare, just casual. It will reward the close reader, perhaps the psycho reader, but it won't hurt anyone. People who will close read are rare indeed.
Jesus Christ, grasshopper. That was spectacular.
I am going to have to not only sleep on it, but then read it AGAIN for additional comprehension, and then twice further for enjoyment. Before I can even play off of it.
I think that even I am not sometimes a close reader of my own stuff!
This is what it said, anyway:
This Blog Has Been Writing Practice.
"This blog is writing practice."
How many times have I said that? Quite a few, quite a few.
You know what? I don't think it worked.
No, I'm kidding - it totally worked! I was just thinking back, looking at myself now versus when I started. Now, I'd like to think I could write pretty well to begin with! I'm not sure if my top-level quality has improved - in terms of how high is the highest mark I can reach. I'm as streaky and unevenly brilliant and stupid and groan-inducing as ever. My lows are certainly no lower than they ever were. But the highs still come pretty regularly, I think - and by "highs," I mean just when I can look back on a thing months later and say, "I'm really happy with this."
But what's the improvement, then? If the quality is about the same across the board, what has improved with practice? Well, the thing is: writing has gotten so much easier. Writing poetry in particular - and I defy anyone to claim my quality has declined with increased volume, poem-wise! But it isn't just poetry. Writing in general is so much easier. I believe it is from the conscious focus on the nuts, bolts, strategies and styles of writing that this blog has provided. The constant dumping of random ideas or cut/pastes from other sources into drafts for later elaboration. The constant going back through and honing, honing. The final selection and scheduling of finished posts to autopost on future dates. Like I said: quality hasn't measurably improved, but the constant working at working at it, over the past few years, has made writing easier for me.
I think in complete paragraphs now. It's like weird.
And then there are the unexpected bonuses. My psycho stalker, sure! But even above and beyond that, there have been a lot of real human beings coming out of nowhere, basically, out of the digital woodwork, to take the time to read - and sometimes, comment on a post. Sometimes with something goofy, playing off the goofiness of a post, other times with a thoughtful question. Sometimes with just a kind word of praise. I can't tell any of you how much it means to me, but it has meant a lot. And not one bit of it was something I expected. I never expected anyone to read or comment, really. Because my blog has always been pretty much about nothing. A self-indulgent enterprise.
So you have flattered me terribly with your interest, and I thank you for it. I have been more than just flattered, I've been touched - by so many of you who have looked past the seeming random array of nonesense I've thrown against this wall, and seen underneath it all to whatever corner of my heart or my mind or my soul I was speaking from. You've been kind enough to join me there, walk beside me in my silly walk, or call me on my bullshit, or dance with me in my dark and mysterious gropings with the ineffable, pretty much all in equal measure as time has gone by.
This Blog Was Writing Practice.
Thanks for making it more than just that.
Consider Your Ass Kicked.
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