Post by Dabeagle on May 7, 2014 8:47:34 GMT -5
I'm going to put down a few things here, kind of talking about the lack of writing and being online lately. As some of you may know, now, I have been spending some free time on my heartbreaker of a VW Bus. I also have a nine year old - whoops, ten today! - that takes up an inordinate amount of time. That along with a day job is enough for anyone to understand why I'm not producing much, but that's not the whole story.
Lots of people have different reasons for writing - I've been told I should do it for myself, for instance. I should do it for fun. I should do it as a creative exercise so my brain doesn't atrophy. But the real reason I do it is to interact with you, dear reader. I LOVE talking about the characters, the stories and why certain decisions were made. Sometimes the story flows, other times it has to be worked on considerably to get it into a reasonably coherent mass of letters and punctuation and at the end of it all the reward is talking to you all.
Unfortunately, for several years, we've had a deteriorating relationship. I don't know why you don't tell me your thoughts or ask questions. Were the stories not interesting enough to warrant discussion or even a note that you'd read it? I'm not talking to those of you that observe this as the chore it can be - paying the writer by telling him that you read it, kind of like the 'thank you' note your parents used to make you write. No, this is more like an old married couple that may grumble at each other as they pass in the hall, but otherwise the magic has gone away.
I was angry, for a while. I ranted privately about readers to other writers. I thought many dramatic thoughts, had many stupid 'that'll show 'em' moments in my head. I tried to adapt to our new relationship - I know I'm slow, so I tried sticking more to short stories. I even tried to straddle some middle ground and go with 'associated' stories that weren't necessarily linear so that you wouldn't feel as though you were waiting to find out what happened next and left hanging. Alas, our relationship seems to have soured long past that and you have grown tired of me - and I have become frustrated with you.
I have some new stuff, but I've set it aside. Instead I'm focusing on what I want to do and that is to self publish the re-written Wayward Son book. At the end of it, I'll be able to hold it in my hand and feel the satisfaction of having achieved something. Some of you helped me get there - like the one that pointed out a historical error. Or the beta readers that helped shape the narrative. Many more of you, the vast majority, stayed quiet.
Those of you that have deemed it worth your time to talk to me, I want you to know I keep all of my messages - dating back to 2004. I re-read some of them on occasion for the conversation and some inspiration to move forward - and for that I thank you.
Those of you that stay silent and just take - you suck. No, really, you do.
Lots of people have different reasons for writing - I've been told I should do it for myself, for instance. I should do it for fun. I should do it as a creative exercise so my brain doesn't atrophy. But the real reason I do it is to interact with you, dear reader. I LOVE talking about the characters, the stories and why certain decisions were made. Sometimes the story flows, other times it has to be worked on considerably to get it into a reasonably coherent mass of letters and punctuation and at the end of it all the reward is talking to you all.
Unfortunately, for several years, we've had a deteriorating relationship. I don't know why you don't tell me your thoughts or ask questions. Were the stories not interesting enough to warrant discussion or even a note that you'd read it? I'm not talking to those of you that observe this as the chore it can be - paying the writer by telling him that you read it, kind of like the 'thank you' note your parents used to make you write. No, this is more like an old married couple that may grumble at each other as they pass in the hall, but otherwise the magic has gone away.
I was angry, for a while. I ranted privately about readers to other writers. I thought many dramatic thoughts, had many stupid 'that'll show 'em' moments in my head. I tried to adapt to our new relationship - I know I'm slow, so I tried sticking more to short stories. I even tried to straddle some middle ground and go with 'associated' stories that weren't necessarily linear so that you wouldn't feel as though you were waiting to find out what happened next and left hanging. Alas, our relationship seems to have soured long past that and you have grown tired of me - and I have become frustrated with you.
I have some new stuff, but I've set it aside. Instead I'm focusing on what I want to do and that is to self publish the re-written Wayward Son book. At the end of it, I'll be able to hold it in my hand and feel the satisfaction of having achieved something. Some of you helped me get there - like the one that pointed out a historical error. Or the beta readers that helped shape the narrative. Many more of you, the vast majority, stayed quiet.
Those of you that have deemed it worth your time to talk to me, I want you to know I keep all of my messages - dating back to 2004. I re-read some of them on occasion for the conversation and some inspiration to move forward - and for that I thank you.
Those of you that stay silent and just take - you suck. No, really, you do.
