Saturday, April 16, 2011

It's Not You, It's Me*

The blog has been bogged down lately.

Are you buying that? Please do, cause I'm selling it. I don't want to say that I've been bogged down, because that's such a common excuse for not writing. Sure, I'm busy, but we all are. And yes, it's hard to stay one step ahead of the screaming masses of fans** who always manage to find my hideouts and who tear at my clothes, but that's no excuse either.

Truth is (and if you can spot the 'truth' anywhere in this post, I'll give you real money), I have been totally unmotivated. To the writers out there, you know, the real writers who are so lovely and kind for reading this drivel, I ask you this:





shit








I forgot the question I was going to ask.


Well, if you guys think of it, just shoot an answer over to me. it probably had to do with writing, or some jazz like that. You know, writer's impotency or something. Make something up.


That's it! Just remembered it!
(which technically means that I should delete all that other stuff, but it's good filler, so it stays).

Writers, when you've written something that is technically good, fairly interesting, makes a concrete point, or is otherwise worth reading, but you hate it and feel like it's total green snot, do you still publish it?

I come at writing in a different way than I approach my photography. In photo world, I shoot everything that inspires me. In writing, I try to create things that I would like to read. Totally different mind set, but with a similar goal of creation. However, I am so often disgusted with my writing that I literally trash it. Or bury it, hoping that I'll change my mind later and like it. Usually, that never happens.

So what do you all do if that happens to you?

This is not a secret cry for approval, or a way to get people to ask me to publish this stuff. That IS the truth in this post. I just want to know if it happens to actual, literate human beings with writing ability.

Lastly, it is why I am slowing down on meaningful blog posts. I don't like doing meaningful too much. Makes me want to take myself seriously, and that is a joke wrapped in irony. But since you've been gracious enough to hang with me, I thought I'd share it with you and say thanks.

Thanks!

=+=+=++=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+==+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

By the way, in bigger news, there are some very positive things happening with Wolfgang Amadeus Marshmallow. We received a phone call last night from Dubai. No shit. As in from the UAE. Wolfgang's instructor (Yanni - no, a different one) was there, performing for some sheiks or something, and he wanted to talk about the inimitable's future.

Seems that the conductor of the 'Must Remain Unnamed' Symphony Orchestra has taken an interest in Wolfgang's career and wants to mentor him, which is good news/bad news. Good news is he told Yanni that Wolfgang is the real deal, and should be groomed for the world stage, like yesterday. Bad news is he's Icky. Let me rephrase that. He's ICCCKKKYYYY. You take the bad with the good, I guess.

This was important enough for Yanni to call from his comfy suite in the Burj Frickintalla***

So, we've got lots to think about. My perspective is that this can only cost me a truckload of money. Things like this always do, initially. But I figure if Wolfgang gets to the big time, he'll be able to afford to put me away in a nice long term care facility or mental institution. I'm pulling for the latter, because I hear they have Dish Network.

I'll keep you posted.




*It's really you, but I didn't want you to get offended and stop reading at the title.
**Fail to show up for a personal appearance just once and people seem to think they should get their money back. The nerve!
***Really high skyscraper with a view of Central Park West - from the city of Dubai. Told ya it was tall!

6 comments:

  1. I don't think I'm the person to answer this question, because my blog is like this technicolor vomit-inducing purge of everything left in my brain at the end of the day.

    I write all day, every day. I write everything from travel articles to op-ed pieces to jewelery descriptions, whatever I have to do in order to pay my bills at the end of the month. I write pieces I'm stunningly proud of and I write pieces that make me wince as I hit the "submit" button. I am consumed with grammar rules, sentence structure, punctuation, and prepositions. So my blog is like this safe haven for my weary writer head to rest at the end of the day. I can write about rabbits. I can write about clogs. I can write about Muppets, tequila and dogs.

    (I can also leave Dr. Seuss-themed comments on my friends' blogs.)

    Because of that, my blog will never be "big." It will never be "successful." It has no theme. It has no goal. It barely has a web presence. But it's like a playground. An escape from the have-tos and the "responsible writing." Some months I barely post. Some months I post every day. But that's what works for me, and that's what makes me happy. I won't post something if I'm not happy with it...but The Loaded Handbag has pretty low standards.

    So I say do what makes YOU happy. What stresses you more: to have a silence on your blog for a few weeks, or to post something you're not happy with?

    AND...I vote you post just one thing you're not happy with. Pick the best of the "Worst" and post it. The positive feedback you'll receive (and I know you, so I know it'll be worthy of positive feedback) may give you the inspiration to pour back over those green-snot pieces.

    -------
    I'm really happy for W.A.Marshmallow, but can you define Icky? This whole thing is so intriguing. Dubai? World Stage? Dish Network? I DEMAND TO KNOW MORE.

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  2. I am totally in agreement with Nikki. My blog is gobshite. It's just a lot of useless drivel that allows me to put it out there somewhere besides Facebook. Once in a great while, I even strike gold...er, or fool's gold. Then I feel pleased that people like what I had to say.

    Like Nikki, I purge it all out there and then save the draft. I look at it a little later and think "woah. edit." But beyond basic editing, I kind of go with it. It's a layer, right?

    All bloggers are told they should write about. But most of us have no idea what about. ;-)

    www.alotoflayers.blogspot.com

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  3. Also, I spelled Nicki wrong. I went with the Prince version, my bad Nicki. ;-)

    See, i am a goof.

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  4. I don't press submit on everything I write (which might be surprising considering how much drivel I do press submit and publish). When I get that feeling you're experiencing, discouraged, I save it. And the last time I checked I had about 100 pages of it. Sometimes though, I will go back and part the weeds and find a strawberry here and there. Even better, sometimes I go back and read something I wrote and it is only then that I finally understand what I was attempting to communicate.

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  5. Yes. Yes to Nicki, and The Onion and dbs.

    And yes to publishing one piece of green snot. I do try to publish regularly. For me it's a matter of giving myself a deadline (I work best that way) so that I put something out there in the hopes that practice, if not making perfect, makes better. Also, sometimes the green snot is good for the reader, even if it's not so great for the writer.

    You have a talent that should, like W.A.Marshmallow's, be practiced. But maybe not in Dubai with icky creeps.

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  6. To Nicki, dbs, Onion, Nicole: thank you all for the input and advice. I suppose we all feel funny sometimes about writing, and what makes us feel good or bad with it. Good advice on writing a lot, keeping everything, and going back to look at it periodically, even the things unpublished.

    I'll keep all of your advice in mind. Thanks!

    The deadline is a good motivator for me too, by the way, Nicole.

    W.A. Marshmallow is meeting with "The Maestro" on Wednesday to talk about his future in music.
    As for "creepy", i was just wondering why the man suddenly took such an interest in him and wants to mentor him. Perhaps I've lived too long in a world of creepy people who have less than good motives and shouldn't be concerned. I just find him a little eager to help out.

    I guess I need to get used to the fact that the boy is actually talented enough to warrant this kind of attention from major musicians and not be too suspicious at someone taking an active interest in him. Networking is good, and this conductor studied under Leopold Stokowsky, so he can certainly help out with a young musician.

    He just smiles creepily though. Yuck.

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