Writing

Part of my motivation for starting this blog, oh so many years ago, was that I wanted to improve my writing skill. When I began this blog, I was also writing a column for a local GLBT paper (that quickly went under!). The editor was very patient, but I think he recognized that I didn't quite have the knack for spinning a tale with the right amount of detail that would draw a reader in. I guess I also recognized that deficiency, and I wanted to improve it.

For a long time, I had considered myself a good writer. My main run-ins with reality had to do with major academic papers. My college thesis was a mess. I knew it. My readers knew it. According to the teacher, I did fine because I "honored the process" and went through all the steps. The problem was that I still produced a piece of crap through all those steps. My master's thesis was just as bad. This time, my teachers recognized the problems and sent me back to rework my papers. With the help of a brutally honest friend (who was also a gifted writer and editor), I was able to present something that was worthwhile.

Since then, I've applied for PhD programs twice, both times rejected. I have a hunch that the essays that I've written and the writing samples that I've submitted have not really been up to par for the schools.

Then, there is this blog. This is certainly not academic writing, but it is writing. It's storytelling. It explores one little idea, one day at a time. There are some posts that I'm particularly proud of, and there are others that I threw up there just to say that it was updated.

One of the best blog writers that I've appreciated is Zombie Fights Shark. I think that guy can spin a tale or offer an opinion in the funniest and most provocative way possible. Granted, he does swear a lot (a LOT), but that makes it funnier. I've been reading him for a while, and he is going in and out of blogging right now. However, he is the sort of writer that I could enjoy doing.

So here I am, on this blog. It is what it is. It has a few readers. Some of you appreciate it (hello Grandma!). Others have come and gone. I should say now that I appreciate anyone who reads and offers comments on this blog. Your feedback has helped me feel better about this offering that I've giving to the blogosphere.

Where do we go from there? Who knows. But I'll keep trying.