Let us speak of the intervening annoyances of reality.
Progressively, I have been lately coming to the conclusion that there are only so many D&D players out there. Not that I don't love you bastards - those that I do love, at least. Unfortunately, thinking and planning as a writer, there may not be enough of you to love me into a steady gig.
Recently, now that I am three months unemployed, in a city woefully dependent on a stumbling oil industry, I am thinking of the distant future. I am thinking that perhaps I need to branch out into other subjects.
I have considered starting a blog reviewing film or discussing theatre. I've done a lot of that here on the blog and I could chatter on for awhile that way. Others have certainly found an online future there. Yet I know from earlier efforts in that direction that I don't have much interest in it. I mean, I can write about it - I just don't care to.
Politics is a possibility; yet I am so disgusted with the state of politics in the present era, both at home and abroad, I doubt I have much to say that wouldn't be ranting. I would prefer something more civil.
Towards that end, I am going to try an experiment. It will likely fail . . . but we will never know if we don't try.
I hope the reader understands that this will not mean I will cease writing this blog or cease working on my wiki. I plan to continue playing D&D until my demise and the wiki is tremendously satisfying as a game support.
Only, of late, when someone asks me to send something that I have written, that proves my skill . . . well, I've spent most of my recent efforts on this blog and this subject. I'm greatly out of the habit where other writing is concerned.
So, there we have it. As long as I'm not employed anyway, I have the time to spend on vanity projects. I'm interested to see if this one takes root.
I'd say Stonekettle Station has the politics thing in the bag. I try to stay away from politics in my writing because I figure there are other writers, like him who will have already written anything worth stating.
ReplyDeleteUnless perhaps you'd care to go into detail on Canadian politics and relate the events to us other North Americans.
Perhaps if you focused on the purely historical? perhaps with some relation to current events? That might be a good niche for you. I don't think anyone has ever complained of there being too many views on history.
<3, Preston
Stonekettle Station is doing a very good job being Captain Obvious. He's methodical, tireless and determined, but he's also unnecessarily pedantic and repetitive in both theme and content. Writing one long post about the religious right does not keep him from following it up with another long post that makes precisely the same point, pushing the envelope of knowledge exactly nowhere.
ReplyDeleteI have learned things from him in the past but he's burning out.
This is my problem with political writing. It has become "gotcha" gossip. Some wingnut says something ridiculous and a host of commentators troop out with measuring sticks, grammar and sound bites to prove how everyone is a liar and that the whole great show is an abysmal tragedy.
I can't dispute that, the great show IS a travesty. I don't intend to be another referee making the travelling sign to point at another daily incidence of it.
Preston, I am an historian. I know where this is going. Nowhere good. And unfortunately for us, all the Stonekettles and all the Stations are only there to tell us how fast or how elegantly Humpty Dumpty is falling. They're not helping.
THAT is why I have no interest in writing about politics any more. Along those lines, I'd do better to stop writing and start trenching.
I think I'd rather write about food instead.
@ Alexis:
ReplyDeleteI'll be quite interested to read what you have to say on food.
The main thing I've found about keeping a blog going is that one needs to be passionate about the subject, not just interested. I've tried several blogs in the past about things in which I was "interested." and they didn't last. Interest (for the blogger) ain't enough, even if it's a popular subject for readership.
Though I suppose if you can generate revenue from an "interesting" subject, that might be enough to keep it going.
Good point.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with stonekettle, so naturally, I fail to fully notice or point out how repetitive he can be. Criticising the American right wing is pretty much the intellectual equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.
If food doesn't pan out (no pun intended) would you consider book or movie criticism? I am a lazy critic, and could probably learn from your method.
Ah yes, JB, this is true. Thus, 'experiment.' Am I passionate enough about this?
ReplyDeleteI can force myself to write about something for a long time, if necessary; I've long argued that I'm different from most other bloggers in that they take up writing in order to talk about their passion . . . whereas I talk about my passion in order to WRITE.
I am always a writer first.
@ Alexis:
DeleteLucky guy.
Not so much. Remember I wrote for 20 years before there was an internet.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck Alexis. I really enjoy your writing style and would love to read some fiction set in your game world. I recently read posts about your party stuck in the subarctic with a mammoth, hounded by barbarian humanoids - very entertaining. I would buy those books for sure.
ReplyDelete