STRIKE THAT LAST REMARK (aka Return of the Comeback Kid, Part II, the Post-Prequel) —- by Steve Nadis
In my last post, I indirectly admitted to being a “washed-up writer,” which I acknowledged might be the inevitable consequence of blogging. But I take that all back. I must have been suffering from temporary insanity. I’m not washed up at all, and to prove it you have to look no farther than the Summer 2005 (vol. 54, no. 3) issue of ScienceWriters (pp. 10-11) for my story, “Adventures in the Blogosphere.” Many readers, no doubt, have never heard of ScienceWriters. I can say, in its defense, that among science-writing journals, it’s right up there with the New Yorker. The key thing to focus on here, for those trying to discern a thread, is that I’m no longer a washed-up has-been. I’m merely a literary has-been OR a washed-up writer, but definitely NOT both.
Posted by
at
05:24:50
Hmmm…I was never a writer, but I have a blog. By the reasoning submitted I would be a "never will be".
Hey Indigo (I hope you don’t mind my using your first name) — Thanks for your note. You should take the above "reasoning" with a grain of salt. Telling somebody they "never will be" something is often the most powerful motivating factor around. A writer friend of mine once told a young guy in his early 20s that writing wasn’t his strong suit and that he should consider other career options. That erstwhile "young guy" now has a more active writing career than his former mentor, so you never can tell. (By the way, I’m just curious: how did you happen upon this blog?)
Sometimes I wish I’d never won that "most supportive" award because it makes it hard for me to speak my mind. But Snake, I’ve got to say it, sometimes this blog goes well past self-promotion and this seems to be one of those times. This I believe.
Well, gee, um Lindsey. I appreciate your candor and all but the thing of it is… What I mean to say is that the, uh, thing of it is, you’re uh-h-h-h-h right. "Well beyond self-promotion" is how I’d put it. Maybe I should rename this blog.
Okay, here’s my chance to snatch the "most supportive" award away from Lindsey.
The truth is, Lindsey, almost all blogs go well beyond "self-promoting". In fact, many people will spend as much time plugging their blogs on other people’s blogs as they do making new blog entries.
Plus, let’s face it: a blog is essentially a diary left wide open for the world to see (and comment upon). The underlying assumption is that the blogger’s thoughts and words are so valuable that they should be shared with a billion or so other people. If that’s not well beyond self-promoting, what is?
No, I think Snake’s real crime is in not going well, well, well beyond self-promoting. In other words, he needs to boldly go where no blog has gone before. Yes, I speak of the "reality blog"–a 24/7 stream of Snake’s ideas, thoughts, words, burps, all in real time, preferably with teen-age children and aging rock-stars, involved, and maybe even a survivalist theme and a Paris Hilton cameo.
"The Real Blog" — coming to browsers this fall! (Make it so, Snake.)
I like your ideas for a reality blog–especially the part about the survivalists and Paris Hiltion–though I’m not sure I could pull it off. Perhaps you could do it, go where no others have gone before. I also want to say that I appreciate the support, but I won’t use the term, "most supportive," as that seems too loaded.