Friday 29 June 2007

Why am I here?

Well, that got off to a good start. I brainfarted something out for my first proper post, and got a comment from the exquisite but slightly oddways Mist1 (I'll figure out how to embed links later - it's Friday afternoon and I'm over it. She's in the sidebar. Who am I talking to? She's my only reader.) I was all like "WTF?" and she was like "Protractor, huh? That's cool..." and I was like "No, seriously, like, WTF?" and she was all "Just take a breath" and I was totally like, something, or, whatever.

Anyway, it wasn't expected. And it's actually sort of buggered things up. Cos I had it all worked out. I was going to blog quietly, starting small, just writing about things that I find interesting, or that may or may not have happened to me. I was prepared to toil diligently, saving snippets of stories and sagas to slide smoothly into prose. I was willing to suffer for my art. I hoped to get noticed by some of the people in my small collection of links, most likely through clicking on my name above a comment that I had left on their pages in a subtle but sophisticated spot of self-promotion. I expected this to take time - I envisaged months of solitary composition before one day finding a little nugget of communication from someone reaching out to say "Hello! I'm here too! You're not working in vain! And stop leaving those bloody comments on my blog - they're not funny and they're not clever!"

But now I've got a comment. Two, in fact (not counting mine, cos that'd be sort of self-referential and a bit sad). Where do I go from here? This may present a problem. I started this to practise writing. Having comments is a bonus. I have this idea that it would be better to write a great book and have no readers than to write something shite and sell millions of them. Of course, Dan Brown might disagree. Anyway, now I've received instant gratification. And I've got a feeling that these little buggers could get addictive. Constant vigilance! That's what I need. And the new Harry Potter. I need that too.

So I'm on my guard, all you sneaky... reader... you. And don't think I'm letting your attention, flattering as may be, go to my head. I've got a plan. Options. Stragety and tictacs. And I'm watching you. I don't need your validation - I'm in this for the art!


Hey Mist1, can you let me know if this post is any good? Cheers.

14 comments:

thispickle said...

pfft, suffering for your art is overated.

honestly, I very much enjoyed your post.

mist1 said...

There was something about remembering what it was like to use a protractor that I really liked about that post. It made me nostalgic. Nostalgic for the days when I was much, much smarter.

I have this little private blog that I keep all to myself. I don't link to it. I don't publicize it. I imagine that it will grow into this great memoir. I think about the shoes that I will wear when Oprah and I discus it on her show. But in reality, it just sits there. I write a sentence sometimes. Not even a full sentence, just reminders to myself of stuff that I want to eventually get around to writing about. I think it sits like that because I don't have feedback. I don't know what works and what just sucks. That is where I go to suffer for the art of prose. It's not working. It's just suffering. I agree with Jen's comment. Suffering for your craft is just that. Suffering.

Sorry to bugger stuff up. It appears to be one of my skills.

Steph said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steph said...

oh dear, I had to take down the other comment cos I assumed you were a chick!
No offence, I've had a few Voddys tonight.
So anyhoo, just wanted to say hi and welcome and all thst stuff. Good luck with your blog. :)

If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake ;)

Todd Camplin said...

I noticed you, but sorry, I am a nobody. Better luck next time.

Nevermore said...

funny! delightful! articulate! so glad i found your blog...

tim said...

jen - I love the different ways people translate non-verbal sounds into word! Bwahahahahah! But you're right - if I can do something worthwhile straight away, why bother with the angst? My God - I just removed the need for the entire emo subculture...

mist1 - you'll get a whole new post in response to that comment. Two in a row! You're on a roll...

steph, steph, steph - just last week you were congratulating me on my skilz and wishing me luck for the life changing purchase I'm about to undertake - where did that head to female territory?

camplin - you're nobody til somebody loves you. Course, if you've got rhythm, and you've got music, who could ask for anything more?

rayne - cheers, I'll try to keep writing good and stuff.

thispickle said...

Really? I thought 'pfft' was the universally acknowledged spelling for that sound. How very odd.

Scum Department said...

I enjoyed this post. You intrigued me a while ago with a very random comment on my blog, one of support and understanding and it was greatly appreciated.

Don't blog for the comments because you'll find they'll take over and you'll begin to write for the readers, not yourself and then it becomes tiring. I have actually abandoned a blog or two for that very reason.

tim said...

jen - the word I'm thinking of is onomatopoeia. I've seen pfft a few times now - it describes exactly what it's supposed to, even though it's not listed in any dictionary I've seen. I like these words a lot. I think this is how language started - associating particular sounds with particular concepts. Grammar and all that other boring stuff came later. One of my dreams is to come up with a new word or phrase that everyone ends up using.

Cheers SD - I've taken a few days to get back to the blog - I've got a draft, but I'm still working on the tone. It's the vibe of the thing!
It's excellent to hear that you've finished uni. Silly bugger that I am, I've gone back and started a degree in psychology. At least this way I don't *need* a degree - if I get bored with it I can get rid of it. The main thing is to keep interested in it. I think that holds with everything. More on that in the next entry...

Steph said...

That was YOU! Oh my! I'm blushing at the memory. :P

Anonymous said...

Well well well...

Yep I was actually hoping that by the time I wrote that I'd have come up with a mildly amusing and awfully clever thing to say.

Funny story but you actually have to have mildly amusing and awfully clever things floating about in your head for them to pop out - they don't just appear you know.

So after distracting you with mindless dribble I'm still no closer to saying anything clever or mildly amusing so I'm off.

Anonymous said...

People should read this.

Anonymous said...

Hi your website is cool
Check at that crazy emo song:
http://tinyurl.com/9tqcum