After a month-long hiatus, I am back and recommitted to this blogging thing! Commitment isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world for me – especially if it doesn’t involve immediate rewards. Which is true of blogging. (Unless you count the fact that I fully intend to reward myself with a can of Diet Coke with Lime once I hit “submit” this evening.)
Anyhoo, I’m back and as committed as my I’m-doing-this-‘cause-I-know-I-need-to reality allows me to be. (Some people spell it anywho, but that just doesn’t seem right to me. Then again, nor does the spelling of “colonel.” But what’s a writer to do? You gotta pick your battles, I guess. Like, when I’m writing grant applications at work, I don’t generally argue with Webster. Uh, not that I ever use the words “colonel” or “anywho/hoo” in grant applications. But hey, when it comes to my blog, I figure I can humor myself a bit. Anyhoo, it is.)
So again, here I am. With ideas a-flutterin’!
Here’s the thing: back in December I was convinced I had to come up with a cream-of-the-crop idea for Tag(g)lines. Like a Julie/Julia Project meets Stuff Christians Like meets the 8,752 amazing writing blogs out there. (Yeah, totally made up that stat. Have I just shot any and all credibility in the foot?)
Problem was, every good idea came with the same overwhelming catch: time-consumption.
Ugh.
And so I blew them all off and took a month-long, and I dare-say much-needed, hiatus from blogging. Well, not only from blogging, but also from pressuring myself to blog. It was, as I said in my one January post, liberating.
Now that I’m back, I know that no matter what I choose to do with Tag(g)lines, time is a factor. It just plain takes time to do something well. (Except wink. It only takes a millisecond to wink. If it took more time, it’d be weird. Huh, weird. Another oddly spelled word. Seriously, I thought “I” came before “E” except after “C.”)
But I think I’ve come to accept the fact that I don’t have the time to think and plan and create some amazing masterpiece of an online entity. And that’s okay. I’d rather think and plan and create a great novel. And then another. And then another.
I also think, though, that I can step this blog up. Do at least a little thinking and planning and ultimately, hopefully, creating, and make Tag(g)lines something I can be proud of…and without feeling like this blog is eating up my time as fast as Cookie Monster downs cookies. (Although, I heard the blue guy’s eating healthy these days. Is that for real? Any Sesame Street watchers out there?)
And so, without further ado, Phase I: Monthly Topics. Or perhaps more accurately, sub-topics. I think this blog will always have an over-riding writing focus. But writing is a big, big topic and tons of others (8,752 others maybe?!) are already writing about writing.
So what I’m going to do in 2010 is come up with a sub-topic for each month – most often related to writing, but also related to life and faith and probably once in awhile Diet Coke with Lime. Yes, I like it that much!
So what’s February’s topic, you ask?
Excuses.
Already in this blog post, you’ve come across several excuses I like to use for not writing or not blogging or just about not anything: lack of instant rewards, time, fear of commitment, the desire for freedom…issues with the spelling of certain words! (Okay, that last one’s not an excuse. I just felt like I needed a fifth item to round out the list.)
Thing is, so many of the excuses that often keep me from writing when I know that deep, deep down I’ve got a story dying to get out (and die it will if I don’t give it route for escape), well, they tend to be the same excuses I let keep me from other things in life. What things, you wonder? Well, you’ll have to keeping reading in future weeks.
I truly hope this blog will develop into something that “gives” to its readers. I hope it provokes thought, generates discussion and prompts ideas. I’ll give it my best. And I thank you, Mr. or Miss or Mrs. Reader, whoever you might be, in advance for returning, for reading, for participating.
Question Time! I’ve got a running list of excuses I plan to think/talk/write about in coming weeks, but I’m open for more ideas! If you’re a writer, what excuses keep you from writing? If you’re not a writer, what excuses keep you from doing the things you want to (or know you need to) do?
Comments 2
You know, as a picky eater, I prided myself on the fact that I could drink ANY kind of soda. Then Diet Coke Lime came out. Blech. I’m seriously going to have to reconsider my readership of this blog!
I’ve also always had a hard time spelling weird due to that very issue. So maybe I can still identify with you. 🙂
In other news, Cookie Monster is indeed advocating healthy eating. I saw a YouTube commercial where he ate a bunch of fruits and veggies. Of course, he ended it with a truckload of cookies, so he’s still a cookie fiend at heart.
Now I’m hungry…
Oh no, Ben, you don’t like Diet Coke with Lime??!! This is a serious problem. Mostly, because I’m concerned with the welfare of Hannah, Samantha and new little Sarah! They must have proper exposure to the best sodas…
Okay, just kidding, you’re a swell dad. And I’m glad the spelling of “weird” can provide a point of connection for us! 🙂
I just ate a double-stuffed Oreo, so obviously I identify with the original Cookie Monster more than the new and improved and healthy version!