Kenju just asked me on Facebook, “Are you guys okay? Sure haven't heard from you in a while!"
Yeah, we’re fine.
I’ve just lost the desire to put up blog posts. Don’t know why, but the fun seems gone from it—and that’s a shame!
Being a part of the blogosphere for a few years was a hoot. I “met” online a bunch of really nice people who I still care about and follow on their blogs (those who still post to a blog anyway) and on Facebook, where most seem to have gravitated.
I had a huge amount of fun with poems, posts about the “ycaripsnoc” causing everything from bursting plumbing to the MS Windows Blue Screen of Death, tales about vacation trips complete with pictures, satires on movies, reviews of country songs, and lots more.
And wasn’t it a thrill when some completely new person first commented on a post, leading to a new friendship in blog-land? I made new friends in the UK, in South Africa, in Australia, and all over the US! I’m old enough to remember when people had Pen Pals in different places (which was like blogging but using the postal service to transmit your “posts”)—the thrill of meeting and sharing stories with someone far away was similar.
Anyway, because those blog posts meant a lot to me then, I’ll leave Romantic Ramblings and all its archives up on Google’s Blogspot for a while.
How long? Well, knowing my tendency towards inertia, probably until they declare it abandoned and erase if from their massive servers.
I started this blog when a literary agent I was working with told me I “HAD” to have an internet presence if I wanted to be considered commercially viable as a novelist. As you’ll remember, he later agreed to represent me but soon found that the publishers he approached had a somewhat different idea about what was commercially viable, and it didn’t include my first novel.
Undaunted I began two more books, but the writing languished at about the 10k word level. I still have those story lines percolating in the back of my mind, but wonder now if I’ll ever start them back up again.
In my blogging I met other authors, many of whom (honesty requires me to admit) are better writers than I am. Several of those are still on the verge of either representation or of at least seeing their work available on Amazon as a P.O.D. (Print on Demand) paperback or e-book.
You know who you are, Candace and Karyn!
But now I guess all of us have moved on a bit. I still browse a few blogs and all of my Facebook friends’ posts, but I have little desire to participate in the Facebook games and activities and causes.
I keep saying that I’m “nearing retirement” . . . But am I really? I haven’t even settled of a year yet, let alone a date.
So, Kenju, thanks for asking!
In my usual introspective way I’ve rambled around trying to say farewell; to blogging, at least. But I’ll still be lurking around waiting to make a sarcastic or double entendre comment to whatever you put on Facebook. (“Someone just fertilized my crops on Farmland!” You can imagine the fun I could have with THAT one!)
Like the line from the very old song, “Seasons in the Sun:”
Yeah, we’re fine.
I’ve just lost the desire to put up blog posts. Don’t know why, but the fun seems gone from it—and that’s a shame!
Being a part of the blogosphere for a few years was a hoot. I “met” online a bunch of really nice people who I still care about and follow on their blogs (those who still post to a blog anyway) and on Facebook, where most seem to have gravitated.
I had a huge amount of fun with poems, posts about the “ycaripsnoc” causing everything from bursting plumbing to the MS Windows Blue Screen of Death, tales about vacation trips complete with pictures, satires on movies, reviews of country songs, and lots more.
And wasn’t it a thrill when some completely new person first commented on a post, leading to a new friendship in blog-land? I made new friends in the UK, in South Africa, in Australia, and all over the US! I’m old enough to remember when people had Pen Pals in different places (which was like blogging but using the postal service to transmit your “posts”)—the thrill of meeting and sharing stories with someone far away was similar.
Anyway, because those blog posts meant a lot to me then, I’ll leave Romantic Ramblings and all its archives up on Google’s Blogspot for a while.
How long? Well, knowing my tendency towards inertia, probably until they declare it abandoned and erase if from their massive servers.
I started this blog when a literary agent I was working with told me I “HAD” to have an internet presence if I wanted to be considered commercially viable as a novelist. As you’ll remember, he later agreed to represent me but soon found that the publishers he approached had a somewhat different idea about what was commercially viable, and it didn’t include my first novel.
Undaunted I began two more books, but the writing languished at about the 10k word level. I still have those story lines percolating in the back of my mind, but wonder now if I’ll ever start them back up again.
In my blogging I met other authors, many of whom (honesty requires me to admit) are better writers than I am. Several of those are still on the verge of either representation or of at least seeing their work available on Amazon as a P.O.D. (Print on Demand) paperback or e-book.
You know who you are, Candace and Karyn!
But now I guess all of us have moved on a bit. I still browse a few blogs and all of my Facebook friends’ posts, but I have little desire to participate in the Facebook games and activities and causes.
I keep saying that I’m “nearing retirement” . . . But am I really? I haven’t even settled of a year yet, let alone a date.
So, Kenju, thanks for asking!
In my usual introspective way I’ve rambled around trying to say farewell; to blogging, at least. But I’ll still be lurking around waiting to make a sarcastic or double entendre comment to whatever you put on Facebook. (“Someone just fertilized my crops on Farmland!” You can imagine the fun I could have with THAT one!)
Like the line from the very old song, “Seasons in the Sun:”
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the wine and the song,
Like the seasons, are all gone.
All our lives we had fun,
We had seasons in the sun,
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach.
If I ever get published, or manage to get a book available as a POD, I’ll let you all know!)
We had seasons in the sun,
But the wine and the song,
Like the seasons, are all gone.
All our lives we had fun,
We had seasons in the sun,
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach.
If I ever get published, or manage to get a book available as a POD, I’ll let you all know!)
4 comments:
Thanks for telling us, John. I appreciate your honesty, but I will miss your posts and the feedback. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with your recent writing.
Thanks for letting us in on your decision for a different outlet for your literary efforts. Perhaps our paths will cross on facebook. You can find me there.
I, too, suffer the occasional lapses in need to blog. If you enjoy the writing of others, you might find Hale's stories of value. I know I treasure them. He has a list of them on the right side of his blog. Let me know what you think. I know he always enjoys the comments of others.
And so, have a wonderful holiday and Vaya con Dios.
John, I'll miss your witty humor and family stories.
I haven't been very loyal at posting either, but every so often I come back just to let people know I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.
That's a bummer. I always enjoyed reading your blog posts. The inspiration to blog leaves me from time to time. I hope yours comes back at some point like mine always does.
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