my birthday (a haiku)
July 30th
Another year has gone by
Another begins
*****
A few weeks ago a friend told me they missed my old blog, which I started with grand sheepishness on this day in 2010. There, I wrote movie reviews, 80s music, books, essays about growing up, and even some short stories. My personal favorite of those was a series spoofing "The Andy Griffith Show" as a noir. I ended the blog on December 31, 2017, after the release of my novel Kilroy Was Here. The idea was to hang out here more. Write some posts. Sell some books. Build readership.
Now, six years, four grandchildren, and one pandemic after Kilroy Was Here, I find myself looking backward and forward at the same time. A second novel is forthcoming. I'm avoiding final revisions as I type this. Four other novels lie in various stages of shitty first draft. Ideas for three others exist as notes and outlines in my journal. I've also been working on a television script because the idea of finishing one thing before starting another is a foreign concept.
FUN FACT: Not finishing what one starts is a common trait in people with Attention Deficit Disorder. I'm not saying I have ADD. I'm not saying I don't. I'm saying my history is littered with unfinished projects.
One of the joys of the old blog was the sense of accomplishment. Seeing a piece of micro writing through to completion was a big deal and gave me the confidence to tackle a novel. I assumed that creativity will transition over to this website and I would be connecting with readers while posting more reviews, music musings, and stories. This would all grow that readership, create fans, and sell those books!
What does this have to do with my 56th birthday? What do I mean by looking backward and forward?
I don't know what to do with this website. I need to do something different. Move forward. Shake things up. Change is good. Change is healthy. Yet, I can't help but peek behind me at what I used to do. As I draw closer to putting a bow on the new novel, the need to rebrand is slowly taking precedent.
I crave a fresh way to engage with people. Facebook is still my primary social media platform but it is Facebook. Instagram is fun but I don't get how to share my writing there. Twitter or X or whatever the hell it is just plain sucks and my birthday present to myself is going to be the deletion of my account there. Linkedin? I don't understand that platform, either. I have tried to use all of these outlets to share my writing with not only those who know me, but those who have yet to meet me.
The rules of comedy mandate I can no longer use the above joke for the remainder of this post.
So, I am actively seeking out a way to get more writing out there. The more I write, the better I get. On this, my 56th birthday, I refuse to stop writing. I've got more to say.
I just don't know where to say it.
more to come (a haiku)
What is past is past
Looking at the road ahead
There's much more to come
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