I wasn’t really this young when I started, but it sure feels like I was. I am definitely that old now and getting older by the second.
I wanted to let people know what direction the site is taking this year so that they can make up their own minds about whether to continue following.
I started this a long time ago. I first started posting articles about writing in 1993 at the wizened age of 25. That was over 20 years ago now. While it isn’t quite half my life ago, it is long enough that it feels like it. Over the years, my goals for this site have varied, my activity has varied, and the success has varied. At one time, this site had a heavy focus on jobs, and it was quite successful when I did that (multiples more visitors than there are today), but it was no real fun for me.
It has also been, and remains, a how-to site. There are plenty of how-to articles here, and there always will be, but I have run out of things to say about how to write. For the most part, all I know enough to talk intelligently about, when it comes to writing and poetry, is already here. I could find new ways to say the same things. Some blogs have been doing that for years, but that is not fun for me, and so… no. I don’t have time to work on projects that I don’t enjoy. I have a wife and two kids now and a demanding (but satisfying) job. I’m also trying to lose weight (again). I have a pretty full plate (of vegetables).
I have considered spending time writing about what I am doing as a technical writer. It would be a great way to further my career. But every time I start to write about it, I get distracted by other things. That is a pretty good sign that I don’t really want to spend my time writing about that, so no to that as well.
When I think about what I want to work on this year, what comes to me is that all I really want to do is is indulge in some creative writing. So, for better or worse, that is what I am going to try to do. This brings up a few concerns though. The primary concern is audience. This site, in its current form, is all but “G” rated and aimed at information. Now, I will be adding creative works that are not “G” rated. This can present certain problems. I will most likely lose some readers and get some angry comments. I strongly considered just starting a new site, but PoeWar is my site and it does have a following. I know that if I post here, I will get readers. Trying to build up a new site would mean starting with almost no audience, and I want readers, so I will have to accept a few issues in order to get the benefits. The alternative though, was to just stop writing here, so even if the content isn’t what you wanted, understand that the other choice was nothing.
What I plan to do here, is write a continuing story, a serial that crosses a few different genres. I might also, if my writing partner Leigh agrees, publish a novel we worked on a few years back. It isn’t quite serialized, but it’s a fun/weird story and could probably survive being broken up into chunks. It would be nice for it to see the light of day. I also have a few other pieces that may make their way in, dated as they are. I’ll also throw in some poetry prompts along the way, if interest seems high enough. I hope to post some other more personal things as well, and just have some fun.
So, if you want to come along for the ride, great! If not, thanks for the time you spent with me.
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