Turn Left Here

I started this blog on MySpace as an adjunct to my life as a writer. As I flip through past sessions (on MySpace), however, I find far too many of them have been about my life as a person. Everybody has a life as a person, so what makes that worthy of my time to write about it, or your time to read it? Darn little. Most days, I only pay attention because it is, after all, me.

My life as an aspiring author might be marginally more interesting. I know there are other aspiring authors out there who might find it interesting or motivational to hear how I am faring. Competition in the writing field is rough, but most authors (at least, in my genres) are usually willing to help one another, pass on tips, advice and inspiration. I read newsletters and talk to fellow aspiring writers, new writers and more experienced writers. I don't know it all, but I know some. Maybe I know some vital bit that others don't know yet.

And then there's the flip side. Readers. Without readers who like what they've written, authors wouldn't have an audience. But how do readers know they'll like a new author's style, or story line, or anything? They have to give a new author a chance, actually read a little bit of what that author has written. I think that's why so many new authors have taken to putting some of their writing on the web; to give potential readers a chance to try their style, their universes and characters, in hopes of turning potential readers into fans. Blogs, I'm told, can do the same thing, by exposing something of the author's style, beliefs and thinking processes.

So, those were the vague ideas that led me to start a blog in the first place. As I searched each week for 'something' to write a couple hundred words about, I too frequently opted to whine or complain about Life In General. Should have known better, but the problem with The Easy Way is, it's – well – easy.

So, I'm going to take an abrupt left turn here and try to find my way back to the path of Aspiring Author. Don't know what I'm going to write about next week; maybe how to 'show' instead of 'tell', or where to place commas, or some information about one of my characters. It WON'T be the continuing saga of the stress in my life. It exists, just as it does in so many people's lives, and it no doubt influences my writing. But it isn't WHY I write, and I don't want to focus on it anymore.

Come back next week. See where I'm headed. Trudy