I have always wanted to write… a book, an article just something that others might be interested in reading. So I wrote and wrote and wrote … journals and little stories for myself, occasionally sharing with a few people but…. BUT, I have always found a reason not to put myself out there…a way to avoid the actual task of writing something anyone can read.
Tilly (my lovely and supportive spouse) told me two days ago that maybe I should quit talking about writing and just do some. After decades of dreaming and thinking and talking about writing, I really need to “do it or get off the pot”. I hate it when she is right! I could start small; blogging… there we go.But where do I start?
I thought of my friend Mohammed who has been blogging in French for the last three years and called him for help. His best advice consisted of giving me a link to a 51 minute video explaining exactly how and where to set up a Blog. So I spent the better part of today (about 8 hours or so) registering a domain name, setting up a blog site, picking an appearance theme for my blog site, choosing what bells, whistles and widgets, gadgets, and whatnots to include on the site…
And now I am ready to write…. my fingertips on the keyboard! OKAY! … HERE WE GO! READY, SET, BLOG! …
… Um, just a minute let me get my thoughts in order…. maybe a quick cupa tea?
I’m back so here we go now…. da-yammmm! … Sorry, need a restroom break…. BRB!
What the heck happened to my ideas from this morning?? Okay, no panic…I’ll just make a list of ideas and expand on the one that jumps out at me!
Let’s see… the Supercommmittee to address the US debt crisis has failed to reach any sort of agreement… There I go, I can write about all the self-styled NEROs fiddling around while our country burns to the ground… Uh-oh that is old news and besides was it really unexpected? Nah, I believe most voters in the US expected their shenanigans… Everyone knows that the first and foremost goal of any elected official in Washington DC is to be re-elected at any cost ( apparently even if it means the US/World economy collapses). What more do I have to add to that depressing scenario???
I could pen a mushy monologue about what I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving weekend: all the people: mom, dad, my son, my daughter, my wife, my cousins , their families, my friends, my job, my house, car,… SHEESH that could be insanely long and complicated besides insulting and dull for anyone not included. I would be certain to forget someone! Nope… too much potential trouble!
I could discuss the current events in Bahrain; the Arab Spring protests and the release of the BICI report. I fear though, that my opinions would either lead to my being tarred and feathered by the opposition or exiled by the government or most likely both. OOPS, better not.
Weather is always a good fallback topic. It has been raining here in Bahrain all day… an event only occurring 5-6 times per year. Maybe I could talk about the flooded roadways due to lack of proper drainage and the attendant traffic congestion… only… it hasn’t rained that hard. Roads are clear and traffic is running smoothly. So smoothly that we just returned from a 6k walk around Arad Bay (avoiding writing all the way).
It is only two weeks before we head home to Southern California… GREAT!… even got my title … CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ … nothing like lifting a Blog title from a 60’s hit song. BUT, what then to write about next week???
Maybe also, I should think about who my audience is. Who am I trying to reach? What are the demographics of my target audience? Young? OLD? Middle Age? Technologically Savvy Or Challenged? Rich, Poor Or Middle Class? Male, Female? Gay, Bi-Sexual or Straight? Atheist or God Fearing… Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or???? This is more complicated than I thought!
I’ll do some research….
Back again! I now know who my audience is! William Zinsser’s book On Writing Well, explained.
Soon … another question will occur to you: “Who am I writing for?” It’s a fundamental question and has a fundamental answer: You are writing for yourself.
COOL! And since I have now exceeded the length limit I set for my blog I can end here.
William Zinsser said in his book On Writing Well –
A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing.
I have just found lots of ways to avoid writing my first blog. Does that mean I am now a “real” writer?
We will see when I try again next week.
ENIGMAS 