A weblog is a weblog is a weblog. Previously, when I was contracted to write for a newspaper, then later for an Ezine, I wrote whatever I wanted. My editors did not edit, they published, errors and all, whatever I gave to them. My writing was an extension of my Ego.
It is still an extension of my Ego. When I was writing before, I would blithely ignore the suggestions, read: assignments the Editors gave, and write whatever came to mind. The columns composed largely consisted of Social Commentary. My official post was the political correspondent. I recall exactly one column where I actually took the assignment given, wrote on topic, and submitted the piece before deadline. Brian, the Editor not the Husbandish Guy, read the piece, thanked me for doing the assignment, threw it in the shred bin and told me to write, "something, anything, we need to fill three column inches," by the deadline in a few minutes. I edited to keep things PG-13.
Brian the Husbandish Guy has encouraged me to write. Brian says I should do something that will make me happy. My Beautiful Sister, Sara, encouraged me to write. I would talk to her about story ideas, trying to give them to her to write down, and she repeatedly told me to write them down myself. My teacher, friend and mentor encourages me to write. He has implied it will be good for me.
It has been a few years since I last wrote a column. I'm finding that without someone to tell me what I should be writing about, I have no one to rebel against. Where's the fun in that? I'm trying my hand at fiction, with results. I know how to write fiction. I'm not so sure that I know how to write fiction well. For some authors, writing is not only an extension of ego but a very simple process of putting their thoughts down on paper. For me, I am going to have to learn the Craft. I have to learn everything from organizing my thoughts to point of view to voice to verb tense and, I'm quite certain that if I should be successful in completing a full manuscript that is worth the trouble to read, I will have to learn how to properly spell and punctuate. I have a fondness for ellipses and appositional phrases that I suspect most Editors of fiction will not share.
For the sake of learning how to write and for the dual purposes of others leisure activity and my own discipline, it occurred to me that I should blog it up again. So, I am not putting all my ducks in one basket because a bird in hand is better than a poke with a stick.
I welcome feedback, positive, negative or simply informative/critical/analytical. I take writing seriously, but do not take myself so seriously as a writer. I want to learn the craft, I want to write well, I want to entertain you, inform you and make you think. I want even the fiction to spark something within that can inspire you to reach for the highest level you can achieve. I want to attempt to keep my Ego out of the whole process. If you write me, I will likely respond.
Side note in closing: Mel's Diner, the previous column series, always had some food or coffee reference. This series, They, Inc., will usually include some euphemism, idiom or colloquialism, either mixed, as above, or not. If you come across some peculiar turn of phrase you find amusing, please forward it to me along with your meaning or definition and perhaps I will use it here.
Welcome to They, Inc.
Kate McCulloch
