Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us.
~Oscar Wilde
Though I love blogging, I do wish I could change the odds of someone new reading something old. As it stands, they’re equal to the odds of my passing a bowl of peanut M&M’s empty handed.
It’s the nature of the beast. Blogs evolve with rapidity. Trying to keep up, let alone catch up, can feel like moving a mountain of sand with a pair of rusty tweezers.
I took Writer Dad seriously from the very beginning, because I wanted to grow as a writer. This past week, I reread my first forty posts. It’s interesting to look back on things I’ve scribbled and find them somehow surprising.
Here’s what my sister said in an email after my first week:
My thoughts on your blog are that it’s extremely well written, and surprisingly professional and tasteful in how it’s presented. I don’t mean “surprisingly” like a slam. . . I just mean it looks like some Aspiring Professional Author Writer Dad carefully crafted it, and not my goofy brother who likes to hum Super Mario Bros. through his nose. Wait, that still sounded like a slam, didn’t it? It’s not… I hope you know what I mean.
Still one of my favorite compliments regarding Writer Dad.
I’ve compiled the first forty posts, and assembled them all pretty like in an E-Book.
The book’s an interesting read. It starts with a few rather awkward posts, from the two weeks of Blogspot prior to Writer Dad. I transferred them to this blog right before it started, so that first time visitors wouldn’t be wise to how empty the hallways actually were.
As the pages turn (or scroll), you can almost feel the moment things start to shift. The writing becomes fun, playful even, as I started to realize what I was born to do. Those were magical moments, the first taste of possibility, without the stress of major transition.
It’s a summit I look forward to climbing again.
These are a few of my favorites, in order of appearance.
- Sink or Swim: We are faced with only two choices when we find ourselves adrift; sink or swim.
- Bye Bye Butterfly: A fond farewell (in rhyme) to one of my favorite students.
- The Great Equalizer: A long and winding thought on the role of publishers in an industry about to shift.
- Here’s a Macbook, Go Make Your Million: A happy anniversary to my beloved, and a testament to her belief in me.
- The Eighth Wonder of the World: The Miracle of compound interest. In prose!
- I Promise: A commitment to continuously search for my truest voice.
- Just Pay Attention: Music and language are critical to a child’s early development. Dual Immersion is AWESOME.
- Thank You Sir, May I Have Another: Little Max gets a really big shot, after waiting for a long long while.
- No, no, no! I said I didn’t want to be a chooch: My insecurities about being a writer do the moonwalk across the blog.
If you have a favorite, and someone to share it with; perhaps someone who doesn’t normally read blogs, please email a story, the book, or a link to this page. Each entry in the E-Book links to the original post. Feel free to drop by again. Discussions here are endless.
The book is here. Enjoy, and I’ll see you Monday.
Writer Dad
If you enjoyed these words, please subscribe (for free) by RSS or Email. I tweet here, and Stumble here.
About Sean Platt
Writer Dad,
Trust me, you DON’T want to have an end like Oscar Wilde’s, who was 46 when he died (poor) having being sentenced to hard labor in Victorian England, after it was disclosed that he was a homosexual. Imagine how many more brilliant quotes – and works – we would have from him, had he been able to live his life in peace.
As for me and my blogs, there’s a big part of me that likes my OLDER posts better. They may not have gotten many comments (or few), but the writing was crisper and they were, in some ways, more satisfying. I’d say I, too, smile at them, but with few exceptions, I don’t cringe…
:-)
Rita
Ritas last blog post..Top 10 Movies to Watch this Weekend
Writer Dad,
Trust me, you DON’T want to have an end like Oscar Wilde’s, who was 46 when he died (poor) having being sentenced to hard labor in Victorian England, after it was disclosed that he was a homosexual. Imagine how many more brilliant quotes – and works – we would have from him, had he been able to live his life in peace.
As for me and my blogs, there’s a big part of me that likes my OLDER posts better. They may not have gotten many comments (or few), but the writing was crisper and they were, in some ways, more satisfying. I’d say I, too, smile at them, but with few exceptions, I don’t cringe…
:-)
Rita
Ritas last blog post..Top 10 Movies to Watch this Weekend
I’m glad I’ve been around to read it all. I am not always good at diving into archives of blogs I find. Some, I have taken the time but most it’s just impossible. It is a weird thing, I think, that there can be so much that people who find me today won’t know or read. I do have a plugin in my feed that pops up 5 related posts to the current post. Those give people a glimpse into past posts and they get a fair bit of traffic each day.
I checked my sitemeter for the first moment in a few weeks today. I happened to see that someone started at page 1 and had made their way back to page 57!!! I was astounded that someone would just keep going and going. I have to remind myself sometimes that I am not as boring to others as I am to myself :)
As a final note to my babbling, it feels like I’ve known you much longer than it has been. You’ve done a magnificent job reaching out and showing us who you are each day, Writer Dad. I’m sure happy to have found you back when I did.
Emilys last blog post..How Often Do You Grocery Shop?
I’m glad I’ve been around to read it all. I am not always good at diving into archives of blogs I find. Some, I have taken the time but most it’s just impossible. It is a weird thing, I think, that there can be so much that people who find me today won’t know or read. I do have a plugin in my feed that pops up 5 related posts to the current post. Those give people a glimpse into past posts and they get a fair bit of traffic each day.
I checked my sitemeter for the first moment in a few weeks today. I happened to see that someone started at page 1 and had made their way back to page 57!!! I was astounded that someone would just keep going and going. I have to remind myself sometimes that I am not as boring to others as I am to myself :)
As a final note to my babbling, it feels like I’ve known you much longer than it has been. You’ve done a magnificent job reaching out and showing us who you are each day, Writer Dad. I’m sure happy to have found you back when I did.
Emilys last blog post..How Often Do You Grocery Shop?
Heya Writer Dad,
I sure do love your blog entries. It’s definitely a fresh read and I particularly liked the way you can write using descriptive words that allows me to imagine myself in the same thought that you have while writing. Haha.
Great content! See you again man.
Daniel
Daniel Richards last blog post..11 Traits You Need To Getting Things Done With a BIGGER SMILE!
Heya Writer Dad,
I sure do love your blog entries. It’s definitely a fresh read and I particularly liked the way you can write using descriptive words that allows me to imagine myself in the same thought that you have while writing. Haha.
Great content! See you again man.
Daniel
Daniel Richards last blog post..11 Traits You Need To Getting Things Done With a BIGGER SMILE!
I must say that your sister really hits it on the head. You started out and have maintained your style and approach. Your blog is different because you are a creative writer and you’re very good at it. I envy your talent to use expressive words that coordinate so well together.
Thanks for taking the time to put these together. This will give me a chance to look over some of your former work that I’ve missed.
B.Wildes last blog post..Brief Encounters with Miss Addie
I must say that your sister really hits it on the head. You started out and have maintained your style and approach. Your blog is different because you are a creative writer and you’re very good at it. I envy your talent to use expressive words that coordinate so well together.
Thanks for taking the time to put these together. This will give me a chance to look over some of your former work that I’ve missed.
B.Wildes last blog post..Brief Encounters with Miss Addie
Rita: I should go back and read your older posts. I read “A Tale of Two Kitties,” but that was only because it was reposted. I can’t imagine ever not cringing on my old stuff, at least a little. I bought a book of Oscar Wilde quotes (for a dollar!). I didn’t know until then about his end. Very tragic.
Emily: Unbelievable. Someone made it fifty-seven deep. That must make you feel amazing. You’re not boring at all, Emily. It’s easy to see that you have a sweet heart.
Daniel: Thanks Daniel. It’s a true compliment to know that you were in my head, for even a second. Thanks.
B. Wilde: KittyTown hits most things right on their head, including me. I’m hope you enjoy the compilation. Please let me know if you have a particular favorite.
Rita: I should go back and read your older posts. I read “A Tale of Two Kitties,” but that was only because it was reposted. I can’t imagine ever not cringing on my old stuff, at least a little. I bought a book of Oscar Wilde quotes (for a dollar!). I didn’t know until then about his end. Very tragic.
Emily: Unbelievable. Someone made it fifty-seven deep. That must make you feel amazing. You’re not boring at all, Emily. It’s easy to see that you have a sweet heart.
Daniel: Thanks Daniel. It’s a true compliment to know that you were in my head, for even a second. Thanks.
B. Wilde: KittyTown hits most things right on their head, including me. I’m hope you enjoy the compilation. Please let me know if you have a particular favorite.
Hey hey, Writer Dad.
A newsletter is a great way to get people to visit old posts. If you send out a weekly mailing with tips, information, motivation, etc., you can throw in links to old posts that might be pertinent to what you’re writing about that week. I get quite a few hits to old posts on my home and garden this way.
Good luck!
Lindsays last blog post..3 Questions to Answer Before You Buy a “How to Make Money” System…
Hey hey, Writer Dad.
A newsletter is a great way to get people to visit old posts. If you send out a weekly mailing with tips, information, motivation, etc., you can throw in links to old posts that might be pertinent to what you’re writing about that week. I get quite a few hits to old posts on my home and garden this way.
Good luck!
Lindsays last blog post..3 Questions to Answer Before You Buy a “How to Make Money” System…
Thanks for the history. It’s nice to see someone’s development over time. It’s very encouraging. I just launched my blog yesterday, so I am right in the awkward phase. I appreciated reading your post for a vision of the future.
Thanks for the history. It’s nice to see someone’s development over time. It’s very encouraging. I just launched my blog yesterday, so I am right in the awkward phase. I appreciated reading your post for a vision of the future.