• Zoe
    I read this simple, lovely post right after I had a serious dose of doubt about why I blog. Your words and your open style remind me how wonderful and powerful honesty can be, and they remind me why I 'believe in' blogging.

    <abbr>Zoes last blog post..Idea Dumps: Letting It All Hang Out</abbr>
  • Sean,

    I see excellent things for your writing future! Do you have a written out plan or are you riding out the tornado? I'm just curious...I believe you will succeed either way.

    <abbr>Wendi Kelly-Life's Little Inspirationss last blog post..High Flying Faith</abbr>
  • Writer Dad
    Jamie: I try to keep that part well hidden. I will definitely check out yellow legal. That's a good idea, as I have a folder that Daisy bought me like eight years ago that's the perfect size.

    Maya: Thanks Maya. I'm comfortable now, and I imagine I will continue to get more and more so.

    Emily: Thanks for being a constant, Emily. I'll pass your well wishes forward.

    Evelyn: It is hard to remember the names if you use them once, and then not for a long time. Mia is as clever as they come.

    Marelisa: I should get cards like that, except that I'm not much of a photographer.
    : > )

    Teena: Teena, you are awesome! Thanks for the comment. You have always believed in us, and have never been afraid to say it loud and often. Your family has been forever appreciative of everything we do, and could not have celebrated our transition any more than you did, or been any more thankful for the time you were given. High five, and Namasté right back.
  • Teena
    Wow! Good Stuff! I am So excited and sense amazing ventures coming your way...You have plant one teeny tiny seed, now you are seeing that beautiful, solid tree growing right before your eyes! You are one of my favorite people to chit chat with, well, you and Namas Daisy that is...I am glad that you have recognized your blessing and that you are following your gut and going "all in". We are here to support you and are looking forward to seeing you blast off into the boundless territories that are being unveiled right before your eyes....And YES....you ARE that interesting!
    Namaste'
  • Hi Sean: I loved your daughter's "business cards". My mother has a friend whose business card is basically a phrase like the following: "adventurer, self-taught, a believer in man-kind, photographer, writer, and searching for utopia". :-)

    <abbr>Marelisas last blog post..100 Essential Life Lessons</abbr>
  • Mia sounds like a very clever girl!! She understands things far more than adults do. I find that I don't really enjoy working with pennames and pseudonyms. I had a hard time trying to remember to put in the right name for a site. Oh yes...I experimented with the idea for a while...it didn't quite work out for me.

    <abbr>Evelyn Lims last blog post..The Lipstick Indicator To Great Wealth</abbr>
  • I love the title of this post. Beautiful.

    Congratulations on this new dawn - what an exciting day for you and your family! Good luck to Daisy as she finishes up and of course, I'll be here reading as you continue this journey.

    <abbr>Emilys last blog post..Sunday Link Love: Sugar Overload Edition</abbr>
  • I started my blog in secrecy too. People are just starting to find out about my blog ... and I am getting used to the fact that it is okay for them to "find" me.
    "I am an honest writer, and though I know little of what I will say as the Earth twirls from one day to the next, I always know the words will come from inside, and that there will likely be at least a nugget or two, mined from a vein, a bit deeper than where I expected to dig."
    - You are talented and passionate. And you will do very well!

    And I had to smile when I read your mom's comment - very sweet of her :)

    <abbr>Mayas last blog post..Slideshow: Dogs Lessons for Life and Work</abbr>
  • You were just hiding your true self, you violent sod! *holds chunk of oozing red meat on Matthew Dryden's eye*

    You're not alone on the pen/paper thing. Get some yellow legal tablets- easier on tired eyes. And I like the EnerGel pens by Pentel. I have a million of each, in every corner, the trunk of the car, under my pillow...if I could find something waterproof, I'd stash a set in the shower!

    <abbr>Jamie Simmermans last blog post..The Pen Men Nail It</abbr>
  • Writer Dad
    Mom: Yay, you did the name right! Huzah! In case anyone is wondering, that is indeed a direct quote. Thank you for being proud of me, and unafraid to say it. I love you too, Mom.

    Steph: That is such a high compliment. I think I might use it as my new tag line. What do you think... Writer Dad, a vigorously determined writer. Thanks, Steph. You are definitely a blogger I heart.

    Patricia: My mom wears them, swears by them, and claims they have inherited the throne from her berkenstocks. I have no genuine beef with crocs, and I'm glad they are comfortable. My experience with them is 100% on a preschool level. They aren't conducive for running around, playing in, and doing the things that children should do. Yet they are super trendy where I live (and probably everywhere). A child should be able to play red light green light, not have the trendiest shoes. I do stand corrected for my earlier statement. They are not uber silly.
  • Kool Aid, a nice memory about writing and letters. My mum wrote a letter to her mother every Sunday and to me every Sunday when I lived far away. Her emails were shorter but every bit as formal. Every night she wrote in her journal what was the weather forecast for that day, and what she did or appointments she made until she could not write any more. She would have enjoyed Twitter! But she didn't save things was not sentimental at all - neat and tidy - and enjoyed each day then let go.

    I feel compelled to write about crocs here because WD and Vered did but Vered will not let us comment on her site.
    After I broke my foot last year - 3 fractures and torn ligaments...crocs were like heaven on earth.. My mum loved crocs the last 3 years of her living because she was bone on bone everywhere and they gave her solid footing for walking and less pain. We could not get any of her friends to wear them because they were too ugly so I think we have consensus there! They do have a useful, comfortable purpose so I will overlook ugly

    <abbr>Patricias last blog post..Something Smells</abbr>
  • I like to read you. I like your stories, I enjoy the way you use words. I can feel your own enjoyment.

    But I think what I like best in your posts is the hope and belief often very palpable between the lines. Lots of people can write well, but few do it with such vigorous determination.

    <abbr>stephs last blog post..Perspective</abbr>
  • Writer Dad's MOM
    dear Sean, you have never been shy about expressing your thoughts and opinions ever since you jumped the crib! Exchange of ideas and sharing of thoughts is what makes our lives fuller and stimulates us to really think about things that we would sometimes just allow to sit on a shelf. I am very proud of you and brag on you as much as you brag on Mia and Max.I wish you all the success that the universe has to offer and remember what you said to me many years ago: "I know I'd better be successful and rich cuz I know I'm gonna have to take care of your ass when you get old!" (big smile) LUV YA, mom.
  • Writer Dad
    Sal: Dude, my arm will suffice. I definitely don't use moleskins. I write way too much to make them practical. Right now I'm using ten cent notebooks from Target. We bought fifty of them when they went on sale in August. I use both sides of all seventy pages. Doodles, notes, whatever. I've filled five, and there are plenty scattered around every corner of the house. There's no danger of running out before next August, and the total investment is five bucks. Pens, however, are a different story. I go through a LOT of those, and I admit I don't like writing with a cheap pen. The best bang for the buck I've found are Staples gel pens (their brand). They had these on super sale in July for $2.99. I bought five boxes (sixty pens) and still have plenty. That was probably more than you wanted to know. Sorry.

    Ian: Me too. I don't know if they will, but they are most certainly welcome. That is so wonderfully said, Ian. "There privacy is not my business to invade." That is why I've never spoken specifically of people, and why I even use names for my family. It just seems so somehow appropriate.

    Patricia: I agree with your mom to a degree. Our words are an expression of our thought, and they should hold us accountable. I think it's amazing that your mum was on the internet at ninety-three. That is the most inspiring thing I've heard all day.

    Kool Aid: I don't have time, quite yet anyway, but if someone registers the domain, I promise to do the first guest post.

    Vered: Thanks, Vered, for both compliments. Just for the record, I don't dig on the Crocs. I think their uber silly.
  • "I’ve never been more curious to find out what I have to say."

    Love it. Me too.

    Good luck... though this is not just about luck but also about talent and hard work. Since you ARE talented and are willing to work hard, I have no doubt success will follow.

    <abbr>Vered - MomGrinds last blog post..I Love San Francisco. Do You Like Where YOU Live?</abbr>
  • I came back to respond to WD (that's coming, promise) but Patricia, for some reason what you wrote about your mum struck a chord with me. I love it! It sounds like something my granddaddy would say and I'm sure he'd find this "blogging thing" just incredible. He published a book of letters he had written to my grandma during WWII (he didn't even know she had saved them until several years after she had died). I remember seeing his letters and notes and edits all over his kitchen table. Papers and notes scattered everywhere. A writer's life, I imagine.

    Now, back to WD; I totally think you should start a Captain Cacophony dot com! I'm sure you have time in your day for a second blog ;)
  • Joy! and release, I think that must be bliss - remember that if worry creeps in it will constipate! Soar and go with the flow.
    My mum was so sure that I would embarrass her, that I had to wait until she died to blog and write in the public eye. She believed you had to be so careful about what you put in writing - always. Teaching another subject was ok...or leading a church...but what you wrote in public was your written truth...not to be taken lightly.
    At 93 she was on the internet! and watching me
    I am quite an introvert but love the freedom of exploring the sky of the other side :) in my writing. Another wonderful grouping of words you share this morning. Thank you

    <abbr>Patricias last blog post..Something Smells</abbr>
  • WD,

    We really are long lost twins or something. People insist that I am an extrovert, but I know of no person more private than myself. Of course, I decided some time ago not to protect my name online, but I do use pseudonyms for others in my life because their privacy is not my business to invade.

    You've written wonderfully, and what you write is true. That is what makes the site special to the readers, and to yourself. It is good to hear that you have finally let others in the "real world" on to this extraordinary corner of the Internet. My hope is that they will join your other readers in the enjoyment of conversation that happens here daily. Be well.

    <abbr>Ian Parkers last blog post..Funiculì, Funiculà, Friday</abbr>
  • Sal
    From your comment to Betsy "WD should be immediate." And that is what makes WD so profound. BTW, what do you use as paper? Will any scrap do or do you have a Moleskine that houses the train of thought that is WD?

    <abbr>Sals last blog post..Controlled Burning</abbr>
  • Writer Dad
    Hayden: I agree. I won't allow it to affect my voice, but I do admit that this morning's post was one of the three most rewritten I've ever made. I deleted a week's worth of writing before I settled on what I wrote. Obviously, I can't do that every night, and I'm sure it will feel more normal. Last night, though, everyone in the same place for the first time... a bit surreal for sure.

    Jessica: It is wonderful to meet you, Jessica. Thank you for your kind words. I love all my blogging readers, but I always feel it's a little extra special when a non blogger makes me a part of their morning coffee. If I'm ever to break out of the blogging barrier, into Erma Bombeck or Dave Barry territory, than that is essential. Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate it. P.S. I also love the idea of my words being read and discussed amongst a couple. Beautiful stuff, that.

    Laurie: I never mind roadblocks, so long as they aren't permanent. I've never been happier, or more excited. I haven't anticipated anything so much since the birth of my children. Though I do guess this is a birth of another sort.

    Betsy: I'm smiling. I've stopped writing my posts on my Macbook. As much as I love it, I'm with you when it comes to the turning of the page. I want to feel the pen against the paper when I write my posts, so that is my new ritual. I'd like to have a bank of finished posts for just in case, that way I never feel enslaved to the routine, but ideally, I'd like the posts to remain my daily exercise, especially as I move into other writing endeavors. WD should be immediate.

    Oktober Five: Me too. Daisy always told me to start writing. You have SO much to say, she would always argue. For ten years I did not believe. Until I did. Now I always want to know what I'm going to say. I love what you say about the story arc at WD. I agree, and it will be quite the adventure to find out where it all goes. I have a feeling, though, that we are still in the first chapter.

    A Dad's Life: I'm going nowhere, but my wife and I have closed our preschool, and are moving into uncharted, entrepreneurial waters. Scary, exciting, and unquestionably the right thing to do.
  • Sean,

    I'm really happy for you as I'm a closet writer too. I think my wife only knows of my longing to write.

    I'm a little confused too. Are you going somewhere?

    All the best,

    Art
  • When you say you're curious to find out what you have to say, I'm reminded of one of the reasons I write. It's curiously. What's in that brain of mine? What connects can be made that will yield a bridge to a brighter future or just a brighter idea.

    I was recently reading over at 43folders about story arcs. There is no better example of an arc in blogging than here at writerdad. Each post is woven into the story, each is connected, and each adds to the message.
  • Yeah, writing ahead of time does lose a bit of the immediacy, Sean, I agree. With me, though, there's an element of: "this flowed so well I can't wait to get it out there." So, I've compromised. In the notebook where I sometimes hand write out the entries - I like the crackle that a turned page full of handwriting emits - I'm keeping a topic list. My goal is to get sufficiently ahead on some of those so that I could pull one from time to time.

    <abbr>Betsy Wuebkers last blog post..COMPASS</abbr>
  • Laurie
    How exciting. When you reach road blocks, and you will, don't let it stop you. Figure out instead, how you can proceed. They may change the route you take but they can't change your destination if you don't let them. This is what I have learned starting my business.

    You are on an exiting adventure into the heart of your passion. How cool is that? Most people are not that daring. You have what it takes to live from that place. Go for it completely and don't look back!!!
  • Jessica
    Sean,
    I was led to your blog my dear husband Sal. I don't have a blog just enjoy reading them. You never cease to amaze me. The way you write is poetic. I love reading your site. Sal always tells me to come check out your post but I wake up in the morning and with my coffee read his post for the day as well as yours! I am excited to see what comes next! Don't tell him I am a blog reader, he will never let me live it down! OHH this is the internet and he will probably read it! I NOW know why people use pysuednoms.
  • Sean, nothing - and I mean NOTHING - is weirder than knowing that people you know are reading your articles. Two of Chris's relatives read mine regularly. I'm glad I've been able to keep it from my mom, but she is crazy and I will never ever mention her if I can possibly help it.

    <abbr>Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..People Are Stupid</abbr>
  • Writer Dad
    Kyddryn: I cannot wait. Well, I can, but I'm excited.

    Charlie Hills: Bic Papermate dot com... watch the ink bleed.

    Mike: Fake names are awesome. I think I've only used a real name once, this morning. Karen's name really is Karen, but I asked her if I could use her name first. People who know about WD in my real life, for the most part, are silent on the subject.

    Matthew: Mwa, ha, ha.

    Betsy: I'm probably in the same general area as you, but I still wonder a bit. I was writing the posts a few days ahead of times for a couple of weeks, but I felt like they lost their immediacy. I've gone back to writing them the night before.

    Miguel: I've got you by a month, and yeah, it's other people who will come along and change your direction with their wisdom, whether you were asking for council or not.

    Scott: Thank you, Scott. If I'm not mistaken, you first stepped foot on WD ground in the middle of a cyclone. Thanks for seeing through the chaos, and sticking around to join the community. I appreciate it all.

    Lance: Copyblogger outed me, three days earlier than I'd planned. Mia outed me two days earlier than I planned. It seems like life is trying to tell me to pop it in gear just a wee bit faster.

    Julie: Thanks, Julie. It's natural skin to wear, certainly, I just hope it does help us get to Oz. Thank you for being a constant.

    Chase: Blogs are wonderful and, I believe, the start of something truly remarkable.

    Kool Aid: I would LOVE another venting blog. That would be too cool. "Wait until I blog on you," I'd shout to all the naysayers! Maybe someday. Captain Cacophony Dot Com.

    Sal: Thanks, Sal. You have been a constant as well. Thank you for your unfailing support.

    Eric: That's the first time I ever formatted the picture like that, and I must admit, I aped the style from you. Thanks, Eric.

    Jim: Thanks, Jim. Looks like we'll find out together.

    Dave Fowler: Thanks so much, Dave. You're another one that's been here since the very beginning, watching me get through blogging adolescence. You are probably more aware of my growing pains than most, but you have never held them against me. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.
  • Writer Dad, I’m delighted that you’re a full timer now. The hard work and sacrifice of the last few months, what with you working two possibly three jobs (writer/teacher/father) with very little sleep, must surely pay off.

    <abbr>Dave Fowlers last blog post..What I Learnt From Crashing The Car – Part 2</abbr>
  • "I’ve never been more curious to find out what I have to say."

    No, I’ve never been more curious to find out what you have to say.

    <abbr>Jim Gaudets last blog post..9 Innocent Google Searches That Get Porn On the First Page [Digg]</abbr>
  • Hey Sean, exciting times, my friend! I love the theme, soaring. The vision of a bird, floating just under the heavens, gives the greatest sense of 'an unknown, but amazing' future. I hope the best for you and your family and for Writer Dad as a stage that embodies your words and much of your life. TO YOUR FUTURE!!! :-) Eric.

    <abbr>Eric Hamms last blog post..Enduring The Road To Success: The First Valley</abbr>
  • Sal
    I can't wait to see what Writer Dad Sean has to say, now that the microphone is on and buzzing with it's own excitement to get the chance to emphasize and resonate the words you have to say. Step up to the mic, take it in your hands, feel the cold of the metal and mesh against your lips. Speak up and let your voice be fully heard as we all stand, mouths gawking in awe, to hear each word drip from the well-spring which we know and have come to trust and love as Writer Dad.

    Go get 'em.

    <abbr>Sals last blog post..Controlled Burning</abbr>
  • From a different perspective; my blog is "public" to my family and friends. Even though I use nicknames for us all, they know who we are. The nicknames were chosen because Trey and I have a paranoia about the internet and people "out there" knowing who we are and what our children look like.

    Of course, the downside is that if there's ever anything I need to vent, or if I need to write about demons I may be fighting, I can't do it on my blog if it's something I don't really want my family involved with. Maybe I should start another one, a secret one, something like butterflies in my heart....
  • I'm always surprised at what I end up writing too. I never knew that my blog would cover so many topics. It's a pleasant surprise to see that I can write and I can continue to come up with new posts. Blogs are great, arent' they?

    <abbr>Chase Marchs last blog post..Better Spent?</abbr>
  • Whether private or public, your writing is a part of you. I'm so glad your confidence is growing, allowing you to become more comfortable with it. You're a natural! ...and very much a pleasure to read, Sean!

    <abbr>Julies last blog post..Been There, Done That</abbr>
  • You WILL soar Sean! Life has many great and wondrous things in store for you and your life - this is the beginning of something great, of something special!

    I can relate completely to what you've written about today. One of my fears starting out was the very same thing - and I wanted to be anonymous, a true identity not known. And I was for a time - and then, slowly, as I became more comfortable with my writing, more confident in what I was saying - I have began to open myself up. It's a process as we grow into the roles we take on in our life.

    Sean, I wish you much continued success as your forge forward with your dreams!

    <abbr>Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day</abbr>
  • I, at one time, replied to a post and suggested the writer ease out of their shell (comfort zone) and test the ground where they are, one body part at a time.

    You, my friend, have tested the ground in a tornado. But never fear. I KNOW you will now be taken to places that will make OZ look like the dark alley Matthew spoke of.

    How do I know? Your talent says so.

    I'm sure I can speak for the rest of us in saying We, buddy, are here for you Sean Writer Dad, and do look forward to making the trip with you.

    <abbr>Scotts last blog post..Who Is That Character</abbr>
  • Hi WD,

    Like you I'm still learning to blog, only that my blog is just 3 months old now. Many things have changed, mostly due to interaction with fellow bloggers so that little by little my whole initial idea had been transformed and enriched.

    <abbr>Miguel de Luiss last blog post..Let your creativity flow</abbr>
  • I've partially graduated from wondering where it's going to come from to marveling at what turns up. The latest one, Hole-In-The-Day, literally came in a dream. I can hear my mother, "Where in the world did you dream that up?"

    It'll be fun to see what you show us of the neighborhood now that you've turned a corner!

    <abbr>Betsy Wuebkers last blog post..COMPASS</abbr>
  • You, my dear Sean, are a very, very scary man.

    Seriously.

    I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley...again.

    <abbr>Matthew Drydens last blog post..I Will Rub It In Your Face</abbr>
  • I hope that your writing is very successful. The talent is there, from what I can see.

    I started my blog in public, but I know that few of my friends in the real world, if any, check it out any more. They are just not on-line kind of people, so my out-in-the-public blog is pretty much private. I still am circumspect in some things that I write about because I do blog in public and I do use my real name. For instance the fellow I quote in my most recent post is not named Jim and I don't go into any detail about the social setting where I overheard his remark.

    <abbr>Mike Goads last blog post..“That Obama scares me.”</abbr>
  • Now I kinda wish I'd started my blog in secret. I will never have a "coming out" party. Of course, I can always have a "going in" party, I suppose.

    At some point I will stop being Charlie and start using my pen name: Bic Papermate.

    <abbr>Charlie Hillss last blog post..What Costs Less?</abbr>
  • Soaring is lovely - just wait until you catch a thermal and it lifts you beyond where you thought you could fly...

    I have no doubt that will happen.

    Shade and Sweetwater,
    K

    <abbr>Kyddryns last blog post..Worth (a few) Thousand Words</abbr>
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