don't nobody look at me
Well, it's Sunday. I have just finished reading my last piece of literature for my classes, and except for one twenty five page paper, I am done for the semester. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of grading. For this reason, Lynn has all but ordered me to take a day off, and by day off, she means go Christmas shopping. Damn. But that's okay, I'm almost done with that as well, and in any case, I plan on driving up to New Hampshire in order to beat the man and get my $25 carton of cigarettes. That's not what this blog is about.
Once in a while, I receive an e-mail alerting me to the fact that someone, somewhere has decided to comment on my little, whatever the hell this thing is. Now, normally I know the names: Jason, Avram, Amy, my wife, but every once in a while someone will post a comment from out of nowhere. Witness Bob Sagat.
Who these people are, I don't know. Generally if I see a comment from someone I don't know, I'll go visit their blog as well, and if it's any good, I'll bookmark it. Rarely will I comment because well... I guess because I'm shy. I have no other answer.
Regardless, this commentary from random sources really kind of shatters my illusions about what my blog is all about. In other words, when people from out there, whom I don't know, respond to one of my posts, I am forced to come to grips with the fact that I am not writing in a void. Of course, this means that someone may be annoyed when I miss a week or two of blogs because I'm vindicating Chillingworth for a class to the tune of twenty one pages, but what's stranger is that I won't even know this person.
Now writing into a void is not without its advantages. First and foremost, when you don't have an audience, there is no one to be offended or bored by what you write. If you write a three page treatise on the glory of the Harlequin army in Warhammer 40k, no one will become perturbed and scream out, "make with the funny!"
Even a small audience has its advantages. I can, for instance, post giant sections of my novel without worrying about my friends stealing it and publishing it. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't do that, and besides, if I don't see Avram's writing sample pretty soon, we're sending out Chapter 2 of Shock Tea. That way he'll get into a doctoral program, and I will receive some sort of public recognition. Win win.
But these audience populations also carry with them certain setbacks. Namely, there doesn't really seem to be much of a reason to write a blog when it really is just you and two friends reading it. I have a phone. I can call these people. No, the real disadvantage to having one or two people reading your work is that it goes completely against the basic philosophy inherit to writing something to a forum where ANYONE can read it. And I do mean ANYONE. If you're writing to this forum, you feel inclined to have something to say.
Take, for instance, my last blog about joining the military around the world. Very funny. Haha. Maybe someone read that and said, "man I like this guy's blog. I'm going to read it everyday." How disappointing to stumble upon this follow-up. Ridiculous really. I shouldn't be writing this crap.
Nevertheless, this finally brings me to the point of my commentary. There is a type of blog *writer* who has perfected the art of writing to the void. This guy really has NO AUDIENCE. I am referring, of course, to the guy who posts comments to a blog I wrote two months ago.
I wonder about this fellow. What has gone wrong with him? He obviously wants to be heard. Obviously, the world treats him as an anonymous cog and so to lash out at an uncaring society, he posts his opinions to my blog, and god bless him for it. But so beat down is he, so complete is his transformation from name to number, that he cannot voice his opinion in any way that would allow others to recognize the shards of his humanity that have yet to be assimilated. It's as if he's ashamed of those parts.
He does not comment--he does not release his rage--on a blog entry where others may read it, but secretly hides away the last evidence of his humanity in the archives. His is not a message in a bottle, but a message in a landfill.
So, to you Mr. Anonymous I say, "speak up." Let your opinion be heard loud and clear. Comment on this blog. It's right there up at the top at the present time. People will see you. They will validate your remaining humanity and make you into a better person.
One last thing, when someone directs you to a Mexican restaurant and you are served a ham sandwich, you are likely to be disappointed. Does that make sense fuckhead?
Once in a while, I receive an e-mail alerting me to the fact that someone, somewhere has decided to comment on my little, whatever the hell this thing is. Now, normally I know the names: Jason, Avram, Amy, my wife, but every once in a while someone will post a comment from out of nowhere. Witness Bob Sagat.
Who these people are, I don't know. Generally if I see a comment from someone I don't know, I'll go visit their blog as well, and if it's any good, I'll bookmark it. Rarely will I comment because well... I guess because I'm shy. I have no other answer.
Regardless, this commentary from random sources really kind of shatters my illusions about what my blog is all about. In other words, when people from out there, whom I don't know, respond to one of my posts, I am forced to come to grips with the fact that I am not writing in a void. Of course, this means that someone may be annoyed when I miss a week or two of blogs because I'm vindicating Chillingworth for a class to the tune of twenty one pages, but what's stranger is that I won't even know this person.
Now writing into a void is not without its advantages. First and foremost, when you don't have an audience, there is no one to be offended or bored by what you write. If you write a three page treatise on the glory of the Harlequin army in Warhammer 40k, no one will become perturbed and scream out, "make with the funny!"
Even a small audience has its advantages. I can, for instance, post giant sections of my novel without worrying about my friends stealing it and publishing it. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't do that, and besides, if I don't see Avram's writing sample pretty soon, we're sending out Chapter 2 of Shock Tea. That way he'll get into a doctoral program, and I will receive some sort of public recognition. Win win.
But these audience populations also carry with them certain setbacks. Namely, there doesn't really seem to be much of a reason to write a blog when it really is just you and two friends reading it. I have a phone. I can call these people. No, the real disadvantage to having one or two people reading your work is that it goes completely against the basic philosophy inherit to writing something to a forum where ANYONE can read it. And I do mean ANYONE. If you're writing to this forum, you feel inclined to have something to say.
Take, for instance, my last blog about joining the military around the world. Very funny. Haha. Maybe someone read that and said, "man I like this guy's blog. I'm going to read it everyday." How disappointing to stumble upon this follow-up. Ridiculous really. I shouldn't be writing this crap.
Nevertheless, this finally brings me to the point of my commentary. There is a type of blog *writer* who has perfected the art of writing to the void. This guy really has NO AUDIENCE. I am referring, of course, to the guy who posts comments to a blog I wrote two months ago.
I wonder about this fellow. What has gone wrong with him? He obviously wants to be heard. Obviously, the world treats him as an anonymous cog and so to lash out at an uncaring society, he posts his opinions to my blog, and god bless him for it. But so beat down is he, so complete is his transformation from name to number, that he cannot voice his opinion in any way that would allow others to recognize the shards of his humanity that have yet to be assimilated. It's as if he's ashamed of those parts.
He does not comment--he does not release his rage--on a blog entry where others may read it, but secretly hides away the last evidence of his humanity in the archives. His is not a message in a bottle, but a message in a landfill.
So, to you Mr. Anonymous I say, "speak up." Let your opinion be heard loud and clear. Comment on this blog. It's right there up at the top at the present time. People will see you. They will validate your remaining humanity and make you into a better person.
One last thing, when someone directs you to a Mexican restaurant and you are served a ham sandwich, you are likely to be disappointed. Does that make sense fuckhead?
posted by Monstro D. Whale at
11:09 AM
4 Comments:
The difference between what we think we say and what our audience decides they think they think they know about what we say -- may constitute the only real depth in our work.
Time to take a look at your wife's copious shelf on writer's writing about writing. Take a look at what they say about confronting an audience's reaction to their work. Basically it comes down to:
1) cool, someone liked me and is an intelligent specimen of the species. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and validates me, or
2)Uh, whatever. Have a nice life not reading me somewhere else. I don't write to be validated by others because I kick ass all on my own.
Number two is by far the more frequent response from writers because we are constantly rejected by publishers, readers, critics, etc. If you have a hangup about this you can always make nasty comments about their parentage. Shame when cousins marry, etc.
That said, I should get back to that writing sample which is now in desperate need for a thesis that doesn't make me want to tear my hair out and validates my filling pages and pages of wonderous writing about . . . well I'm no longer sure.
At least the prospect of submitting CH 2 of your novel is more palatable than an essay on Chillingsworth. Not that we are going to do that. Eventually I will finish this writing sample, send off the first five pages to you and Senyor Jason, and maybe even get around to commenting on CH 1 of your epic.
Enjoy your shopping.
"take a day off" means "take a day off, f*ckhead"
Love,
M.E.
You really don't know how to take a day off. I should learn something from you, because today I am supposed to spend the whole day working and so far all I have is a title and a caffine high. And here I am...
not working.
:)
Now I'm curious as to what I commented on your blog. And btw, one should never be too shy to comment on other's blogs. Altho, from what I've seen, many do blogs just for themselves, it is a little high to know someone has taken the time to comment on it. Doesnt' matter if its good or bad.
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