A PENULTIMATE BLOG POST

Happy New Year and all that. As I wrote over on Middle Grade Mafioso, it's been a hard few weeks, what with brain surgery (my wife), vertigo (me), and overall winter blahs (the whole family). But my time away from blogging put things in perspective, and I realized that the time has come to put The Year of Writing Dangerously to bed.

Yes, I know you're all crying and sad, but let me explain. This was supposed to be the chronicle of a writing year and it's been going on for nearly three. In the meantime I have another blog (Middle Grade Mafioso) which seems to be garnering a following, and a group blog--Project Mayhem--which is completely awesome, and for which I only have to write once a month. Which is about the extent, blogging-wise, which I seem able to bestir myself nowadays. (Since I spend all my time spouting off on Twitter and Facebook.)

To blog well, you have to blog consistently and often. It got to the point with TYOWD, where I would feel guilty because I hadn't posted in weeks, and I felt like a neglectful parent. And I'm anti-guilt.

So, I will count my blessings and bid this blog adieu. And the blessings have been many:

• Since I started in February 2010, I've "met" a whole bunch of great people. I'm blessed to call a lot of them friends. 
• I've learned a lot about writing from reading and blogging about "craft" books.
• Microfiction Monday honed my skills as a 140-character writer, which is why I rock at Twitter.
• Because of this blog, and particularly my friendship with Matt MacNish, I got the opportunity to be part of Project Mayhem, and to meet even more spectacular writers and good people.

There have also been major changes in my writing life:

• When I started blogging I didn't have a literary agent. Now I do.
• I am even more wedded to creating new writing. (I have two manuscripts in various stages of revision, and ideas for a third.)
• I am much more astute about the value of social media. As an "outgoing introvert" I enjoy connecting with others on this writing journey through blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.
• And my blogging led to a connection with the great Laura Stanfill, a Portland writer and mentor extraordinaire, who published a book called BRAVE ON THE PAGE, in which I have a small chapter, and for which I was part of a well-attended public reading.

I plan to do one final post on February 6th, which will be my three-year blogoversary to the day. I hope to have as many pals as possible share pearls of writerly wisdom which will live on in the blogdom for all eternity. Thanks for being part of this amazing journey. 

What Do You Do When The Blogging Well Runs Dry?

There is a tide in the affairs of, well, everything. Shakespeare knew it; the writer of Ecclesiastes knew it. (What would he write now? "A time to tweet and a time to stay silent?") And now I know it. To run a good blog takes time, energy, and creativity. God only knows how the post-a-day bloggers do it!!

These days, I'm pretty much running on empty--at least with ideas on what to blog about. It doesn't help that I am spending every waking moment driving my son to theater rehearsals, reading 145 middle grade novels, and trying to finish the first draft of my WIP. The middle grade novels get reviewed on Middle Grade Mafioso, other ideas get lined up for Project Mayhem, and The Year of Writing Dangerously thrashes/faffs about looking for direction.

This may be how it's supposed to be at this stage of my writing life. I have no "I have an agent" stories to make a hullabaloo about; no tales to tell of the road to publication. And other writers do a much better job writing about the craft of writing (Janice Hardy, anyone?)

So I'm pulling up the drawbridge for a while, hoping that if I don't HAVE TO write something, inspiration will arrive. I'll still be a Mafioso--so pop on over there if you miss me.

Have you ever felt your blogging well run dry? What did you do: walk away or retool?

Thursday's Thought: What makes a successful blog?

I don't usually post on Thursdays, but I am breaking with tradition because my query is up for review today at Matthew MacNish's The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. So I want to say "hi" and give a warm welcome to anyone who pops over from Matt's to check out my blog furniture and see if there's anything good to eat.

Well, whadda ya know! Help yourself.

Mmm. Just licking a frosted flower from my fingers. Gosh, those are delicious!

Which leads me to my question of the day: what do you think makes a deliciously successful blog?

Right off the top of my head, I'd say:

• Personality: You get a sense that the blogger's an interesting person (and, for me, the addition is "nice" person. Trainwreck types can be "interesting," but I've only got so much patience for neuroses.)
• Writing Style: Someone who has a way with words and who knows the value of writing concisely.
• Content: Pretty self-explanatory. I'll probably be interested in a blogger who blogs about the endlessly fascinating subject of writing. But the wonderful thing about the blogosphere is that there's something for everyone. There's probably even a blog in which someone's Aunt Nellie lavishes her attention on the breeding of Afghan hounds. So if Afghan hounds are your thing, Aunt Nellie's your woman.
• Frequency of posting: Once I go all starry-eyed over a blog, I need my insatiable hunger to be fed. So, if my new blog-crush only posts when the moon is blue, I'm going to lose interest--and probably wave a sad goodbye.

Anything else I've missed? If you want to see all the blogs I swoon over (three of them are by my wonderful and talented wife, Every Day is A Miracle, Marie's Book Garden, and One Year to an Organized Life), they're on my sidebar.

The QQQE is definitely another swoon-worthy one. Matt is all-of-the-above-awesome, as well as being one of the most supportive people in the whole wide world.

Thanks for stopping by! Another cupcake before you go?

I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside

Yes, indeed. Imagine that tune playing as you read along. We spent a glorious, and not too rainy week, on the Oregon Coast, courtesy of my in-laws who built their beach house a couple of decades ago.

And what a week it was. (If you are interested in me as a person and not only as a mere dangerous writer who looks like a typewriter, you can check up on our goings-on on my wife's blog, Every Day is a Miracle.)

First, I got to take a siesta on my birthday. It made me want to be Spanish. Then, there were the myriad celebrations of me. There was also lots of reading, and the writing came pouring out.

Is it just me, or does sea air do something to the writing brain? As well as increasing the word count on my WIP, I wrote two new short stories!!

Here's my question for you, dear readers: Do you write more freely when away from home? And where do you find your muse is most frisky: the beach, the mountains, Las Vegas?

Postscript of joy: When I got home I found I'd won two blog contests. One, at Shannon Messenger's, for a

copy of Brandon Mull's and the other at Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents' blog for a copy of Lisa and Laura Roecker's

Now, in honor of the pink-wigged girl, I have to change my typewriter avatar to this:

February's going to be fabulous!

I'm excited. Big plans are afoot, at least on this blog, for the month of February. While two of my favorite guy bloggers, Robert Kent at Middle Grade Ninja and Matt Rush at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment are taking a short hiatus (they say it's because of their jobs, but I bet they're really off saving the galaxy), I'm determined to fill the void.

I'm pumped about February's Craft Book of the Month. (All will be revealed tomorrow.) Once it's revealed, I plan to blog ferociously, shining the light of what I've learned from this secret book on various published works.

And then there's the anniversary party to plan. Yup, I can hardly believe it: it's been a year since this blog debuted (no, I'm not going to change the name to 'The Decade of Writing Dangerously,' or anything; I like my blog title as is.) During this year I've had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and met stacks of interesting people. So, sometime in the month I'm really going to let down my hair--what's left of it--and have a boogie. There'll be prizes, fireworks, loud music. Neighboring blogs will be calling the police!

So, to leave you with the current favorite characters of all the little guys (sons and nephews) in my life:

MAY THE WRITING FORCE BE WITH YOU

And Now the End is Near: Update

The end, not of the blog, but of the current WIP. Because the kiddos have been supervised by someone other than me for the past couple of weeks, I've been able to write in the morning for several HOURS. I am fast closing in on the end of rewrite #5 (or is it 6?) and things are starting to gel. Maybe I'll have a product I can be proud of by the end of the summer.

Mary Kole had a post a few days back about whether unpubbed writers should blog. You can read it in its entirety here. The upshot: she didn't think it was necessary. The reason, in her own words:

If you have a blog where you can give people really valuable content, tips, and things to make their lives better (or at least to give them good cocktail party conversation), do it. If you are just thinking of blogging because everyone else does it or you heard that agents won’t consider you unless you have a blog, don’t.

(If you read my blog, please continue to natter about it as you sip cocktails on the party circuit.)

But back to Mary Kole's post: she believes, rightly, that blogs foster a sense of community. As I near the 6 month mark of my own blogging adventure, that has been the greatest boon. I've communicated with people I'd never have a chance to in "real" life. The Microfiction Monday crew has been wonderful--I look forward to hearing from them every week. Also, I have 16 declared followers, which is positively super. (Pour more cocktails, fellows.) Occasionally, others will tell me they're enjoying my blog. Thank you, EGO BOOSTER CLUB.

So, before I head off on massive vacation #2, if you read this blog I would love for you to leave me a comment, complete with the name of your favorite cocktail/mocktail for our own cyber cocktail party. And here's a big fat CYBER SMOOCH from me for taking the time to read and write and comment and follow. I'll take the comment verification off to make things easier for you to do so.

Cheers, and thanks.

Taking Stock

I'm starting my third month as a blogger, with the avowed aim of being a "dangerous writer." So it seems a fine time to do a little stock-taking.

1. I've enjoyed blogging, even if it's usually at the end of a busy writing day.
2. My query letter was beaten up in a barroom brawl. (Okay, I've never been accused of being lacking in the hyperbole department.)
3. I've entered a couple of competitions on the Guide to Literary Agents blog. No luck with the "Dear Agent" in February; still waiting to hear if I've succeeded in writing one of the worst log-lines ever. (I doubt it. Some of the entries were really rank.) Also waiting to hear if I've won a copy of Epitaph Road.
4. My own contest was a bust. I finally joined Facebook, and mentioned it there, but I guess none of my friends have ever pranked or been pranked.
5. I've "met" a number of interesting people, usually by commenting on other blogs.
6. There are an amazing number of other blogs!!!
7. I think I'll become addicted to Microfiction Mondays.
8. I have wondered about doing "book of the week" reviews or inviting others to join in on writing prompts, a la Microfiction Mondays. Don't know if that's worth my time, though.

I don't know how "dangerous" this has all been. I still haven't strayed too far from my comfort zone. So there's still work to be done.

And speaking of dangerous, I'm going to ask my mother-in-law's permission to share the April Fool's prank she played on me years ago which nearly ended in my cardiac arrest.

To all my readers: thanks for following along. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to write about or be a part of.

Disbelief

Conversation on picking up Son # 1 from school. (He's 13.)

Me: I started a blog today.

Son # 1: No Way! That's the last thing I'd expect you to do. (Plugs iPod into car radio and listens to Girls Not Gray by AFI.)

Feeling good I can still surprise him!

To Blog or Not to Blog....

That actually hasn't been the question. I'm usually far behind the times, slightly curmudgeonly about new-fangled electronic gadgetry, and averse to such "fads" as Facebook. Twitter makes me totally twitchy.

I also usually disdain anything with a whiff of "popularity" about it. (Too bad, Twilight. Adieu, Avatar.)

Add to that, I live with an uber-blogger, and so have been quite happy to stay silent while she entertains her blogging muse.

Until now. You see, blogging is becoming passe. Which means I'm on it like a hornet to a hot dog.

Yesterday, my local paper, The Oregonian, featured a piece on the front page by Martha Irvine of The Associated Press headlined: "A new age in blogging: 30 and up." (I'm part of the "and up.") A study has shown that long-form blogging has lost its appeal for younger types who are leaping like lemmings to Facebook and Twitter. Irvine ends her first paragraph with: "Tech experts say it doesn't mean blogging is going away. Rather it's going the way of the telephone and e-mail--still useful, just not sexy."

So, that's the motto, Dangerous Writers of a Certain Age: Still Useful, Just Not Sexy.

I've got the t-shirt on order.