I just had an e-mail exchange with one of my oldest friends in the world that succinctly summarized something I would have written a 4,000-word post about, so I will simply quote it:
Dude, just checked out your website and saw that you haven’t written since Christmas. What could have happened around Christmas that keeps you from writing?
I’ll tell you!: around Christmas, I realized that even my best friends in the world only visit my site every four months.
You think I’m joking. If you think I’m a good writer, and you’ve known me half your life and actually care about what’s going on in my life, and not even you think to read it more than twice a year then what, I ask you, is the point? Make a case.
Now, it may interest you to know that I have succumbed to peer pressure recently and started taking a creative writing class that has been very fruitful. I have been considering posting some of my assignments; I’m just not sure they’re up to snuff. I’ll flip a coin.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:56 am
So when your friends send you countless pictures of their first, second, and third babies, do you actually look through all of them? If so, you are the best friend in the universe. I have always been of the mind that I’d rather actually interact with my friends children, though I’m sure the photos are lovely and quite artistically framed.
Not sure it is an entirely appropriate comparison, but I think there is more to your blog than a mere measure of friendship. And it may just have more to do with you than with me. As in, write for your yourself.
To return snark for snark, though, If you would like a list of all of the incredible writers (including my friends–I have lots of great friends who are also great writers)–whose stuff I never read, then I’d be happy to provide it. Just so you wouldn’t think it was just you that I was ignoring. I’m an equal opportunity destroyer of friends’ hopes and dreams.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I’m willing to take the class as an excuse, if needs be, and thanks for the info, anyway.
I was more worried you were spending all your time twittering, at less than a 140 characters per post, and had given up real writing. As someone who tries to limit how much I type - mostly because I start to ramble and lose track of my original intent - I think twitter and RSS feeds are killing the internet just as surely as video and flash. I like the reading, especially when, as you do it, it’s done well.
If you ever share your creative writing, I’d probably enjoy reading it. And here’s my vote for more of your blog posts when you find time.