“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway
“If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it.” Anais Nin
“The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.” Mark Twain’s Notebook, 1902-1903
I spent 37 minutes producing a little more than 1000 words of crap. And now I have lost those 37 minutes and have scrapped most of the post that I had written for the sole reason that it made my skin crawl.
That post had no rhythm nor sense of self. I wanted to give it life. I wanted to paint a picture of words dancing on a page and create the sort of compelling image that you can’t stop thinking about. I wanted to be witty, profound and insightful. I wanted to be erudite, smooth and sophisticated but I fell short of the mark…again.
It happens every year. I write a post that is supposed to be a celebration of blogging. I write a post that is supposed to sing and inspire and instead I sigh and wonder why I can’t quite get it right.
And then I exhale and remind myself to stop trying so hard. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and just write with reckless abandon. Write without regard for boundaries, editors or consequences.
Write with confidence. Write with cadence. Write with the voice you hear in your head and trust in your words
Here I Am -The Blogiversary Post You Deserve To Read & I Wanted To Write
Here I am doing what Hemingway speaks of- bleeding at the keyboard. Here I am trying to produce posts that do all that I said above. I want them to sing and dance. I want them to entertain. I want them to inspire. I want them to make you think and I want them to make you laugh.
It took a long while to reach this point. Some of it can be attributed to thousands of hours spent writing and some of it to thousands of words that were written. And life experience, we cannot forget life experience.
When I write about what it is like to be a father and the angst I sometimes feel about trying to figure out how to take care of my children it is all based upon life experience. When I write about how to become a better writer or how to make money as a blogger it is all based upon life experience.
Everything I write is tied into life experience and that is part of why you guys show up at this shack. My life experience isn’t so different from yours. Many of you can relate to the struggle every parent goes through. When I write about the struggle of paying for private school you nod your head. When I say that there is no harder job and no better job than being a parent you nod your head.
That is because it is a common experience. Common experiences are a significant part of why people keep showing up here. We find ways to relate to each other. Sure I hope that you also come by because you like my writing. I hope that you love it because if you do you will probably buy my books and that would make me happy.
Make me happy and I keep writing and in turn make you happy. It works out well for everyone or so I hope.
What Now?
What now is the question that is pressed up against my lips. Is this supposed to be the time where I share links to my favorite posts. Or is this the time where I share links to the posts that are cited as being most popular.
I don’t know, am not really sure. Maybe it is because it is past midnight and I am exhausted or maybe it is some other reason. So I’ll punt on this one and say that I decided not to go crazy about this.
Maybe the best course of action is to ask you to share your favorite posts. Maybe the best course of action is to ask you to tell me what your favorite posts are.
I don’t know exactly where the blog is going but I can tell you what I want. It is the same thing that I have been saying for a while now. I want to write books. I want to become a published author. I want to earn enough money from writing to work anywhere that has a lap top and internet connection.
Part of the reason why I have been working on building this joint is that I am told it might help me convince a publisher to take a shot on me. And even if it doesn’t it stands to reason that if you like my writing many of you will be willing to pay a couple of bucks for a book.
That is not the only reason why I am trying to build a bigger community here. It is also because I learn from you. It is also because I have met amazing people and made some great friends through blogging.
It is not any one thing- it is many things.
Many things- those many things are why I keep blogging. They are why I am still here and so many aren’t. I still love this and am grateful for all of the gifts it has given me. Blogging has been a part of my best and my worst moments.
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts”
As You Like It- William Shakespeare
Thank you again for being a part of my community and for making this such a memorable experience. I appreciate you and hope that you continue to journey with me. Â Can’t wait to see what lies ahead. Won’t be long before I try to make this into my first book and hopefully there will be many more to come.
Good night from Los Angeles. I will see you around cyberspace.
From what I’ve heard, it’s very important to have a platform in order to get a publisher to be interested in you. Well, if the quality of your writing is good enough, a publisher might always be interested, but it helps to have a following. In other words; a lot of crap is being published by celebrities, but normal people has to be close to geniuses to get anything published 🙂
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By the way. When you sit down and write each day, do you know the topic or what you’ll be writing, or do you just start writing and see where the words will take you?
 @Jens I have heard the same thing and I figure that even if it isn’t entirely accurate it can’t hurt to build a platform and a community of readers who enjoy reading our words.
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Most of the time I just sit down and start writing and end up wherever it is the words take me, but there it is not unusual for me to have a topic in mind either.
Woohoohooo! Happy Blogiversary. You’re one of the people I love in my Blogiworld. 😀 I love your perspective. Ok..off now. fingers trembling coz of viral fever. Know you’re appreciated very much, Jack!
 @Vidya Sury Thank you Vidya, that is very kind. I hope that you feel better soon. Grab some chicken soup.
Happy Anniversary Jack,
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Guess it’s almost the same as being in a relationship with a person. The first years you remember the anniversaries, but at one point you start forgetting them. That does not mean the relationship is getting old and you loose your interest. Blogging can feel as an old friend, I guess.
I wish you all the best and success on writing your book. Luckily you’re good at bleeding at the typewriter…
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// Jan
 @JanBierens Hi Jan,
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Thank you for the good wishes. It is very similar to an anniversary shared with a person. I have been lucky enough to do this for long enough that time has begun to blur a little bit.
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But it has been and continues to be one hell of a ride that I have enjoyed. Thank you again for the good wishes and don’t forget to grab a towel because much bleeding is coming. 😉
I knew this guy how loved to paint growing up, that was what he wanted to do he enjoyed it so much, so he became a painter by profession.. But he told me that he should not have done that, because now his hobby had become work and that took the fun out of it for him. He lost his hobby.
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But I do still believe you should try and do the things you love doing. And keep thing simple.
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A nice quote for you.
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“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.†― Albert Einstein
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“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.†― Albert Einstein
 @JD84 if you can do the things you love and earn money than you will never have to work or hold a job.
@SandiAmorim Thank you.
I think your writing has a broader reach than you might think. After all, I’m not a parent but I keep coming back; time and again you lure me with your words or your unique perspective. I like that about you Jack and I look forward to the day I crack open my wallet to shell out those few bucks for your book.
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Happy blogiversary my friend!Â
 @Sandi Amorim Hi Sandi,
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Thank you, I really appreciate that. I just write and do the best I can to share/tell stories that people can relate to. Sometimes it works better than others, but more often than not I have an awful lot of fun doing it.Â
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Glad you are part of our community.
Congrats on the anniversary celebration! From one Dune freak to another Dune reader, always remember … the spice must flow …. keep on with the writing and it will come to you in the time, place and way that its suppose to be.
 @penneyfox Hi Penney,
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It is good to see you. I am always in search of the spice. Sometimes when my words are flowing I wonder if that joy I feel is similar to the rush we would get from riding a worm.
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Hope all is well.
Happy Blogiversary Jack! Â I’ll be celebrating one next month as a matter of fact.
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I think you’re just too hard on yourself at times. Â Aren’t we all our own worst critics? Â I think everything you write is worthy of reading. Â You never know Jack… Â That one post you scratched could be one of our favorites.
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Okay, I’m just saying cause you’re so talented. Â But I understand how hard we can all be on ourselves at times. Â I just say keep it up and keep them coming cause you’ve just got a way with words. Â
 @AdrienneSmith Hi Adrienne,
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Happy Early Blogiversary to you. Yep, no bigger critic exists than I, at least when it comes to me. One of the things that I find fascinating about blogging is how you never know for certain what is going to resonate with people.
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Some of the posts that I disliked the most were considered to be great and others I thought were great received no response. Sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason to all this.
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I tend to operate from a go with the gut kind of thing. If it feels relatively decent I just let it fly. I suspect that one of the great challenges many of us face is trying to find that perspective about ourselves and our abilities.
Happy Blogiversary Jack! Which one is it? Four, five, six?
With all the writing you do, a book is sure to follow! Are you a fan of Ray Bradbury [too]? I just started reading his “Now and Forever” and am loving it – like stepping into a different world. Do you think a writer has to be able to transport one to a different world to write well? I believe so. You’re on your way  🙂
Lori
 @Lori Hi Lori,
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Technically this is number 8. I do like Bradbury. I remember being torn as a kid between his books and Robert Heinlein. For some reason I felt like I had to pick one as a favorite, but I never did do that.
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I think a writer needs to be able to tap into the reader’s imagination. If I can make people relate and or think good things will come from it.
 @TheJackB Happy 8th then Jack! And check out “Now and Forever” or the story I’m just into now “Somewhere a Band is Playing” Magical! 🙂
Hey Jack,
Happy Blogiversary!
The guys from the Loyal Order of WaterBuffalos should be dropping by at any moment to belt out the tune. Make sure Wilma is tied up and Dino is dressed  for the occasion. Errr…wait a minute!  LOL
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My favorite quote is this  - “Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them – if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry.” ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.
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if you want something a little more fun try this one ” You can do it..ALL NIGHT LONG” – Â Rob Schneider, The Waterboy
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Until next time Jack,
keep on Keepin on’
Michael
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 @Michael Wilts Hey Michael,
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I hope they bring me a hat because Fred and Barney never did and I always wanted one.
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Great quote. I really like The Catcher In The Rye. Haven’t read it in years, but I am about due to pick it up again.
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The Waterboy is a fun movie. Look out Colonel Sanders you are going down.
Hey Jack,
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I love it when I include a quote in one of my posts and a reader comes in and tells me I credited it to the wrong person. It’s like that joke going around Facebook. A quote by Abraham Lincoln that says, “Don’t believe everything people say on Facebook.” Haha. The quote you mention from Hemingway, I always attributed to the American journalist Gene Fowler.: “Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” Either way, it’s one of the best quotes on writing I’ve heard.
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Oh, and Happy Blogiversary! Funny how “Blogiversary” has the word “giver” in it. And that is what you so consistently do, my friend: give. Best of luck on your journey to publication. I am going on the same path right now, and it can be, as one of the characters in the movie “Brother, Where Art Thou” says, “a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril.” Or it can be easy as pie. There’s something about not knowing which it will be that intrigues me. Â : )Â
 @JudyDunn Hi Judy,
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The next time I see Fowler I am going to punch him in the nose and tell him to stop ripping off Hemingway. 😉 How is that for deflecting the truth. It wouldn’t be the first time I found out that attribution was off on a quote I used.
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I see this road we are on as the road not taken. We are following Frost, albeit slightly different paths but that is ok. Similar experiences yet the way to get to the next point will vary greatly.
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It is part of what makes all of this so interesting. Sort of like raising kids. You know roughly what you should do and how to do it. Certain guidelines have to be followed but after that everything else is up in the air.
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Always good to see you.
I’m approaching my first blogiversary in two weeks. While it’s been a great ride, the “bleeding onto the keyboard” has been reduced to a trickle instead of a gush.
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Blame it on bigger responsibilities at work. Maybe I can also blame it on realizing that this blogging thing is harder than I thought.Â
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That said, I feel I have lots to say and I’d like to use my blog as a platform to say it. Of course, sharing my life experiences to the whole world is cool, too. Cyberspace needs more dad bloggers, imo.
 @Lessons Of A Dad Sustain your effort. It might be harder than you expected but if you keep pushing you will find that it really does become easier and consequently it will take less time to do it.
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That is my theory and I definitely agree that cyberspace needs more dad bloggers.
L A? I thought you were from Compton…….
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I hear ya, sometimes I can make myself laugh out loud, bring a tear to my eye, etc and wonder if that is carrying over to my writing and the feelings someone will have by reading it.Â
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For me at least, inspiration seems to come and go. As I look back on some of my posts and read the titles I wonder if it’s all the same or am I really bringing something of value to share?
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You know it better than anyone, just keep writing……….
 @bdorman264 Hi Bill,
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It is good for the reader If you make yourself laugh, cry or smile. I think that sort of thing comes through. It might not happen all the time, but I think when you have built a relationship with others it becomes pretty apparent and that is a good thing.
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Just writing works or so I keep pushing. 😉
It is easy to write when you have a direction, a feeling of what are going to communicate to your reader, basically from experienced. Sometimes, you’re a consultant, sometimes, you’re a friend and sometimes you are a father it depends on the relationship that you are trying to build.
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Good luck to you and more power
 @Fred14 You said it Fred, our role changes from moment to moment.