tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post113668154631896832..comments2023-04-23T13:33:55.868-05:00Comments on The Realm of Possibility: Please Excuse Our DustDiabolical Geniushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01054611487880242577noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1144170223747481532006-04-04T12:03:00.000-05:002006-04-04T12:03:00.000-05:00Love the Dorkman counter! When did that show up?Love the Dorkman counter! When did that show up?Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788817477327510023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1142274116442624052006-03-13T12:21:00.000-06:002006-03-13T12:21:00.000-06:00Cool. Thanks, Rich.In general I could not be more ...Cool. Thanks, Rich.<BR/><BR/>In general I could not be more delighted with the experience I am having blogging. I am shocked at how many people actually are reading these things, so I am really happy. <BR/><BR/>And you are right, the fear of rejection is a huge downer too. Probably, that is a big part of what I am feeling, but it is not the biggest. Remember what I said about tennis? How Anna Kournikova defeats herself in her own mind more than anyone else defeats her on the court? I am the same way in everything. Especially now that I am alone. <BR/><BR/>I love doubles, because I can concern myself with my partner's problems, and I am good to go. My problems just don't exist. Going it alone, though, my mind consumes itself. I hired a coach once. After 1/2 hour, he told me there was nothing he could teach me. Then we played a set, and he finally believed my problem. Everything changes for me when there are points on the line. My choking problem would kill a rhino. <BR/><BR/>Just writing more is a good idea. I actually do that by accident, since I don't seem to be able to quit writing out there. Usually on "the" posts that are troubling me, I don't write the next day because I want to leave "that" post at the top of the blog. But I could surely just write some stuff in draft mode. <BR/><BR/>As a matter of fact, you may be on to something here. I get all wiggy about almost everything I write out there, but when I decide to leave a post sitting for a while is when it gets to me. <BR/><BR/>I will play with this for a while. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for taking the time!Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788817477327510023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1142273515155207032006-03-13T12:11:00.000-06:002006-03-13T12:11:00.000-06:00Sorry, that last long one had posted more than onc...Sorry, that last long one had posted more than once.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17629158473415918017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1142270356900692942006-03-13T11:19:00.002-06:002006-03-13T11:19:00.002-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17629158473415918017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1142270356898003352006-03-13T11:19:00.000-06:002006-03-13T11:19:00.000-06:00codepoke,1) Thanks. I went over there and made a b...codepoke,<BR/><BR/>1) Thanks. I went over there and made a brief comment. I was surprised Bill stopped comments. You may have seen that I had made a comment as to whether or not he would a little while back on that post. I know from our blog (and ours is small in comparison), it gets really hard to keep up with all the comments on every post (and in particular what I may or may not have written in the post comments), especially when they're off the main board. The Blog Free could go for miles, though. I would have liked to see how high. But a nod to De anyway for having more character than me (although I'm not sure how much different Blog Free Association is in content from the Gatorade post, so I'm not sure why the promise was made in the first place).<BR/><BR/>2) As far as letdown in writing, there are different types of letdowns. I don't necessarily have the same type you describe (although there is some jubilation and then an "air out of the balloon" feeling after some of my "real" efforts at writing) or at least not to the same degree, but if I do experience some trepidation or other fallout from works I'm writing or even posts (although my posts range the gambit from sweet little nothings to a few things I think have literary value) my general reaction is to just write more. <BR/><BR/>Another sort of letdown is when either you've been rejected by editors/agents/etc. or your work is criticized by people you've given it to, and my reaction to that has tended to be the same: write more.<BR/><BR/>I know Ken has been a little different on that front (if I can speak for him). He's a little more introspective and thoughtful, like I think you probably are, and it takes him some time to get over rejection or other writing letdown. Plus, he's more rational and logical in what he's writing, again like you more than me. So anything he might say would probably be more valuable than advice I might offer.<BR/><BR/>But back to who I know - me - a lot of times my "write more" approach doesn't equal "write better." It's just a different way to deal with something stirring inside. Sometimes, I've written really good stuff when I'm in the doldrums, but sometimes it's been total crapola.<BR/><BR/>And then, I think there's also a refueling time for everyone. For some, that's a lot longer than others. You write something, you put a lot into it, you put it in front of other people (which is usually daunting), and then the mind experiences a natural letdown, at times. That's why I think the old adage of "Write something every day" is a good principle, but it's not an absolute. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your writing is go outside and experience something else entirely.<BR/><BR/>This probably doesn't answer your question, although I'd say judging by your blog, you're making a difference WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more often than "once a month or so." The high/low stuff after writing something you think is important is probably fairly universal - but maybe not to your extremes. I think it's probably important when you crash to try to realize that what's going on. The mind's a weird thing, and changing the way it works is a difficult thing. The <I>everything is horrible, and I'm a worthless failure at everything</I>, to me, and gosh I know this sounds callous, is just a mindset that, if we're feeling that way (and I have my days like this, too, just not necessarily because of writing), we need to try to work to overcome it. Because after those two or three days, we realize everything's not as horrible as we thought, and generally we (or at least I) don't have the luxury of three days without making some important decisions, whether that's at work or home or at church, etc.<BR/><BR/>I apologize if this sounds like what sometimes Ken refers to as "a cold dose of Rich." I'm not meaning to sound like a jerk, but I suppose a lot of times I end up sounding like that anyway. And worse, an ignorant jerk.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17629158473415918017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1142217238604042172006-03-12T20:33:00.000-06:002006-03-12T20:33:00.000-06:00Posting randomly here. Please feel free, if not ob...Posting randomly here. Please feel free, if not obligated, to delete. <BR/><BR/>2 questions.<BR/><BR/>1) Rich - You need to get over to the Thinklings, and comment on the demise of the Blog Free Association post. <BR/><BR/>2) How do you guys deal with letdown in writing? <BR/><BR/>Once a month or so, I post something that I optimistically believe might make a difference in a minute part of the world in some trivial way. After that happens, I am higher than a kite for about 24 hours. After that, I crash for a day or two. Everything is horrible, and I'm a worthless failure at everything. I don't even want to get out of bed. Really, I need to NOT make important decisions for at least 3 days after a post that I happen to like. <BR/><BR/>Do you guys experience this?Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788817477327510023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1136866069324834452006-01-09T22:07:00.000-06:002006-01-09T22:07:00.000-06:00Nice post. It may be our first A+.Nice post. It may be our first A+.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17629158473415918017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19549393.post-1136686911070456962006-01-07T20:21:00.000-06:002006-01-07T20:21:00.000-06:001 point to the obtuse gentleman who likes the rece...1 point to the obtuse gentleman who likes the recent comments section, save the title.<BR/><BR/>If you're scoring at home, that now perches him precipitously in the lead for the Mythical Funniest Comment Award (MF CA). Heretofore known as MF CA.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your interest.Diabolical Geniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054611487880242577noreply@blogger.com