When I first started blogging way back in 2006, I really only had one thing to say: "I am now a published author. Please enjoy my verbal tap dancing while I try to entice you to buy my book."
Thirteen years later, I'm still tap dancing...and I think it's time to stop. Or at least try a different kind of dancing. The electric boogaloo, perhaps?
Looking back over my (holy crap!) 160 or so blog posts both on my website and, for the past year, here, I can think of a few things I had to say other than "Buy my newest book." But it's nothing that required 160-ish blog posts -- adding up to (HOLY CRAP!!!) 100,000-ish words -- to say. The salient message points:
- Please read my story. (When a new one appeared in a magazine.)
- Please read this article. (When I was interviewed somewhere.)
- Please buy my friend's thingie. (When I promoted a fellow creative-type on my site.)
- I like Columbo/Doctor Who/Star Trek/James Bond/Superman/Westerns/English pop bands/what-have-you.
- Writing is hard.
I wrote variations on that last one a lot, particularly here on SleuthSayers. For which I apologize. I have a lot of respect for the writers who blog here, all of whom find fresh new things to say without resorting to punts like "Writing is hard."
Week after week, another author/blogger I admire, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, makes it obvious why I need to stop. Kris has been blogging about the writing biz since, I believe, the late 1890s, and she always has a lot to say. When I read one of her lengthy "Business Musings" posts, it's plain to me she possesses three qualities I lack: expertise, confidence and the ability to produce large volumes of high-quality copy quickly and easily.
I can do the "high-quality copy" part. It's the "quickly and easily" I have trouble with. Because for me -- all together now! -- writing is hard. Which is why it's gotten to be a monthly bummer to stop working on my latest book or short story so I can agonize over what to blog.
So at long last I'm bowing out. Blogging was fun and useful for a while, but that time has passed. This will be my final post for SleuthSayers as a regular contributor, and I'm having my website redesigned so it's not built around a blog. The good news for my readers: The extra five or so hours a month that saves me will go into producing more fiction. The good news for SleuthSayers visitors: No more "writing is hard."
Thank you, Leigh Lundin, Rob Lopresti and everyone else who made me feel so welcome here. It was an honor to be a SleuthSayer...and I hope you'll let me come back when it's time for me to say "Buy my newest book" again....
Happy Trails, Steve.
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you, Steve.
ReplyDeleteUse those extra hours well and keep us enthralled.
We'll miss you, Steve! (And I've been there myself, though still a regular reader of my old blog-mates--clearly!)
ReplyDeleteSteve, we WILL miss you. Keep in touch!
ReplyDeleteWe will miss you, Steve. And Happy Trails:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi0e7brHdMQ
Steve, we wish you well. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys! I'm sure I'll turn up like a bad penny in the comments from time to time, so you won't be completely rid of me.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a treat having you on board. Thanks so much for your contributions. And yes, Rusch is great. Not only her business tips, but especially her short stories. https://lbcrimes.blogspot.com/search?q=rusch
ReplyDeleteAnd not only does Kris write great short stories, she re-purposes them into weekly blog updates:
ReplyDeletehttps://kriswrites.com/2019/04/08/free-fiction-monday-cowboy-grace/
So there's yet another way she's a much better blogger than me!
Enjoy your extra writing time!
ReplyDeleteWhen the thumbnail-size rearing horse GIF appear on my screen, I thought Lone Ranger. In the article, I saw it was a palomino and realized it was Roy Rogers. Then my next thought– I never before spotted the family resemblance between Roy and Alfred E Newman.
ReplyDeleteSteve, we're going to miss you, laddie! Sorry to see you go, we enjoyed the posts. Stop back in when you want to tell us about that new book or just to say hi. Be seeing you.
Thanks for the fun reads, Steve! Enjoyed your blog as much as I've enjoyed your stories! (Darn! I thought I was going to say "Happy Trails!")
ReplyDeleteWell, I for one need to know when there's something new from you to read/buy (or buy/read, depending on which is more important). If not here, where?
ReplyDeleteRoy does bare a certain resemblance to Alfred E. Newman, doesn't he, Leigh? Or maybe it's more like (given his fashion sense) Howdy Doody.
ReplyDeleteHmm...does anyone under the age of 50 even know who Howdy Doody is anymore? (I would say "anyone under the age of 60," but *I'm* under the age of 60, so I know there's at least one of us.)
There'll be a News page on my revamped website, Don, so it should always be easy to get the latest scoop on my writing. I'll also still be semi-active on Facebook and Twitter. (I say "semi-active" because I'm always hovering around on those sites. I just don't always have a lot to say!)
Good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info.
ReplyDelete