The Battles We Face and Compromises We Make. I have been writing for a very long time; sometimes with more intensity than others, sometimes less. I have written non-fiction, Fiction, Screenplays, Short Stories, Legal Articles and more. Some have been printed, some sold, most ignored and some I remain hopeful on.

I have seen every side of the craft of writing. I have been encouraged, verbally beaten down, told to quit, told to NEVER quit. I was informed I am silly, talented, useless, hopeful, a fool, brave and usually, with the exception of one terrible and caustic person, everyone who has read my work says I have a unique voice and create good plots. Like all writers I have my own challenges with my craft. All of this I can live with. Why? Because I love to write, want to have people enjoy it what I write and I know the path is hard for most. The difficulty of the path is as purifying as it is challenging. I can live with that, what I can’t live with is having my work not read.

Among the "rules" I have seen is that real writers never write a blog or publish anything on the internet. I remember when being a TV actor was a guarantee to never be in films. The movie world and television world seem to have adapted. Perhaps the truth has been that if you publish on the internet you are doomed as a "real author" trying to be published on paper, but perhaps, like video work, writing is changing.

I have much to learn about my craft, I have very little to learn about taking risks. You try, you win or lose, you learn, you gain friends on the path or lose them; you make some people happy and others furious. In short, you live life a bit more fully than if you didn’t write. I don’t pretend to be your average guy, or have your average challenges. For me life can be intense, in my writing, in my living and in my relationships. Some how, all my characters (at least the ones who live) tend to come out scathed but better for the battle. I hope this will apply to me. I have a dear friend who shake her head in amazement about the bizarre twists and turns in my life, says, "Well it will make you a better writer." The dark side of me always thinks, "Wonder if smacking you on the head will make me a better writer." The other side of me knows, as much as I hate it, that all tragedy improves all writing. So, on I go.

What tragic path am I undertaking now? What windmill do I tilt? What hopeless cause will I expend my energy on this time? How about expanding my view of what it means to be a "real writer?" Is a blogger a writer? I will let you know what happens. I know that most think that bloggers are gratuitous navel gazers and have little more to offer than the comedy of silliness that is their lives. Who am I to say? I am not normal in that way. I have decided to become a blogger at the urging of others. I think of myself as a writer, not a blogger, perhaps that will change with time. More people have read my blog than my books, even the serialized one you find on this URL. Does that make me a blogger or a writer, or as my never ending most passionate critic says, "am I just no one?" We shall see.

To that end, I intend this sub section of my blog to be a "how I got started trying to sell my writing, via a blog." I expect lots of failures, some success, a few friends, some huge lessons and if I am very lucky, a new career to come of these efforts. Now mind you, I know many people think blogging is not a way to get your fiction on the market. Perhaps not, but perhaps what I learn will help you sell your book. If that happens, give a guy a ping and say I helped. I don’t want money or acclaim, just appreciation for the help. I will be aiming this part of the blog at navel gazing about the process of starting a blog (one I hope that will be successful on many levels) and trying to get books and screenplays published.

Why listen to me on this? Cause I am happy to admit that I don’t know a damned thing about blogging, so I am learning from the lowest place possible. I won’t condescend, I won’t skip mistakes (I plan on making them all) and I will be honest. I tried the dummies guide, and I wasn’t smart enough yet for even that to help. So, I will depend on friends, the kindness of strangers to help me in this path. Also, I tend to learn pretty fast and I would love to pass my lessons on to you. Sometimes I will be serious, sometimes funny, now and then thrilling and I hope all along they way, an improving craftsman.

For those of you who find my "voice" to be disconcerting because it isn’t written with the laser precision of academic professionals, please feel free to go away. I insist. For those of you who are looking to participate, please feel free to stay. I would ask that before you comment of critique my words or the words of others how joyfully contribute to this blog, that you read my posting called "Critical Bastards" and follow the rules laid out there. If you can’t do that, as I say, find someone else to terrorize with nothing but unkind words. If you follow the rules of Critical Bastards, please feel free to stay and play.

So this is a view into the real world and challenges of trying to provide or sell writing and entertainment on a blog. I am sure that every choice will be as wrong as it is right. A very zen aspect of life to me. But I would love to hear from you, valued reader, tell me your view of what was wrong and right. Just make sure you provide the right as well as the wrong. Otherwise you are just a bad person, and the community, growing on this blog, won’t tolerate that sort of negative response. I hope you stay and play and learn right along with me. Suggestions always welcome.

PlotDog