Thoughts at Large: I Am Not Unique

After setting up this blog and working with it a while, I've confirmed something I had suspected for a while: 

I am not unique.

Not in the "Hey-I-started-a-blog" way, or even the "I'm-an-aspiring-writer" sense -- those I already knew.  There are a multitude of blogs out there, and you can't kick over any Internet rock without a horde of wannabe-writers swarming out.

No, I mean in the way that a kid christened "John Smith" encounters very early in his life: 

What the Hell are all these other people doing with my name?!?

Writing Sample: "Treasure"

Another writing sample for you, and another story that was originally done for the Creative Copy Challenge.  Once again, this is a site that gives 10 random words for you to create a story around. Here are the words from the prompt that led to this story:

     1.  Exhausting
     2.  Thankful
     3.  Koala Bear
     4.  Speaker
     5.  Positive
     6.  Flashlight
     7.  Cactus
     8.  Squeeze Ball
     9.  California Raisin
    10. Lighthouse

As with the previous sample, this story has been edited a bit from the original rough-draft version.  If you’d like to compare with the original post, it is HERE.

Here’s a little tale of treasure: 

Thoughts at Large: Fiddy!

As I was putting together the "About Me" page, one of the statistics that I wrote was: "age 50." 

Sure -- makes perfect sense, right? Age is one of the first things we use to describe ourselves, and that's how old I am right now.

But I kind of did a double-take when I read it back:  50.  Fifty.  Five-zero.  Fiddy!

Wow...  How'd that happen?  It seems like just yesterday I was turning thirty.

Writing Sample: "Invaders"

OK -- If this is going to be a blog highlighting my creative writing, I guess then the first thing I should do is post an example, to give you a taste.

But first, a little set-up:  Last month, while looking for some prompts to use for writing practice, I stumbled across the site, "Creative Copy Challenge". This is a site that provides ten-word writing prompts every Monday and Thursday for writers to use for practice and fun.  The emphasis is on positive feedback, and admin Shane Arthur does an amazing job of keeping everything running smoothly and comments personally on EVERY post.  This site is by far one of the most active sites that I've found of those specializing in the 'writing prompt' niche.

So Why a Blog???

So why a blog?

Well, this whole Internet thing seems like it just might take off, and I wanted to get in on the ground floor before it gets too big -- you know, make a blog while there still aren't that many people doing it.

Oh wait -- it's 2011, not 1991.

Now days, there are probably more blogs out there than there are grains of sand on the beach. And most of them are long-dead, untouched, and left forgotten in dusty and cobweb-filled attics of the Internet.  Many of the early bloggers who were actually successful at them have long-ago gotten bored and moved on to other social media sites like facebook and twitter. And frankly, even that wave may have peaked, and the used-to-be-bloggers are sharpening a new cutting edge far below the radar of aging, un-hip, and out-of-it people like me.

A blog?  Really??? How quaint and retro and doomed to be forever-unread....

So why start one?

The Ripple...

Did you notice that?

The slightest ripple in the cyber-inner-webs???

That was me.  Dipping my toe into the electronic ether...

I've started a blog.  This is it.

Welcome!

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