Saturday, May 12, 2007

Every day I write the book

At least I do in my head. Sentences, paragraphs, chapters, stories.

But it never materializes.

I've written 916 posts on this blog. There are at least another hundred that you've never seen - ones I've abandoned, rejected, or forgotten about it. (They languish in that limbo known as "draft," never to be heard from again.)

Some of my posts stink on ice, some are decent, some are just rants or links to better writers or musicians or random stuff, and a handful are fairly decent. Around 100-150 folks come here most days. I've never done anything in particular to increase readership. Sometimes I get picked up by DC Blogs, which is nice. Once I got picked up by Wonkette, and another time by USA Today. I'm not exactly A-list material, let's face it.

A lot of my best stories haven't been told yet. I've held them back thinking that someday I would seriously sit down and put the words together in a collection. And I've wondered for a long time, if I actually wrote that book, would anyone read it?

Well, I guess I'll find out. I'm going to start writing that book. I have stories about Moscow and Cairo and Bangkok and Tashkent... It's time to see if I can seriously produce something for people to read, or if I'm just a online piker with the attention span of a gnat.

Who knows?

Public commitment made. Well, a commitment made to 4.5 regular readers, that is, and 120 guys searching Google for boobies, dog condoms, and cannibalism.

Here goes nuthin'...

16 comments:

Heather Meadows said...

YAY! Put me on the preorder list ;)

Reya Mellicker said...

I salute you! Yes please, write the book.

There's no "A" list in blogging. It's a democratic art. Everyone is A or everyone is Z - hard to say which is which. Your blog is great, a compendium of thoughts and referrals, anecdotes, updates. Always well worth reading, always.

(And I love that song by Elvis Costello, too.)

Claire said...

Good for you!

paulnojustpaul said...

Woohoo! Goferit, M!

I'd definitely buy/read it. You've always got a really cool take on life and events and I loved reading your travel stories back in your CR days (Tea Without Respect being a fave.)

Janet Kincaid said...

Sign me up for a copy! I'd read your book. And good for you for following a dream!

N. Francesca said...

You've got the 'GANAS' Ode to a once upon a time Jamie Escalante film.

I can feel it in your writing.

Bravissimo to You.

Anonymous said...

I've been working on my own book for about ten years now. Sigh.... It's frustrating: having to work full-time to support myself, not having the energy and stamina that I need to push myself into actually writing on a regular basis, and then just basically escaping the chore of writing by "collecting more data".

Ginger said...

Great news! That's a book I'd buy in a second--in hardcover, no less.

SiteMeter does give one bizarre insights into their readers, huh? You wouldn't believe how many people with foot fetishes stop by my blog. They must be so disappointed.

Cyn said...

Hurray! Just remember, we're holding you to this now...

Dog condoms? I must have missed that post. Damn.

radiocynic said...

Oh hell yeah.

As I mentioned to you (in person no less,) even if you made up half of this stuff it would still be a very compelling read.

And the fact it's real makes it even more incredibly bookworthy.

Let us know when we can do the Amazon preorder!

Anonymous said...

M-

I can't even remember how I came across your blog. I do remember though it was shortly BEFORE you revealed the whole you're firing me cause someone thinks I am going to kill them with an axe? entry.

Once you actually recounted the story - I was hooked. Always a good read.

Put me down for one copy.

Anonymous said...

Online piker or not, write that damn book! And I too will buy hardcover.
I think I have a book in me too. So,if you do it I'll do it.
See, I'm encouraging you for selfish reasons.
wally

Anonymous said...

do they really make dog condoms?

:-)

j/k...i wanna copy too, and all that.

Chuck said...

Good luck with your book!

Anonymous said...

Write that book! I'm having one, please!
near_earth_object

Montgomery Slacker said...

I'd read it. I love your blog and the ease by which you turn your thoughts into text. Your personality and wit shine in every post.