And Now, For Something Completely Different

You will, I hope, have noticed the changes on my 'blog, including but not limited to a change in title, and with it, the entire theme of my 'blogging. You see, my previous 'blog wasn't satisfying me. There was nothing I could put my finger on, but I wasn't enjoying 'blogging. There are likely a number of reasons (including, perhaps of the limits in discussing any of my scholarship--see a relevant discussion from a friend of mine here), but in some ways the reasons are not relevant. After I write this thing for fun, after all, and for the benefit of my friends, so as long as they are getting benefit and I am enjoying myself, it shouldn't be a big deal. The trouble was, as I said, I wasn't enjoying myself, and so I wouldn't write. Which didn't help anybody.

So, I have decided to change my 'blog. While it may still contain random musings on my life, I have decided to encourage this 'blog as a outlet for my hobbies as a fabulist and a role-player and a medievalist. I hope that this will give me continual impetus to write, and my readers impetus to comment and improve the general character of this 'blog. For news of my life, my lovely wife does a splendid job of cataloging that, and is a good writer to boot. Additionally, although this 'blog will contain a number of musings on role-playing, I will attempt to not neglect my other role-playing writing responsibilities.

I have resisted making this change, for a number of reasons. In part, because I was afraid of being labeled as terminally uncool, and this in spite of being well aware of my actual coolness level. You'd reckon that I'd be beyond such things, but it is not so. Another point is that I did not want to limit myself. Closely related to that, my readership extends to people who don't role-play (perhaps, I never get a quarter of the readership that my wife does), and didn't want to be to off-putting. One of my earliest attempts at a role-playing post was the worst received of anything I had written, and almost put me off writing altogether. However, my attempts to be all things to all people were preventing me from writing in general. As my friend Matt has said, there is a lot of inertia preventing one from writing.

So, this change in focus. It is off with the kid-gloves. I will be writing unapologetically about fantasy, science fiction, comic books and role-playing, without an eye for my audience. As the good old Ricky Nelson song goes: "But it's alright now, I've learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself." Perhaps an unfair convention of writing for a medium which is intended to be read, but we'll try it for a while and see how it goes.

For the first time in months I am excited to write again.