Hear hear, Emma.

As I am writing comedy - its makes no sense at all without someone on the other end. As with a lot of "art" if you want to call it that, it is activated by the viewer. I certainly don't sit at home reading my novel to myself before I go to sleep for kicks.

I'm sticking my colours to the mast - I want it published, when I've finished the thing. If I fail, I fail and I'll have to deal with it.

While this is an interesting discussion, and I'd like to discuss it further, it is somewhat off-topic. We've gone from discussion who uses blogs for what to an in-depth discussion about one paragraph of one of my individual entries.

Not that that is necessarily wrong, of course.

Raises hand ... "I didn't, sir! I pointed out a good blog, sir"

I think blogs can be fantastic and offer personal views and an inside look at people and places never covered in depth in the news for instance, or people who are just obsessed with some obscure subject-matter. I like all that and I like the fact it is uncontrolled. Of course, inevitably there are an awful lot of boring or self-justifying blogs out there just spouting off without much balance or thought. It is like a show-off at a party - you know the guy with the guitar playing three chords of Stairway to Heaven with everyone expected to sit around dutifully listening. Also since the well-publicised publication of several blogs, there are a lot of blogs that seem to be set up just to look for publication now and that spoils it for me a bit because the good thing about blogs is their real-life aspect, and that disintegrates when you get the impression it is just a vehicle for publication. ( I am aware this can be an illusion anyway and some that appear true are completely fictitious). Or perhaps like diaries designed for publication always feel self-justifying. For myself I tried to keep one for a bit but quickly lost interest, as it felt a little pointless, and maybe I felt a bit disingenous doing it so I stopped and started a book instead, which was what I wanted to do all along. But some of my friends have very good and quirky blogs - which seems to suit the medium well. So maybe it boils down to, some people are just good at it.
There.

IB, your return didn't go un-noticed. I actually posted something in the lounge - forgetting you wouldn't see it as you're not a full member. I haven't ready your blog comments about WW (and to be honest, I can't be arsed to!). Actually, I do agree with you that writing should be its own reward, and when you came round to that view on this forum, I said as much. What saddens me is when I see that great desperation to be published; when people think that being published will make their life complete and make them a happier person. At the risk of sounding cheesy, that stuff should come from within, it won't come from being published or selling loads of books. However, there's nothing wrong with people wanting to, or trying to make a living from doing something they love as long as they are realistic about what to expect. So I don't think it's fair to criticise other people for being too business-minded or whatever.

On the subject of blogs, has anyone seen that Private Eye cartoon? It's got a picture of a man writing his blog and on the screen it says 'me me me me'. Haha. I don't blog, although I have done a few times. maybe I'd do it again as a promotional thing if I had a book coming out or something. I like talking about myself, Godammit. I do write in a private diary loads, though, and I believe that helps my creative writing and my sanity. A blog is different as you always have a reader in mind, so it's something I'd write more carefully - it is trying to present a certain image of yourself.

Cath

For what it's worth: I try to make my writing as good as I can, and I've spent years trying to get published, and at last I have. What I want is readers, and yes, I want royalties ... my desire for fame, love, and money doesn't seem to conflict with my role as entertainer or, dare I say it, artist. I can't write without at least a notion of an audience. Anything else would be, for me, jerking off - no slur intended to those who practise auto-erotics.

Jim