Consider how many people routinely sat down at a keyboard 10 years ago and compare it to how many do so in 2009. Now expand the definition of “writing” to include all of the emails, Facebook notes, blogs, and tweets that are composed everyday. Clearly we live in a world of writers and while I would never say that this is a bad thing, it does mean that the competition for readers is fierce. So why, when there’s already an estimated 60 million blogs out there, would I start one? The short answer is that I need it.

The longer answer is that while it’s true that I have writing projects waiting to be finished, that my time is limited due to work and family, and that nobody is going to read this masturbatory exercise anyway, I have identified a need in my creative process and that need is immediacy. Most of my projects take months if not years to complete and a lot of the work that goes into something like a screenplay isn’t very rewarding (in some cases, for example, months are spent with story elements in bullet point form and that can feel like office work). So when the need to write for the satisfaction of creating something NOW hits me, the major projects already in progress can seem more like a drag than a release. It’s also worth noting that a script is narrow in focus and my little musings can rarely find a home in one. The compulsion to get these impulse thoughts out leads to a feeling of frustration that undermines my creative energy as a whole and causes me to work on the major projects less. So it’s my sincere hope that by spending a little time on this blog I’ll spend a lot more time on worthwhile endeavors.

If you’re asking yourself, “self, why not just start a diary or keep a less public journal?” Well it’s a good question. It would be a lot less self-indulgent, yeah? Unfortunately, I need the possibility of an audience. I wont get that audience (a few close friends aside) but there has to be that chance or again the wind goes out of my sails (that probably gives a lot of insight into my personality but fuck it, if that’s who I am that’s who I am). I should also note that while I will write this blog to the best of my abilities, I am not going to approach it with the care that I put into real work as again it will tap that immediacy I crave. Misspellings and grammar errors will be rare, the narrative will stay more or less on topic, but the quality will vary and I won’t have an editor beyond my own basic proof reading prior to posting each, ummm, I dunno, thingie.

As for what I’ll write about? Who knows? The whole point for me is that I’m not going to plan it.

Welcome and I hope all three of you come back often.