Adjusting Course

I procrastinated writing this week, because the topic I was most tempted to write about was writing─ who cares to read as an amateur writer ponders upon writing?─ am I writing for some desired audience, myself, or for the sake of writing?─ am I even justified in calling myself a 'writer'?

I think it's obvious, I've been dealing with some self-doubt; likely banal autumnal-existential-depression.

Honestly, I feel justified in considering myself a writer. If asked about my profession, I wouldn't [yet] refer to myself as such, but I do write, and I do publish it to a blog. I'd not claim the title of blogger, because I'm not one of them. That is, my blog doesn't exist to spread information or opinion or feed ego, it exists so I can share my craft and, ideally, receive feedback of some sort.

I am a writer (by certain definition), but why then, do I write? I'm not going to make a cliched appeal to a contrived notion of the Art of Writing: it's not majik, in any-sense. And I frankly don't care about the science of writing either, to met it's a craft which I practice.

So, I write for myself, it's a compulsion that leads to self-satisfaction. Altho, yes, I would like to garner a following, I'd like to make a living from writing and doing as much would fuel my ego: such is the nature of succeeding in any practice. Still, I will not pander to an audience, because it is not in my nature to do so. I will write, endure and perhaps find some measure of success.

I am proud of what I've written here and I'm proud of my previous postings on this blog: whether they garner an audience or not. My efforts have been spent writing earnestly and respectfully on topics I care about. The internet is filled with enough snark and rage, which I've little enough interest in reading, let-alone contributing to.

This marks a change in this blog's function. My poetry will henceforth be found at 'Emarald Wordsmith'. I'm not concerning myself with short-fiction, for the time being, but if I write some it will likely be posted to that blog as well.

'Figuring it Out' will be devoted to essay/journal style writing.