someone's listening

"Wherever you go
Wherever you land
I’ll say what this means to me
I’ll do what I can"

The birds on my patio have, as my wife would say, "got lots of shit to say!"

Ferris is rolling around on her back, grunting and wagging her tail. She's about ten feet away from me, and she keeps looking at me with her little teeth poking out of her mouth.

Riley is watching us both with her face tucked between her paws.

I feel good about the writing I've done the last week or so. Getting rid of advertising on my blog, so the focus returns to writing because I need to write, instead of because I feel obligated to write, was probably the wisest thing I've done this year. It's incredible to me how much of my happiness and serenity I was giving up, for so little.

I am alone and at peace in my house, sipping green tea on a break from writing. A warm breeze blows through the open windows, a welcome break from the June Gloom we've enjoyed for the last six days. Wilco's Sky Blue Sky plays on the stereo. It is a perfect soundtrack for this moment.

Comments

[Bog]

Wil, old stick, professional authors are paid to write.

Artists who happen to be authors are paid because they need to write.

You'll be fine, sir.

[Jason Ellis]

I recently had a similar epiphany with my writing, and it made all the difference. Best of luck, and enjoy that sweet breeze!

[Tara]

Well I for one am glad that you are back to enjoying writing. I have enjoyed your frequent writing lately. When you write because you want to write, not need to write, your work is better. Keep it up :)
~~TARA~~

[Metaverse]

I haven't listened to that Wilco yet. My next purchase will be the new Dream Theater this Friday.

Just a quick note to say I've been reading your blog for awhile, Wil, but just signed up so I can comment. I'm Jo and I think I'm a couple of days younger than you (Aug 1, 72) so we have a very similar astrological chart. LOL! And I'm a technogeek and I'm hypergraphic too. And I write becuase I MUST, too. I actually took some dorky course through work (Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mormons haha I mean People -- yeah, it's cultish) and I ended up putting that whole writing-because-I-must thing into my personal mission statement. So there you go.

I read Anne's blog sometimes, too, and recently she was trying to post something like 30 entries over 30 days and was struggling and I was HOWLING because it's all I can do to REFRAIN from posting twice a day every day and all the minutae of my life. I try and keep it interesting, even though it's hypergraphically motivated some of the time. Heh heh.

Anyhow, thanks for everything you do. And for the record, I'm a Next Gen trekkie and I always LOVED Wesley. :)

[punxsyparty]

I found you with links and a search from startrek.com. I have been intrigued moreso now than ever about your style. I find you unique and talented. I hope the best for you and keep writing. I am from the town with Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog's day, main star LOL. Keep up everything and best wishes ..always-Aaron

[VeronicaRobinson]

It's around 10:30 at night. My husband is in bed, where I gave up trying to sleep because I have been all day because of a monster headache. The wind outside is blowing furiously, trying to work up to a storm but probably won't. My car was stolen for the second time over a month ago and now officially belongs to my insurance company. A young girl was kidnapped from Target parking lot about two miles from where I live at 7 in the evening a while back and was found in a lake yesterday evening or possibly early this morning. I'm now thanking God that I am WAY overqualified to work at Target and therefore, didn't get hired. I should be looking for employment but instead, I spend my days sunbathing by the pool, thanking God I have a husband with an awesome job and trying not to hate my ex-employer for firing me for misspelling a word.

It's an awesome time here in Kansas too. (is the sarcasm coming through?)

[alikitty619]

Serenity.....it's a beautiful thing. Enjoy it.

[:: jozjozjoz.com ::]

Glad you seem to be hitting a good stride, Wil.

[bjgis]

STAR TREK ROYALTY?! Now that's more like it! Sounds like a very cool project. Bring back Wesley and the Traveler!

[CHV]

Hey Wil: Ducks win! Ducks win!

[jadeddo]

"I am alone and at peace in my house, sipping green tea on a break from writing."

I find it funny that writing in your blog is a break from writing :) I *thought* your blog was looking cleaner lately... I like the lack of ads... your blog should be a place you go when you want to, not because you have to.

[Onaree]

I, personally, am glad that you feel obligated to write. I feel obligated to read your blog. I found your blog a few weeks ago and have been reading it daily since.

I really enjoy reading about all the details of return to the TNG set, playing videogames with your kids, glimpses of your childhood memories and the singing birds. It helps starstruck people like me realize that celebrities are really not that different from me.

So, I guess it would be really inappropriate to post that I was a fan years ago when you were on TNG (you were the reason I watched) and now I'm a returning fan because of your blog.

Keep it coming.

[Jim Jones]

Glad its working for you, Wil. I am glad that you feel more motivated and less pressured. Good stuff will come from both.

The advertising never bothered me. Maybe that's because I have advertising on my site, maybe not. I never feel driven to write by the advertising. It's there whether I write or not. I look at it like interest. I don't have your readership or focus either. If I have a tip that I want to remember, I post it and hope that it helps others. If I make a few cents here and there, cool. If not, fine as well. Getting a check from Google was kind of cool mainly because it didn't cost me anything more than time (doing something I would do anyway) and knowledge (jotting down something that I didn't want to forget).

I can see where you are coming from though. You are also a professional writer with deadlines. Having another (or even the perception of another) couldn't have helped... especially one that didn't pay as well as the others even if it may have been more rewarding.

It sounds like you have successfully wrestled a paradox of life into submission. Good on ya.