Dateline: above the garage in snowy Portsmouth RI, 19 January 2005
Detached from today's writing for a while, hung out with kids and what not. Then went back and read it through for the first time on paper.
A lot better than I thought. Good ideas and pretty good train of thought, but overwritten in many places. Too many asides. I have a tendency to want to start the last sentence of every para with "In short, . . ..."
One guy had written a nasty letter about my style in the book, saying I must have written " . . . in terms of . . ." about a million times!
Now, I can't write it without thinking of that jerk, which I guess is a good thing. But he was still a jerk about it.
Another guy wrote yesterday complaining that my blog was getting too full of lists, and announcing this or that cool thing about PNM, and tricking people far too many times about "Hardball." Complained about wasting many hours of his life.
I thought . . . geez! Lighten up!
I warned people the blog would be light on substance throughout the writing process. Naturally, in the weird self-doubting that goes on when you write, you reach for signs of approval, like this or that mention in the press, this or that media appearance, best seller this and best seller that. So what if it's all so needy and thin! That's what the day is right now, and the blog is always the day--like it or not. Because the day always is--like it or not.
Actually, I'm not feeling thin right now. Something about writing, I always put on weight, whereas editing seems to take off the weight. Something truly metaphysical and deep about that.
I think I'll go eat some ice cream and watch the DVD of me at PopTech! which I just got in the mail. Bit of self love before bed, and then facing the text bright and early.
Then I have to listen--truly listen--to W.'s speech tomorrow, so I can say something profound on NPR.
This guy at "Here and Now," named Stef. He's reading the Esquire piece in preparation for tomorrow and says, "You're pretty flip in the article, less so in the book, probably . . . less so on the radio tomorrow, right?"
I paused for about 10 seconds and said, "Yeeeaaahhhh, probably."
I think it'll depend on how well the writing goes in the morning. I love to write at dawn. I think it's the coffee, which reminds about the ice cream . . .
Oh yeah, I saw the final proof of the Rule Set Reset newsletter today. I was pretty impressed. Think I'll have to stay in this LLC a bit longer and see if it pans out.
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