Peace Sells But Who's Buying

The year is flying by. It’s been eight months since I started this ridiculous writing every day project. I really didn’t think I would actually do it. Usually life gets in the way at some point. One of us could have wound up in the hospital or jail. Actually, I figured I’d just say screw it at some point and be done with it, but that day never came, and now that I’m two thirds of the way into it there’s no way in hell I’m not finishing. Even if I get hit by a dump truck, I’m going to crawl out of my grave and continue to post every day. Sorry St. Tampa, just give me the code to the Pearly Gates and I’ll let myself in once I’m done writing. I wonder if he’d get the “St. Tampa” joke. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed myself this year. Writing everyday is a discipline I didn’t think I had, and I’m proud of myself. I don’t know if it’s made me a better writer because these are just first draft mind vomitings. I edit for profanity and in some cases intensity but other than that the only checking I do is of the spell nature. I think that’s why it’s been so much fun. I think a possibly negative side effect has been that writing every day has made me a much more critical reader. Now instead of “this is boring” being my default critique, it’s become “This is boring and poorly written. How did this get published?” Some of my favorite writers have lost some of their esteem because I’m noticing hackery much easier. I won’t name them though. A few others have moved up the list. I will name them. I don’t understand how Shakespeare wrote the way he did, whoever he was. Martin Luther King was a great writer, much more than the Southern Baptist preacher I thought he was. I’m also noticing the artistry of J.K. Rowling’s two hundred word sentences that are somehow simple and clear. I haven’t’ decided yet if I’m going to do something special on New Year’s Eve or if I’m going to take my birthday off, but that’s four months and 120 posts away.