Sunday, April 23, 2017

Questions beget questions









Lately we have been discussing the many questions I receive about my blog. As you know I race to anticipate all your questions and answer them before you even ask them. But with millions of daily readers I can't anticipate every question, and I sometimes find it's helpful to devote a day's blog session just to answering reader questions. We did this yesterday, and though you'd have to consult yesterday's post to count all the questions I fielded, I felt it was exhaustive and covered a lot of ground. However, to my surprise, I was asked even more questions about my blog today at work. How do some of these people even know about my blog?! Anyway, I include an account of them here in the hopes that it will cover the rest of the issues you, as a curious reader, might be interested in.


Reader "Mike" asks:

Can you point me in the direction of the bathroom?

Answer:

I too wonder sometimes about my motivation for writing. I feel sometimes like it's a purely personal act, one that lets me commune with myself and center, almost in a spiritual way, but I also sometimes feel like there is a particular perspective that's missing from the world and I cannot rest until I see it out there, beyond myself.


Reader "Linnea" asks:

Can you check and see what I have on hold?

Answer:

Thanks for the question "Linnea"! I suppose the ones I like best change over time. I get most excited about the satirical, funny ones, like with Bob Dylan. But when I go looking at old posts I'm surprised by what resonates with me. It's often complex ones that might have seemed like strange throwaways when I wrote them- maybe because they seem so new to me at that point.


Reader "Lance" asks:

Have you seen Liz around anywhere? Did she come through here?

Answer:

Wow. That's quite a compliment! Thanks. I suppose I mostly don't really think of how it will affect people. Something like this is really more of a pleasant surprise. I know I joke a lot about being famous and the impact of my essays and how great they are, but in writing them the process is more pure, more like they're my own problem to solve, involving for their own sake. But sure, sometimes when I'm really onto something there might be a little part of me that thinks "This is special. Maybe someone will read this and think "Have you seen Liz around anywhere?"" But I try not to let stuff like that swell my head.


Thanks so much. This was fun!







23 comments:

  1. When you write your blog, what time of day, generally, is it?

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  2. Generally speaking, what do you wear when you compose your blog?

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    Replies
    1. Being a detail oriented person I must work at taking you at your word when you ask "Generally speaking", but the answer then simply would have to be "Shirt and pants". If that's more specific than you meant: "Clothes".

      Thanks for asking.

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    2. Yes, both those answer are deeply satisfying. Thank you!

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    3. Oh, good! I am relieved. I was aiming for a generality level just between them.

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  3. When you blog, are you usually drinking something or eating something?

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    Replies
    1. I eat and drink continuously from noonish to 3 or 4, but blog ceaselessly, round the clock, so, thus, I am drinking or eating something about a seventh of the time I am blogging.

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    2. Whoaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Three straight hours!!!! Whoaaaa!!!! Thank you! That's most interesting!!!!

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    3. Well, fairly speaking, three or four hours straight or until the food runs out, whichever comes first.

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  4. When you start a blog post, do you generally finish it all in one sitting or are you more inclined to write some then revisit?

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    Replies
    1. Mostly I write a full draft, unless I run out of time. Occasionally I bog down and have to come back later as well to work it through. But usually I finish and then revisit later 5 to 100 times for edits and inserts and, rarely, rewrites.

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    2. Whoaaaaa!!!!! That's intense! Thanks!!!!!

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  5. Generally speaking, if it's raining outside, do you notice the rain while you're composing?

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    Replies
    1. This will seem like bragging, sort of, which is supposed to be bad and off-putting, and I find that it rather is with other people, but find it comforting when it comes from myself, but, and wow what a sentence this is becoming, but, I, when I am composing, am aware of all things in the universe, especially rain, always rain.

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    2. That's what I thought!!!!! I was sure of it!!!!! And now you've confirmed what I thought!!! Thank you!!!!!

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    3. Thank you. I like how you were sure of it, but took the time to fully confirm it. I appreciate that kind of thoroughness.

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  6. Generally speaking, if you're suddenly in the middle of a blog post made aware of of the bocci ball world championship bring broadcast online, are you more or less inclined to open a new window on your computer, and, if so, will you continue your blog stream of ideas or are you more likely to watch the bocci ball game until your attention is cleared for you blog post?

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    Replies
    1. I am absolutely unable to split my attention like that at all. I can't listen to music or follow a bocci championship AND write. So I would follow the bocci ball game and then go back to the writing, hopefully, probably.

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    2. Oops, I missed that first part of your question. I would probably check out that bocci championship and see if it grabbed me. This happened with the Canadian Womens' Curling team last winter olympics and I ended up riveted and watched most of their gloried run with avid fascination. Since then I prefer Curling to any of the "thrown" type sports as it has a deeper control and strategy level. Unfortunately one needs ice and fancy stones to play.

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    3. WHOOOO!!!AAAAA!!!!!! I bet since you're not far from Canada that some of the women's team are likely to visit your library. And wouldn't that be cool because you would recognize them!!! Like what if Skip Rachel Homan or vice-skip Emma Miskew walked in!!!???

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    4. I am really enjoying your comments, but this one confused me. Then I realized: time marches on and new, younger athletes predominate. Alas, I would not recognize Ms Homan or vice-skip Emma Miskew as they are of the bright new guard I guess. The Sochi gold medalists I followed were skipped by Jennifer Jones and included, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen, and Kirsten Wall, though I'm not sure if I'd recognize Kirsten Wall. She might have been an alternate? It's been awhile.

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If you were wondering, yes, you should comment. Not only does it remind me that I must write in intelligible English because someone is actually reading what I write, but it is also a pleasure for me since I am interested in anything you have to say.

I respond to pretty much every comment. It's like a free personalized blog post!

One last detail: If you are commenting on a post more than two weeks old I have to go in and approve it. It's sort of a spam protection device. Also, rarely, a comment will go to spam on its own. Give either of those a day or two and your comment will show up on the blog.