1. This is my first blog. I needed a long-hand version of what to say plus two glasses of wine before gathering courage to do what the rest of the world seems to do in its sleep. I had to work out what an URL was.
2. BUT. It seems to me that those who want to write successfully (in whatever terms) write all the time: letters, articles, stories, novels, commentaries and - blogs. So it's selfish - this blog. Its to inspire me because by writing more (here) I will write more. If I'm blocked I think I can blog and unblock - that's the general idea. Perhaps along this selfish route I may inspire others - or at least interest someone for a few seconds. I'm not altruistic but I'm not entirely selfish either. My ego is not large by any means.
3. I might not write the truth, about me or about any experience of mine. Or about anybody else. Writing is all story. (Read Hayden White about history for this). I might produce a false persona or tell little bits of real stuff. But that's what writing is all about. It's all glimpses of 'what might be' or 'what if' or something real transmuted into a story so the 'real' is mixed up. We all carry with us 'editors' in our heads so that what we say or write is checked automatically so we don't reveal too much or it is turned and twisted to suit the situation we're in at that moment. After all, crafting a story to suit the audience is just like that. I try to write to suit a woman's magazine and that's really different from crafting an paper for an academic journal. A friend once told her PhD supervisor she'd make it up as she went along and he was really horrified and lectured her about the saintly nature of research. But there's no real truth out there (at least not in the arts subjects) and one opinion or one story is as good as another.
4. That's it folks. Time to feed the cats. More to follow.