Aesthetics and boring stuff

I said I was a writer--I didn't say I was remotely good at graphic design. I haven't yet settled on a blog layout and I'm still trying to get everything straightened out since I just started this today. 

But have faith! It will happen and things will look a little more...good. 

The other boring thing I wanted to mention is my basic plans for this blog. They are:

• Update regularly, if not daily
• Have content that is unique to me and isn't a reiteration of every other writing advice you've ever read
• Engage and encourage. Whether it is my failures or my triumphs, I want to inspire you and make you think and help you grow. I want the same for myself as well.
• To get to know fellow writers for the sake of friendship and community, as well as learning from you. It's a two-way street, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe we can guest blog? 
• Reconnecting with old writing friends. I miss you guys! And, of course, making new ones. 

You should probably know up front that I don't actually intend to publish excerpts of my novel on this blog. For a couple of reasons, actually. (And none of them have to do with me being chicken.) 

Firstly, I've heard all my life that publishers don't want to publish something that's been published before. And as far as I've heard, contradictions to that are usually exceptions. 

Secondly, I have done the whole feedback thing with peer groups of writers. You have five different people giving you five very different opinions on what you should change. And while feedback can be a good thing, being pulled in five different directions isn't. And I actually appreciated that feedback; it made me look at my novel in entirely different ways and encouraged me to want more and think outside the box. So, it was great at the time, but not for the moment. 

But that doesn't mean I won't give examples to illustrate my point. They just won't be from my novel. 

So, there's the boring stuff. Next post, I'll have something to say. 

Until then.