Monday, August 20, 2007

Hello again!

It’s a funny old thing, this blogging business. But then again, so am I. I opened the Animal Disco over a month ago, when surfing on a big wave of enthusiasm and excitement. All the (largely previously-published) blah-blah that I was so keen to share with the world were thrown, with wild abandon and not much consideration, into the party, and there I was: immortalised on the World Wide Web forever.

It was my full intention that this blog would be the start of something big - big in my little world anyway, where opportunities to freely ‘publish’ all the stuff that I really want to write about are few and far between. Loads of short stories, several chapters from various novels, even diary entries - I intended to post them here in rapid succession, if only to satisfy my niece’s curiosity regarding exactly what Aunty M does all day (and what she did in previous days, when she herself was merely an eye-twinkle). But then. ho hum, life happened - a life that seriously got in the way of my Animal Disco dreams.

As you may have gathered, I’m a freelance journalist - an occupation with a workload that, though extremely fulfilling and tons of fun, ebbs and flows to no particular rhyme, reason or rhythm. Suddenly, there was a Student Guide to write, and loads of restaurants, books and theatre to review (somebody’s got to do it, etc). There were several Home Interiors features to rattle through - and, as all those who have seen my lovely home will know, I’m just the person for such jobs (“Yeah, right” , says Thumper the Lizard). I had family visiting, and meals to cook, and fake tan to apply, and ... excuses, excuses? Well, yes and no. The workload has been very real. But beyond such restraints, there’s been another little niggle nagging at me every time I sat down to contribute some tunes to my own party.

Actually externalising the internal rambles that, so far, lie hidden away in notebooks, diaries and password-protected documents on a computer - or writing fresh, uncommissioned truths from the heart - is a very different process to rattling off supposedly caustic commentaries (see, ‘Mouthing Off’) or racing through bouncy, optimistic ‘lifestyle’ pieces (see, most of what I get paid to do). It’s downright scary, actually! I know, I know - millions upon millions of people are, to various degrees of success, bravely (or perhaps unthinkingly) stuffing their own blogs full of doo-dah all day long. Do they give a toss about who is - or, more likely, who isn’t - reading anything that they self-publish? Ah yes, the good ones are - that’s why, dear reader, they’re good. And those who are kind enough to read the results of our work take us very seriously indeed.

When I started this project, I thought it unlikely that many people would come and dance with me. And yet, from Day One, I attracted reaction - most of it positive, too. I can’t say that the Animal Disco has legions of loyal fans, but, despite a total lack of publicity, there are a few. So, for them, I’m going to bite the bullet and start this ball rolling properly.

I’m sorry for the lack of music that followed the initial fanfare, but I’m sorting the band out as I write. And write I will - right here. Thank you for sticking with me so far; I hope you continue to make full use of the Access All Areas pass that this blog gives you to my life so far. And hey! Don’t be a stranger ... no matter how strange things get ...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Exciting, delightful, charming. Please be brave and continue.

Anonymous said...

Dear Disco,

Forget the nervousness and keep on dancing. What you already have here proves that you're easily capable of putting thoughts & feelings into words in an accessible way. We are a group of librarians in Auckland NZ and we are already hooked. We need you to keep going & can't wait to "get to know you" better. Your "Mouthing Off" entry about Stalkers has so far been one of the most popular highlights for us, & your thoughts on The Facebook phenomenon had my teenage daughter enthralled.

Even just a little entry every couple of days would suffice! You are at the start of something big & wonderful and we are very lucky to be here at the start with you.

Melissa said...

Thank you so much for this lovely feedback. I'm a little bit overwhelmed, to be honest; I honestly didn't think that anybody was checking in regularly, but here we are! Really, thank you. I'm extremely flattered.