Monday 5 January 2009

Thank you and goodnight


Well, it has been 12 months since I first set up my Blogger account and started my yearlong quest to keep writing and publishing.
I pretty much managed it, every week day, throughout 2008 (with a few short breaks, for my sanity) but now I must bring the journey to a close.
I wasn’t sure if I’d get through the year without admitting defeat. I’m glad I stuck it out. I also wasn’t sure if anyone would read the stories. I have been so proud, this past year, that people I’ve never met should take the time to read and comment on my writing.
I never tried to publicise the blog much, and for a while I didn’t have many readers. But that all changed when Blogger awarded me ‘Blog of Note’ status for The Daily Tale (my non-picture based story blog).
Overnight, I found myself with an audience of thousands, plus many commentators, which was exciting and a little overwhelming at once. It was difficult to hold everyone’s attention. I’m not sure which parts of the year were my creative peaks, or whether the blog’s popularity coincided with these. I often found the most popular pieces were not the ones I expected, or my favourites, but I was glad people liked them (or at least felt moved to comment) all the same.
Anyway, a nice collective of people stayed interested through the course of The Daily Tale, but I needed to freshen up the blog to keep me interested in it. So, halfway through the year, I opened up a new blog – this one – The Daily Postcard. My idea was to separate the two blogs and keep each as distinct archives of my work.
The Daily Postcard gave me a chance to publish many of the photos I’ve been taking over the last couple of years, and also use them as the basis for writing stories. Sometimes the confines of the picture were a blessing to the writing process, sometimes a hindrance. Still, it was a fine experiment, I think.
I’d particularly like to thank the crop of readers who stayed with me until the end of the project and for all your kind comments and support. It’s especially pleasing that you guys are all such fantastic bloggers and having such superb writers as yourselves reading my work, and hopefully enjoying it, is something I’ve cherished. I’ll have more time to read your blogs now so keep up the great work.
It will be strange not to write every day, but I’m looking forward to exploring other creative outlets (such as music) and then I’ll get back to writing, either some full length short stories, or perhaps a novella, or something bigger…
Rest assured, as I come up with short tales and other ideas I will post them either to the Daily Tale or Daily Postcard sites so keep an eye out for them!
Ok, well I think that’s it from me. All that’s left to say is – thanks, so much, for reading.

Paul.

11 comments:

Grégoire said...

While I enjoyed the daily tale, I adored the experience of the daily postcard. It absolutely rocked. Flash fiction was such a wonderful diversion.

Please keep blogging *somewhere*. I'd love to read the occasional (even if monthly) tale...

Greg

Jennifer Morrison said...

I enjoyed it, thanks very much. I hope you keep the blog out there, because I will refer my writing students to it.

All the best in your writing endeavours.
Jennifer Morrison

Paul Bernard Baker said...

Thanks for your comments.
I'm glad to hear you're a fan of the Daily Postcard format, Grégoire. I figured most people liked Daily Tale better - it still gets a lot of hits. And I will post to this or the other site occasionally.
Jennifer - I will indeed keep the blogs open, and I would be very pleased if your students find anything useful or interesting in my blogs. Good luck with your writing workshop.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Paul,

It's been a wonderful year, reading both your blogs. While the Daily Tale had a lot of my favourites, I guess for a person like me, if ever I start to write fiction, The Daily Postcard will be a really practical help because the photos can be a diving board for the creative jump (i'm mixing metaphors, sorry).

Anyway, I do hope you will continue to post now and then, because I really enjoy your writing.

blackgata said...

Paul, best of luck to you in your future endeavors. I have enjoyed both your blogs very much this year. I hope you will publish a book of short stories some day soon and be sure to let us know when you do.

alphawoman said...

Farewell, I'll try and find your other blog.

Anonymous said...

I feel a degree of sadness is watching you go but I admire what you've done. I wish I were half the blogger you have proved yourself to be, my friend.

J-Mo

adfadfadfadfasfasvmomoavmavmav said...

Whenever J.K. Rowling ended her Harry Potter series, I was sad. I was never a fan of the Harry Potters, but I was still said. It was the end of a journey. Now, someone I truly admired and looked up to decided to quit. Now how should I feel? Mr. Paul Bernard, thank you everything. You are an inspiration. And for that reason, I feel angered and betrayed.

Thank you once again..

bha said...

Hey Paul - wish I'd been reading and commenting more regularly as the year drew to a close. I can tell you my reading/not reading was always coincidence - the tales and postcards were always great. I kind of wish I'd had a more definite program for myself to stick with more super short form prose, but it was always a delight to read your work when I wasn't distracted by the rest of life. Many cheers!

Jaquanda Rae said...

LOL @ angered and betrayed.

I've been away from blogger for months at a time. I'll just continue like it's business as usual, looking out for a not so often post and commenting on the ones I'm going to catch up on.

All the best, I'll check you out on twitter!

Jaquanda Rae said...

Thanks for checking in Paul! So good of you. I still enter competitions from time to time. I'm actually waiting to see what will happen with the latest one, I'll post that entry later in the year.

So good that you also are a musician. What instrument do you play? If you say guitar, I am going to jump off the cliff at Rick's Cafe and scream as I plunge in the water!!!!