My front door.
Last week(ish), a fan knocked on my door.
He was my school stationery delivery guy and, as he was handing over my order, he said:
“I read your blog as well, by the way, follow all your awards and everything, what you’re doing. My wife’s a big reader and she follows you too. Good luck with it all.”
I didn’t really know what to say at the time… I was just so amazed that someone was taking time out of their day to share some kind words with me! Plus, he’d read some of my stories, enjoyed them, and read my blog!
Wow!
Writers write to connect with others, to share something with the world – be that a character, life lesson or a particular insight or experience – and here was proof that I do that well enough to be remembered and revisited by someone I’d never met. Wow!
Of course the first thing I did when I could find the words was to thank him. Then I think I started to babble, asking whether or not he and/or his wife were writers – which they weren’t – and that surprised me. I kinda assumed that my blog followers were mostly other writers. I talk about writing a lot on here, not only because it’s what I love to do but because I teach creative writing and run an awesome writers’ group too. Once my novels are published, I look forward to blogging more about the insights, characters and life lessons in them, since then readers can go and buy the books to see what I’m talking about. And of course all writers are also readers. But for now I’ve assumed that talking about a book readers can’t buy will only frustrate.
Still, I clearly have reader-followers who are happy to hang around and wait – and to everyone doing that I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU!
Thank you for stopping by my blog and following my updates, whether you’re a writer, reader or both.
Thank you for liking my Facebook posts and interacting with me over on my page.
Thank you for reading my stories, be they free-to-read stories published online or paid-reads in print.
Thank you for your support, be that spoken, written, or silently present.
Thank you. I will get there. And you’ll be the first to know when I do 😉
Zena, keep up the good work! Best regards, John (myschoolstationery guy)
Thank you soooo much, John!
😀
Zena, you’re already THERE! 😉 That’s why we hang around and read your stories and your blog posts.
For someone like me, and you’ll have to read my stories and hang around my blog to learn more about me, I have admired people like you from a distance. I’ve never been brave enough to talk about writing on my blog. But, thanks to people like you, I recently choked back the fear and wrote something about writing. Until this, I’ve been happy to remain aloof and not present myself as someone who knows anything about writing simply because I’ve written a few books and the odd – in the true sense of the word – short story.
I’ve been rather proud of the fact that I’ve tried to be different from other writers. We’re a weird bunch, sometimes. And I’m quite sure I haven’t been as great a writer as you have, I started later in life.
By the way, I like doors; especially interesting looking one’s like yours. If you have a look at my latest epub, The Subjugation [I’m going to send it to traditional publishers shortly], I’ve chosen cover art that, by sheer coincidence, looks something like your front door. Doors – interesting ones – trigger a massive dose of curiosity in me. Don’t know where I got that from. But it’s like art, to me. Wrought iron gates and big wooden doors really make my imagination run.
Write on!
Robert Easterbrook
Aw, Robert – you are so lovely! Thank you for your kind words. I really really appreciate your support and am so chuffed that I’ve inspired you to talk about writing on your blog. Go you! I will stop by and have a read later today. (Actually, I just had a quick peek and love that Ben Bova quote!).
Here is another door for you, from Italy (hubbie’s photography): http://www.billshapter.com/galleries/11-still/rusted/1301000.html
And here’s a gate from Greece: http://www.billshapter.com/galleries/11-still/exteriors/1601600.html