Website in record territory and some of what all is going on here

The simple potential of pages brings insane thoughts today. I knew that re-activating my FaceBook account would cause an influx of readers to the site, which it did, but what I didn’t know was that it would create as many more writing avenues that it seems to have.

There are about seven blank pages fanned out in front of my mind’s eye. I am neither undeterred nor gripped by indecision. I just grabbed this one and started spilling ink.

I don’t need writing ideas. I don’t. I have all I’ll ever need. That is not to say that I’m never going to write about something that I don’t have the idea of writing about right now, as I certainly will; rather, it is to say that sometime a couple of decades ago I came to the understanding that if I never got another idea, I’d be cool. I have proven myself right on that part thus far.

And now you have this, all these new avenues that seem to warrant a peek down, and I just gotta wonder if you people have any idea what all else I should be doing.

I’m kidding of course, but writing for a larger potential audience does create more needs, and the further I delve into this writing career, the less actual creative writing, which is the kind I’m hoping to get paid to do, I get done. I guess that’s the hard irony of moving something from a hobby or a part-time gig to a full-time thing.

Still, it’s going well. Here’s a bit to catch the new readers up.

I wrote the first draft of a novel between February and May–I’ve made it through four drafts–and I’m currently using it as the centerpiece of a career to attract an agent. I queried it out to an agent, who rejected it within hours, but who did do so in a personalized 112-word e-mail that gave me some pointers about what agents might be looking for besides just a good novel.

Those agents might be looking for me to have attended conferences and to have grown my social media presence, especially chat rooms where agents, publishers, and other writers gather. All of these efforts, all of these words are to that end.

I began the website/blog in 2009, but I didn’t devote my attention to it forcefully until early July, posting regularly and passing out business cards, and I’m pleased with its growth. It jumped from 500-700 views the first three months to over 1800 views last month, some of which was due to friends sharing to FaceBook. I’m hoping we can get 2000 hits this month, but I admit that’s a bit pie in the sky.

Yesterday, with the re-connection with my Facebook community, the site saw a record number of visitors and views. The previous record for views was 156; yesterday we hit 208. When it came to the number of visitors to the site, the best had been 74; yesterday we hit 119. No, it’s not viral video, and there aren’t half a million followers–23 actually–but it’s moving in the right direction, which is to get to that place where I have the other things that agents want aside from a good book.

I do have a good book. If The Situation with Phillip is one tenth as interesting to read as it was to write, it’s more than publishable. You can read some about that process–including a synopsis and a note on its uniqueness–here in the category that shares the same name.

Those of you who know me for my “Verse” will find a full category of that here, as well as those who share my love for and interest in and about the worlds of “Music.” If you want humorous, the posts in the “Hopefully humorous” category have been the most well-received of the whole site. If you know me through, or have a special interest in, the world of “Substance Abuse and Recovery,” you’ll find words to those ends in a category so titled.  A few spoken word performances can be found in the Audio and Video category.

So, all of this is going on, and now you’re here too. My first reason for being here is for you to find something that will help make your life more livable, as the writing of every word does mine. Now that you’ve come, please read, and if you do happen to find something worth sharing with your friends, I’m certainly not going to hate you for it.

I’ll catch back up with you later today, when I post this week’s album review–yes, I know I’m still one behind–which is in memory of a man who made important music.

Until then, beautiful people, I hope you have the most splendid day. Prayers from up on the hill.