Thursday, September 28, 2006

One year of "Letters from a Broad..."

Today's the day: one year ago today I started writing "Letters from a broad..." as a column in the (defunct) Utah Valley Monitor.

When I started, I set a goal to write regularly for one year and then decide what to do from there. Now I've succeeded in my goal, and I'm pleased with the results!!!

However -- as I'm sure many of you bloggers know only too well -- setting a goal to blog is a little like setting a goal to smoke crack. So it looks like for the moment I have no choice but to set a goal to not blog.

This hobby has become too much of a distraction from my real-life responsibilities: my family, my job, my home.

I've recently cut back on my working hours so that I can have one day a week to work on a new edition of my Java book and take care of my kids. This one day off per week is expensive for our little family, and I can't afford to let it get eaten up by blogging, which is would would happen if I'm not careful.

My plan is to temporarily go cold turkey from blogs and forums (except professional Java blogs and maybe my Star Trek forum), although I will probably still respond to comments on my blog. I expect to be back up and blogging some time in December. Hopefully JLO will be back from his hiatus around the same time. :D

When I come back, I hope to be starting on a brand-new Internet experiment:

I'm thinking of setting up a website for my novel Exmormon, and serializing it little by little through my blog over the course of a few years.

I got this idea because the Internet has been the root of so many fascinating innovations in communities and communication, and I'm curious to see what further directions it will lead. I know that in the past some novels were originally published as serials (notably some by Dickens), but it seems like that doesn't happen anymore -- I'm wondering if blogging and the Internet might bring it back. And I think it's very likely that more people will read the novel this way than if I find a real publisher.

This novel is (in my opinion) fabulous for this experiment because it's made up of independent segments that can be read separately. So I can pause between serializing different segments, and if new readers arrive after I'm two hundred pages into the story, they can pick up in the middle without being lost.

And if it doesn't fly it's no big loss -- I'm trying to take myself less seriously as a writer anyway. ;^)

That's why I only sent my novel pitch a few agents and publishers -- I've been planning this idea for a while.

Of course I'm still interested in finding a publisher who can get this book into real bookstores and such, so if you're a publisher or an agent (and willing to work with me on this serialize-it-through-my-blog idea), feel free to email me: chanson dot exmormon at gmail dot com.

For the rest of you: Ta-ta for now!!! I look forward to seeing you again in December.

Keep blog space warm for me and don't let Outer Blogness go all to hell... ;^)

33 comments:

C. L. Hanson said...

p.s. Don't forget that a new Eric is hosting the "Know your Blogger" series in JLO's absence.

Anonymous said...

well, I'm happy for you because it sounds like this is a good decision for you and your family.

But - I have appreciated reading your blog and thoughts over the past year. So when you start up again - let me know. I'll look forward to it.

m said...

ok ok... December it is!

And maybe in your absence I will muster the cosmic energies and read your book!

Enjoy your break!!!

:-)
M.

Rebecca said...

DAAAAAMMMMMNNNN YYYOOOOUUUUU, CHANSON, DAAAAMMMMmmnnnn yooouuuu (howling fades as if I were falling off a cliff)!!!!!!!!!

#1) I get that you need more time for your family, work, etc.

#2) I am selfish, so I don't care about #1

#3) Crack is good. (sing-songy) Try it, you'll like it.

#4) As soon as I read that you were thinking about serializing your book I thought, "Hey, that would actually work really well with the way it's structured!" And then you wrote that, so I was like, "Rebecca, you are not the first one to the party."

#5) I will miss your blog.

#6) A lot.

#7) I will also miss your comments on my blog. Because, as stated in #2, I am selfish.

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Rachel!!!

I've been really happy to have the opportunity to get to know you better through blogs and forums as well!!! Maybe by the time I get back you'll have started a blog too... ;^)

Thanks Montchan!!!

It's really expensive to order a physical copy of the novel with shipping to Europe. Email me if you'd like me to send you the electronic version. :D

Thanks Rebecca!!!

#4 doesn't mean that you're not the first to the party, it means you're smart like me ;^)

(oh and #3 -- you're not supposed to admit that on the Internet... ;^) )

Freckle Face Girl said...

That is great & too bad. I understand the need to take a break though, you're right about it being like crack. Oh, so adictive. Hope all goes well for you & I'm looking forward to your new venture.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

I can totally understand the need to give up blogging in order to accomplish a goal. I gave up reading novels in order to dedicate time to art. Now I blog, and do no art. Hope I can find a way to do both without giving one or the other up.

We shall miss you! Pop in once in a while if you can.

Rebecca, you make me laugh hard.

:) Laters!

La said...

December? Huh. The world could be a different place by then. You just never ever know.

I should stop posting too (just for the hell of it, as I have no legitmate reasons) and see what Rebecca does. *evil laugh*

I'll be anxiously awaiting your return. Oh, and maybe we can chat sometime? :) JLO gets me all jealous when he tells me about your chats with him...

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Sister Mary Lisa and Freckle Face Girl!!!

You know how it goes -- I wish I could do nothing but this, unfortunately those other responsibilities call....

La!!! You would never do that to Rebecca!!! ;-)

At least JLO will be happy to know that Outer Blogness hasn't forgotten him and the chicks are still fighting over him... ;-)

La said...

We SHOULD totally fight over him!! Or maybe we should torture him and fight HIM for each other. It's all so very fun...

I admit, I'm a jealous person. I didn't think I'd ever say that about myself, but it's kind of true. So I need to focus that jealous energy into something productive. Any ideas?

C. L. Hanson said...

Sorry, I can't be bothered to come up with productive ideas since you've distracted me with this intriguing fantasy... ;-)

La said...

I'm all tingly now... What IS this magic you possess??

C. L. Hanson said...

;-)

We'd better cut it out -- don't want to be distracting all of blogspace... ;-)

Sister Mary Lisa said...

I'm distracted! AND tingly. I've got to end this obsession. You guys have really made this a great Friday.

:)

Rebecca said...

OHHHH!!! People mentioned me! You have no idea how psychotically excited I get when I know people have talked about me! And it's only SLIGHTLY less exciting when they're saying mean things. It's like, "Hey! I exist, and other people KNOW IT!!!" AAAHHHHH!!!! Now I need to go read about war and starvation, or else my head might spin right off from this excitement.

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Sister Mary Lisa!!!

That Rebecca's cool isn't she? I hear she has nice titles... ;-)

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna miss you big time Chanson. Come back soon, OK?!

Anonymous said...

Did you go cold turkey on exmo-soc too? You're missed. Your level-headedness (is that a word?) balanced out some of the nastiness on that board.

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Tom!!!

And thanks Anonymous!!!

When I was a regular on exmo-social, I put a lot of time and effort and heart into it, so it makes me very happy to hear that I was appreciated. :D

The thing is, though, that I feel like I can't afford the time that it would inevitably eat up. If I were independently wealthy, things would be different, but c'est la vie...

Kalv1n said...

Oh no! I hope that you're doing well with your extra time and being productive. Sounds like a good idea though.

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Kalvin!!!

I've already made some good progress on some of my other projects in just this short time I've been on hiatus so far, so I'm feeling good about this!!!

I've also found I'm still (not really intentionally...) building up a backlog of topics to blog about when I'm done with hiatus. It's weird -- it's like once you develop a blogging mentality, it's hard to shake it... ;-)

Sister Mary Lisa said...

How's the java book coming along? It's been a little while since your hiatus started....is this rude of me to interrupt it?? Ignore me and don't reply if so...that way I will get the hint and so will others who also have thoughts of asking you.

I miss your posts!

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Sister Mary Lisa!!!

Of course it's not rude to ask how I'm doing during my hiatus!!! :D

As for my Java project, I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but I've gotten a nice solid start on it.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

That's great. I'll leave you alone, now that I know it's going well! I didn't expect anything less, of course.

:) Have a great time writing.

Sideon said...

Be well Chanson.

I think serializing Exmormon is a great idea. You're a wonderful writer, a fantastic contributor, and I look forward to reading everything and anything by you that I can get my greedy little hands on :)

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Sideon!!!

And thanks for tagging me, Beep-beep!!!

I think I would be breaking my hiatus goal if I were to answer this meme with a new post, but maybe it's not quite cheating if I do it here in a comment? ;^)

Five Things Feminism Has Done for Me:
1. Allowed me to grow up in an environment where I was sincerely encouraged to pursue math and science,
2. Allowed me to have a varied and rewarding career as well as a family,
3. Helped motivate me to take a long, hard look at a religion that I was up to my eyeballs in...
4. Allowed me to be proudly sexual and at the same time (more or less) respectable. ;^)
5. Allowed me a selection of men who grew up with the expectation that doing their share of the childrearing/housework is their privilege and responsibility when raising a family.

Thanks Feminism, for loosening up those rigid gender roles!!!

Any of my blog friends still reading this thread may consider themselves tagged. ;^)

Cyn Bagley said...

I had the same idea. I am writing a novel (72.5% on the first draft)... I find that I don't have the time to blog as much. Also, I have been dealing with illness since the first week of September. I guess that is how things go.

So good luck. Cyn

C. L. Hanson said...

Hey Cynthia!!!

I'm sorry to hear that you're having health problems.

But that's excellent that you're making progress on your novel!!! I look forward to hearing more about it!!! :D

Metallico said...

Thanx for the advice, and I think i will join.

C. L. Hanson said...

Hey Metallico!!!

I've added you to my sidebar -- welcome to Outer Blogness!!! :D

Cyn Bagley said...

Wow.. I finished my first novel on Sunday (29th)... I have a lot more editing to do, but it feels so good.

How are you doing? How are the boys?

C. L. Hanson said...

Hey Cynthia!!!

Wow, congratulations!!!

Please tell me if you need any test readers. For the moment I'm reading Metallico's novel (but it's short, so I'll be done soon), and then I'm thinking of reading Long After Dark. I'll be happy to add your book to my hiatus reading list. ;-)

We're doing great here!!! I'm still chugging along on my Java book, and tonight the boys and I will be carving our Jack-O-Lantern.

Cyn Bagley said...

Thank you for the offer. I need to do at least two more edits before I let it go out of my hands. When I am ready I will let you know. It will be great to have someone else read it. :-)