Blogs are an interesting thing for me. I've always had an interest in writing but writing isn't really my "thing". I enjoy the production of content but I don't really see the point in creating things that no one would read. That's why I've never really kept a journal.
In the last little bit, I've had a large amount of time on my hands, an unfortunate thing, but it has given me time to create. I haven't done a whole lot that would be considered "creative" in my time but I started writing NBA pick blogs.
I certainly haven't written long enough to be considered a blogger but I have done ok at keeping up writing. The upside is that it gives me something to do and keep track of. The downside is this: NBA pick blogs are not very interesting. I do it most days and I'm happy that people do read it (because of the whole "why create if no one consumes" thing), but I'm often left wondering why people are bothering. I'm playing fantasy sports against myself and I don't know of that many people who are interested reading in what a random person, even a friend, says he thinks will happen in the NBA games. Especially when my reasoning often boils down to "I dunno, gut?".
I'm hoping to change that a bit. I want to still have the NBA picks but I want to supplement that with other writings. I'm working on a multi-part piece on why the Oilers have been so bad, and that is definitely more research based (possibly boring, sorry), and I've written an article on the Corey Brewer trade (because I'm a sad sad Wolves fan). I want to do more news stuff, but the reality is I don't always think much of events. I'm not going to write a post that just gives information because you should probably just go to ESPN.com (or TSN.ca if you are so inclined) for that sort of thing.
The problem with all of these is that they appeal to a subset of readers, and those who find my blog don't necessarily fall into that subset.
My solution may not be the best one but here it is. I downloaded a book from Amazon called 1,000 Awesome Writing Prompts. It helps get the brain moving and thinking. I also am running a (not super successful yet) Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I enjoy creation of settings and story, but so far have been unable to find an outlet. My idea is that I will work through these writing prompts using the settings and characters that I've already created (or my friends have created) with the D&D campaign. In this way, I hope to write things that are both more interesting to write and to read.
It's intimidating to me because I'm not a writer, I'm a numbers guy, and I've never taken a creative writing class. I'm afraid that my stories will be too silly or dumb or just bad that no one will even want to read. I'm willing to give it a shot, though.
I'm going to start the writing prompts with #21, because #s 1-20 were all really basic stuff like "you have a superpower, what is it and what do you do? (#4)". If I want to go back and use these prompts for the characters, I reserve the right to do so. The first section is called "flash fiction" which I believe would work well for a blog because they are often give word caps or time caps. I can get a little wordy when I write so this might be useful for me.
Cast:
Keira (human): A very skilled military archer, her rapid rise through the ranks has made some superior officers somewhat uneasy. Created by my wife, Tamara.
Vimak (giant): A man on a mission, his goal is to find a lost artifact what can be used to save his people. Created by my friend, Cody.
Mandos (human): A mysterious sorcerer, his life goal puts him at odds with authority. Created by my friend, Kevin.
Tiggin (dragonman): Cursed, or maybe not. Crazy, or maybe not. He does not seem all there, but also seems to know more than anyone would expect. A bit of a wild card.
Thanks for reading
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