Deflowering a Blog Virgin

So, in a way, this whole blog came about because of pole-dancing.  Well, the idea of pole-dancing.  As a form of exercise, not as a profession.  (Not that I'm judging or anything.  Because that would be wrong.)

I'm rambling.  Let me start over.

Last week, I met up with some friends from high school, most of whom I hadn't seen in years.  As we were discussing the goings-on of our daily lives, one person mentioned how she had started taking some pole-dancing lessons, a fun and effective way of staying fit.  Naturally, I was intrigued (though a bit upset to learn that the classes did NOT include getting to wear sparkly, sequined costumes).  But again I digress.

My first thought, after my lamentation over the absence of the aforementioned sparkly number, was that the image of me trying to shimmy up a pole would not only be horrifyingly dangerous, but also insanely hilarious.  Athletic and/or coordinated, I am not.  This, of course, led me to my second thought, which was that trying something like this, whether it be pole-dancing, underwater basket-weaving, sky-diving, etc., would make excellent writing material, especially for the comedic gold it would no doubt supply.  As an aspiring writer, I was ecstatic.  How could I possibly go wrong?  I would go out and try a myriad of different activities, gaining life experience in the process, and then come home and blog about my many foibles, occasionally offering a nugget or two of advice on how (not) to do things.

Then, another thought occurred to me (as these things often do).  When and how would I find the time and/or money to embark on these many adventures?  And where would I possibly find a place that taught underwater basket-weaving?!  I was disheartened as the reality set in, but I still wanted to create a blog about something.  I wanted to get my feet wet and give myself the motivation to write every day, thus allowing me to hone my writing skills and force myself to stick to a set schedule (which, if you ask any writer, is an incredibly important and often hard thing to do).  As an expert procrastinator, this task was especially difficult for me.

So what did I do?  I created a blog about everything and writing...but mostly writing.  This is that blog (in case you didn't already know).  

Hopefully, if all goes well, this blog will be updated regularly and will contain everything from my musings on writing, my favorite books (and what I'm reading), favorite quotes, words of wisdom, tips I've picked up, things I'm currently and/or going to write, my experiences (good and bad) regarding writing, and anything else that seems relevant.  Or sometimes, anything I feel like posting that day.  When all is said and done, writing is about experiences, about learning, and about what inspires you.  What spurs you.  What makes you think.  That's why I write, and that's why I'm sharing this with you.

Happy writing, 

Shannon