One Month Anniversary- What I’ve Learned

Today is one month since Armitage Agonistes launched with “Staged Is Here and So is Armitage Agonistes.” This will be the 13th post published. Four drafts and 16 attempts  in the trash have yet to see the light of day.

I’m taking a lunch break now – I’m waiting for fish, no chips, to be delivered.

I have to make it fast, lunch and writing, because I’ve got three matters to complete in the next 5 hours. I’ts always a Hobson’s Choice for me, where to write The  laptop is newer and faster, and has an already impressive library of Armitage pics, but with no mouse and a keyboard that sticks, I spend more time editing than I should.   The  desktop keyboard has been my companion for 7 years and I can bang out 65 WPM. So here I am.

Obligatory Richard Armitage Photo
Source-R.A.Central

I’ll only have time to hit a few points. I’m giving myself  a respite from my usual practice of multiple edits, reorganizations, reworkings, stopping to find links and sources,  searching for the image -all the stuff that results in  my substantive posts taking an average of 12 hours to get from my brain to your Reader – and in two cases – which are skewing the stats – it took 25 hours to get a post published.

Here goes.

•  I go to sleep a lot later. I like to see what Australia and New Zealand have to say about my latest attempts. In fact, I find myself throughout the day thinking – LA is just getting up; it’s lunchtime in the UK – I feel like MSNBC -trying to hit the news cycles.

•  Other bloggers are really helpful. I receive semi-weekly tutorials on image editing and uploading ( “click to enlarge” is still a failure), using social media to publicize; reading stats; you name it. And I am not a quick learner. I get really sound advice on the substance of my posts, both before and after. I only listen 1/2 the time, but I’m going to change that. I’m not mentioning names, but the tutors know who they are.  I could not and will  not be able to continue to do this without you. I am trying to be more self-sufficient.

• I haven’t mastered anything yet, except the WordPress Reader. I can read like a pro.

• Now I remember why I didn’ t pursue a career as a novelist. Writing for this blog is really hard for me- except right this minute. Probably because I impose unnecessary rules and standards on myself – maybe not necessary for this venue. The most well-received posts were the ones that just flew off my fingers- from the desktop- not the laptop. The posts I struggled over – my opuses -( opi?) not so much.

• Other bloggers are really helpful. By reblogging and shouting out  my work, by tweeting me, my numbers are growing. New names show up in my comments – all to my delight.

• I will never like FaceBook- but you can find Armitage Agonistes there – just don’t expect much. Feel free to post. Tumblr remains a mystery, but I’m there also. Expect even less.

• I haven’t found my voice- both as to what I want to say and how best to say it.  I might be more successful in a different niche from the one I envisioned when I started.

• Sometimes, this isn’t about Richard Armitage at all – he’s a vehicle to drive me onto other roads, into alleyways, up hills, down driveways.

•I’ve learned a new way to look at TV seasons, miniseries, all his work. I will never again have the raw pleasure of just watching something for the first with joyful abandon if Richard Armitage is in it. That may happen the second or third time. I get anxious. I have watched the same scenes countless times.

•There’s not enough written about his performances and his work. I want to write some of it- but I also want to read more, and it’s not there.

• I have only dipped my toe into the fandom.  Almost of all of what I’ve encountered has been positive. But not everything and not everyone. As in every other walk of life, no matter where one goes, works, lives, whatever community one joins – there are difficult people, harsh people. There are always those others who don’t want to let you live.

This is  new stuff I’ve learned:

Technical : capping, giffing, captioning;  basic photo editing; programming; following; monitoring; curating; moderating; publicizing. Not even close yet – audio ( I am burning to post a particular audio-focused number-it’s completely composed in my head) and video. Original videos on this blog will probably never happen. Almost there “click to enlarge.”

Lunch is over.

This calls for A Round of Applause