Posted 12:34 PM by ill
A good story... told well.

When I first read those words from Robert McKee's book, "Story." I had no idea the impact they would have on me. Actually the impact of those words came after I was reviewed on The Weblog Review. All in all I felt it was a very nice review even if he only gave me two out of five stars (thanks charlie lol). I read the review, re-read the review and just to make sure I kept myself in line with my manic self, re-re-read it. That was when it hit me. "A good story... told well."

I think for the most part that is what I've always tried to do here. Give a little something more than the stream of blogs and journals out there that either keep everything on the surface or pack their posts to links of the various news sites or whatever funny email/website is rocketing its way across cyberspace. I've always wanted to provide a little something different to anyone who stumbled upon my brain on the web and maybe get them to leave with a little different outlook on whatever topic unnerved me or humored me that day/week/month. I always wanted the writing to stand on its own. Not because it is especially well written but because it told you more about me and who I am than any paragraph in an "about me" section ever could. illofbill was meant to be looked at as the sum of its parts and in turn anyone that has read this from beginning to end, or most of it anyway, has a pretty good idea of just what I'm all about.

Frequency of my posts came under scrutiny in the review and I will be the first to admit that he's right, I don't post often. You won't see daily posts, you may not even see weekly posts. My main reason for this is that I don't want to fill content just for the sake of content. I've never been one to clutter my site with links or quick hits about the next "new new thing." I wanted to offer insight into what's in my head and hopefully enjoyable writing. To be honest, to do that, you just can't crank them out every day. I only wanted to put content out there that you weren't going to see if you decided to search blogs. I only write if I'm moved to do so.

So what does this have to do with "A good story... told well" you ask? Well i think that is what I've always tried to do here. I realize in many ways it's not the "popular" way but it is my way. Henry Miller once said "We do not talk -- we bludgeon one another with facts and theories gleaned from cursory readings of newspapers, magazines and digests." and to me that is proven every day in the online community. Our society has become so that we need instant gratification. We are jaded. So much so that we flock to our TVs to watch people undergo painful cosmetic surgery in order to fit the mold of dictated beauty. We squirm with delight as people choke down handfuls of worms or pig entrails. We point our fingers accusingly at the ones who stab teammates in the back as they try to "survive" the wilderness. We no longer look for that good story... and it no longer has to be well told. We want it now. We want it fast. We want it with little to no substance so we can be hungry again for the next plateful of crap.

Now I realize this post has taken a real turn to the kind of self promotion I claim to abhor. It really isn't my intention and I am in no way trying to be the Diogenes of the internet using this page as my lantern of truth looking for the one honest person. I merely want to write. On my terms and my time. I merely want to get the thoughts out there and maybe have someone read it and say, "Y'know that made me laugh" or "Man is that guy some kind of whack-job!" or even "Wow does this guy suck!" I just want to stir emotion, not necessarily in the people reading it, but in the person who writes it.