Tuesday 1 January 2008

What Am I Doing Here?

Honestly? I've got no idea. First Facebook, and now this. I think I might be possessed or something (crack out the Yellow Pages, someone, and start searching under 'E' for 'Exorcist'). God knows, I should have had enough technological inadequacies, privacy issues and correspondence deficiencies to keep me away from Facebook until at least half-past the Apocalypse. And as for an actual blog, well, suffice it to say that you're reading the words of someone who's never managed to keep any kind of diary or journal going for longer than two weeks at a time, even during the whole angsty teenage phase, when a good number of those around me were churning out epics to rival War and Peace.

Truth be told, I held out on both fronts for as long as I could, but I finally needed to copy some photos from one friend and get hold of another, who appeared to be otherwise un-contactable. Registering on (or 'with'? Who knows?) Facebook was the only answer, so I took a firm grip of myself, filled in as few boxes as humanly possible and got the job done. I certainly wasn't planning to stay, though. I mean, as I may have mentioned once or twice already, I am a confirmed technological incompetent, and I quickly found myself adrift in a sea of incomprehensible technical terms and Facebook-style vernacular ('Poke'? 'Wall'? 'Free Gifts'? In the name of sanity...), so why on earth would I? And yet, despite all this, I find that I have still not got around to deleting my account as originally intended - there may not be much there, but 'there' it still remains...

And this blog? My first children's book, Uncle Alonzo's Beard, was published at the end of May 2007. I've always considered myself a writer, but in May it seemed that I finally became a 'Writer' - a difference which tends to become especially apparent in the company of the kind of people whose opening conversational gambit is always something along the lines of "And what is it that you do?" Anyway, as everyone (apparently) knows, a Writer needs a Website. Hmm. I sensed a problem looming. Luckily, it was one I was able to solve with the aid of a gloriously idiot-proof Mr Site box, and it wasn't too long before http://www.emma-king-farlow.com/ was up and running.

A few seminars and talks later, however, and I had been instructed, more than once, that a Website was no longer enough - at least, not unless it was a seriously interactive one, which mine is not. No, now a Writer needs a Blog, as well as a Website.

I thought about this for a while. I skipped gaily around cyberspace, peeking at other blogs and considering how my as-yet-nonexistent one might compare. There were a few that gave me hope (surely anything I might produce had a fairly good chance of being both less rambling and more involving than some of these?), but there were many, many more - witty, erudite, informative and interesting - that made me wonder what on earth I thought I had to add to the already crowded and obviously talent-rich blogosphere. And so I held off for several months.

But now, my friends, the time has come. It's a new year, the air is humming with shiny, new-born resolutions, and one of mine is being brought to life on the screen in front of you. Can I maintain this blog, as I never could my diaries? Will I write anything interesting enough to tempt anyone other than my parents to read it? Will I even manage to transfer this first post from my computer to the Internet in the first place? Who knows? I certainly don't. But, you know what? I think it might be fun to find out...

Happy New Year!

4 comments:

Nik Perring said...

Welcome to the blogosphere, Emma. Lovely to see you here!

Nik

Emma K-F said...

Thanks very much, Nik, it's nice to be here - I think! As ever, I'm learning my way around one clumsy step at a time!

Emma x

Anne Brooke said...

Hello, Emma - welcome to Blog World! I shall try to find you on Facebook - or you can find me!

I'm there as myself! - Anne (Brooke)

:))

A
xxx

Emma K-F said...

Hi, Anne, and thank you for the welcome!

I've just been over to Facebook and discovered that you got there before me! I have to say, I'm very impressed by your page over there, even though I don't understand most of the gadgety little things adorning it! :-)

Emma x