Writing

Royal Pain

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Only one item was damaged during the cross-country relocation and that was my Royal Scrittore typewriter. I was looking forward to using it but apparently these things don’t defy gravity or react well with hard surfaces. I took it apart today to repair it and I have everything fixed so I thought.

The carriage return does not advance but the backspace does. Some of the letter keys stick but that can be poked back down. It may be time to look elsewhere and I do have my eye on this white typewriter from eBay.

It’ll go with the new decor so it’s justified(?) I’ll stew on it for a bit.

Why?

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Why write publicly? I’ve asked myself this question at least once a year, and my answer gets easier every year—no one cares.

Writing, for me, is a tool to organize my thoughts and process them. It’s also a log for me to remember and look back on to see how I’ve progressed over the years. But writing is a lonely hobby. If there is a limited audience, then what is the point? Put it into an email or a text message and be done with it, right?

Writing online with my domain, my website, and a server can be expensive. It doesn’t have to be, but I choose this over a third-party host and give up all of my rights, privacy, and autonomy.

Social media is not an option for those same reasons.

Social internet is an answer, but it takes too much time to build.

The hardest part of blogging, sharing my passions or thoughts, doesn’t always mean the people closest to you care to read them. Then the doubt creeps in, “Well, if they don’t care, why would anyone else? Why am I doing this, and putting myself out there?”

So, I do what I always do, which is to write for me first, and just hope that maybe someone else might find something of value in there. But over time I just became so frustrated with it all, I am going to close my website down and just go back to journaling for a while.

Novel Ideas

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I have been an avid reader since I can remember, and that memory goes back quite the distance. And in that whole time I’ve always felt that there is a story for me to tell, something that hasn’t been written yet and it was up to me to tell it since no one else will. The trick is to tell a compelling story that is unique or maybe offer a small twist. I do not have lofty aspirations nor fancy myself as a brilliant writer- at all.

Now that the disclaimer is out there I can proceed.

The idea of a my first novel came from a photo book documenting the Angkor province of Cambodia from the Khmer Empire, a topic that hardly anyone knows anything about so of course I was intrigued and have been pursuing research and ideas on how to tell a story there. That has been burned in my brain for the past thirty years.

During this past month I was in a hotel room alone with my thoughts and there were plenty of thoughts for other novel ideas. Work by day then come back to the hotel at night to read and write. As I said, for one month I have generated almost thirty-five (35!) novel ideas and concepts. I have even gone so far as to come up with plot lines from start to finish on most of these. At least ten unique characters to be interjected as well.

To break them down I’d say at least 20 of these are novel sized with the remaining 15 are more like individual short stories that can/will be combined into one overall story with a common theme.

My brain and fingers are swollen from over use but I am pleased.

There are so many issues though with the most difficult being- which story do I want to start first? Which one do I invest my time in research and development? Should I start on a smaller series and build from those small victories?

All titles shown are incomplete, personal property and are subject to change

Focused Writing

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I’m continually looking for methods to utilize my devices and software to maximize productivity and today I am focused on utilizing the M1 iPad Pro. Combined with the Magic Keyboard I’ve transformed this into a dedicated writing device, much like a typewriter.

I’ve established the perfect writing environment by organizing my writing apps and customizing my settings. Currently I am using two writing platforms, the first being my very own Fox OS database. Everything goes in here and is backed up to the cloud in .txt files. Text files stand the test of time and are readable on any device. The second platform is a subscription service (yuck) called Ulysses. iCloud based storage helps keep my chapters and verses organized and backed up.

Typewriter mode, Editor Focus and dark mode all help eliminate distractions and helps me crank out words more effectively.


When I’m ready to sit down and start writing I automatically pick up Maximus and I am great to go.

Until Next Time…

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After twenty-two years of owning and maintaining a website presence it is time to hang it up for now. There are a multitude of reasons behind this decision but I’ll keep most of them to myself. And yet after all this time it feels like I owe people an explanation for decades worth of loyalty.

Reasons:

As a friend once so eloquently put it: “I want to de-bullshit my life.”

It is costly to self-host your own website.

The articles have been stale because the day job does not allow time to create what I want.

Do I need to display a personal website on the WWW?

Why am I doing this?

Who the heck out there can remain interested in this site when I am not interested?

Alternative:

Grey Matter- it is my second brain. A digital garden where I have imported all my website articles, journals and notes into one massive database.

An article inside my database from six months ago about this goodbye process.

I have all those files backed up in plain text format so they are platform agnostic and portable with minimal file space used. These files are also linked and back linked together so if I performed a search on “Nikon” for example, then every article, note or mention will pop up and show me how my thoughts on the matter are connected.

When I now have the urge to write something for myself, I’ll place it in the “Journal” section and not the “Website” section. I was also paying an annual subscription service to the brilliant Day One journal app but now it is redundant in favor of my personal database.

Next Steps:

Now I am questioning the entire presence on the WWW and my software subscriptions. Regarding my photography website the same reasons apply as the blog:

“I want to de-bullshit my life.”
It is costly to self-host your own photography website.
The images have been stale because the day job does not allow time to create what I want.
Do I need to display a personal photography website on the WWW?
Why am I doing this?
Who the heck out there can remain interested in this site when I am not interested?

Once I have exported my articles from the website and import them into my database, I’ll shutter the website. I am still keeping the ChrisDenbow.com domain name and e-mail server of course. That is my digital real estate and no one else owns it. The same thing goes for PhotoDenbow.com. At some point in the future I am sure I’ll bring the website back online.

I am back in minimal essential mode to de-bullshit my life and maybe, just maybe, start to enjoy it again.

Thank you.

Chris Denbow
Saturday May 27, 2023 @ 10:30p
36.8.921, -95.58.145

Archived

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I have created this page to host all previous articles on my website.

In other words, nothing new to see here. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view previous articles over the years. Or, while you are down there, utilize the search button and the tag cloud.

If you’d like to enjoy the new updates, click here or the Blog button up top.

If you’d like to enjoy some decent photography, click here to the portfolio page or the button up top.

Thanks for reading and your support.

Goodbye Medium

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We’re writing today to notify you that the Medium account associated with this email address is at risk of being removed from the Partner Program. As outlined here, Medium has created new eligibility and activity requirements for writers to maintain their enrollment in the Partner Program. If you have fewer than 100 followers you may be removed from the Partner Program.

Currently, your Medium account does not meet this requirement. You will have until February 23, 2022 to reach the 100-follower requirement, or your account will be removed from the Partner Program. Your existing metered posts will be un-metered and you’ll no longer be eligible to earn on them.

Medium was a great platform to publish articles and get paid based on views. But then they changed the algorithms and buried posts for those without a huge following such as myself.

Not a problem. Medium doesn’t care, I don’t care and it is one more platform I get to delete.

Write On

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This year I set myself the target of writing 100 posts for this website. This post makes up #35 and it is still January.

It is difficult to find the motivation to start when all of my ideas seem terrible all of a sudden. So I will keep reading, keep creating and maybe I’ll post something interesting along the way.

Keep Going

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I think I need to keep being creative, not to prove anything, but because it makes me happy to do it… I think trying to be creative, keeping busy, has a lot to do with keeping you alive.

Willie Nelson

It is difficult to ponder, but I’ve been thinking of a time in the future where I no longer own a smartphone. Even more difficult to think about, is no longer sharing my life on the World Wide Web. Granted, both of those scenarios are much further down the road, but they have been on my mind. The spark for those thoughts comes from having a presence on multiple platforms, thousands of followers, and then realizing that it matters not. There was a time when I did care to interact and share ideas with my network of friends, some were IRL, most were social media. It has presented me with numerous opportunities to meet physically, to share ideas and share some commonality out there.

A lot of us have worked out that social media is no longer relevant, but where do we go to have our voice heard, if that is still something we want? The feelings go toward, “If I don’t have an online outlet to plug into, do I even exist?” If so, what’s the point of writing if no one is around to read it?

Social media is dying, and this is a good thing. Social media has been dead to me for quite a while, and not soon enough. I’ve been around long enough to see countless changes, some good and mostly horrible. People look at me with amazement when I tell them, no, you cannot follow me on Facebook because I am not there. “I like your photos, what is your Insta?” “I don’t have an Instagram account, but here is my website” and they are all of a sudden disinterested. Am I left behind?

Before the social media platforms we only had SMS texts, e-mail and our self-hosted websites. All was well and good. But stop to think, if social media was so great, why do these trios of basic communication still exist? Because we have control over what we choose to send/receive. We have control over our websites. I vowed a long time ago not to use tracking tools, or advertising. Who did I think I was anyway?

Good website owners write for themselves. However, being human, we do like some return on our efforts. Websites and blogs exist to be read. I write for myself to remember, to learn and to grow. Sometimes people join me and I am grateful. If I were to shutter this website tomorrow, would anyone notice? I would, and after twenty+ years of self-publishing I’ll keep doing this, probably for another twenty years.

Not for you, but for me. Thanks for reading and sticking with me.

On Blogging

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After twenty years of putting my thoughts online, I still feel like I don’t know what I am doing. Occasionally, it even feels like imposter syndrome, like I don’t belong. But then I think, “Who am I writing for?” Easy answer is myself and sometimes great people come along and join me.

Taking a quote from another author and a blogger:

Blog posts can be edited, added to, improved upon. If you missed something, you can fix it.

Austin Kleon, Blogging As A Forgiving Medium, 2021

Kleon writes that blogging is a ‘forgiving medium’ because it can be therapeutic. Blogging can be rewarding by practicing and learning in public. Not one single person will know what changes I make to a post unless I call myself out with a correction or an update to that post. Unless you have a massive following who likes to keep track of those kinds of things- which I don’t have.

Learning by doing. The more you create, the more you learn. Learn by putting yourself out there and become a better writer.

Learn how to close out your thoughts and your blog post properly.

The title of this post is loosely taken from Stephen King’s book titled “On Writing.”

Field Notes

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Just received the first installment for the Field Notes notebook subscription. The “Ignition” edition, FNC-53, contains two 26-week planners a checklist journal (2), three stainless steel book darts, pen and a 2022 calendar.

I sincerely hope that this will help “ignite” a passion for documenting the important things. Eventually I’ll find a hybrid methodology of both digital and analog notes and even combine the two.

Happy documented new year.

Journaling

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Date:	December 27, 2021 at 6:24:52 PM CST
Weather:	54°F Mostly Cloudy
Location:	Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Almost one year since I have last utilized this journal app called Day One properly. My plan for 2022 is to journal daily. I want to track fitness goals, blood pressure, nutrition and random thoughts as well. Hopefully by purchasing a premium subscription I will use this more effectively towards my goals.

Me, today

A few months ago the parent company of my web host, WordPress purchased the Day One journaling app and I was hoping to see some sort of integration by now. Maybe in 2022?

I also purchased more than a few Field Notes notebooks for daily journaling, note taking, scribbles, logs etc. You know, in a physical format. This is highly unusual for me but it is something I have wanted to do for awhile.