When I was tapped at Toastmasters this week to speak about my New Year's Resolutions, my immediate reaction was, "Don't make them, you only set yourself up for failure!" The one year I was most successful at keeping my resolution was when I resolved not to make any.
But that didn't really get me anywhere significant.
So in 2007 I've resolved to do more writing, but in ways that make an impact. I've been plugging away at the Franchot Tone biography for ten years now. TEN! Eegads, time flies. It's worth the time and effort. Maybe I'll find a publisher this year! As always, I'm optimistic. If anything, I've learned to stop saying "I'm writing a book" and replace that with "I'm working on one." People look at you funny if you say you've been writing one thing for an entire decade.
But, Franchot aside, I also want to write pieces that see the light of day TODAY. After all, is a writer a writer if no one reads the words? I guess so, but it doesn't feel very productive having little to show for it when all is said and done.
Late last summer I embarked on that mission when I started blogging for ValleyNews.com, the online hub for the LA Daily News, about the goings on at Grand View Memorial Park. It's been a rewarding writing experience, moreso than I ever imagined, and I look forward to keeping up the pace in the new year. There is so much to tell about that place and its people.
Another place and its people near and dear to my heart is my adopted "hometown" of Burbank. There was a time in recent years when I thought about moving on to new places and adventures, the enthusiasm was lost. But I've since come to realize that Burbank is a very cool place to call home.
As Dorothy said upon her return from Oz, if you think you lost something and you can't find it in your own backyard then maybe you really didn't lose it to begin with.
The major reason I feel a renewed sense of happiness here is because I've been able to share exploring my own backyard with Walter, a Burbankian gem of a man who came into my life eight crazy months ago. I haven't stopped smiling or exploring since. (Thanks, Honeybunches!)
So, what to do with all this enthusiasm for writing and for Burbank? Blog about it, of course!
But not here, where I'll continue to post about my day-to-day odd thoughts and random experiences. No, no, I'm taking on a wider audience in 2007 for this particular project. Starting today I'm a contributing writer at HotelsByCity.net, writing a minimum of two posts a week in its Burbank Blog. I've got a list a mile long of topics to write about, and can't wait to roll them all out.
Great timing, too. The New York Times will be mentioning HBC this Sunday in its travel section. Great exposure! Check the site out when you get the chance, there's lot of city blogs there that offer something for everyone. And maybe some of you writers out there might consider tooting your own town's horn, too!
Happy New Year, everyone - and thanks for reading!
Funny, I read this with a dumb grin on my face - could echo half of what you've posted here!
Burbank is one of the most underestimated places in LA, if not the US. Where else can you find spots like the Safari Inn, 8 Ball, Tallyrand, the fabric and resale shops of Magnolia?
More places in the US should be like Burbank, if you ask me - the perfect mix of kooky, alternative shops, neighborhood restaurants and stores, and down to earth neighborhoods -- where you can walk the block and raise kids in quiet.
Its only flaw is the cost of living, mainly housing.
Posted by: Noir Dame | Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 04:45 PM