Topics? · 23 May 2010
Unless I have some great story to tell, I wonder about my writing. I wonder if I have made anybody laugh or cry or think. After all, these are the goals for my writing. So as I wonder about my writing, I wonder what great stories I have missed.
A friend of mine (who has given me good advice to help further my writing) told me that I should get input from my readers in order to get more fans. While his advice has been sound, it has usually been challenging as well. Which brings me to the point of this week’s column.
I like my friend’s idea, but my writing life was much easier when I had just imaginary readers (and did not have this friend). I could poll those readers in just a couple seconds to find out what they wanted to read. And they would always come up with exactly what I was writing about. Unfortunately, they did not always enjoy what I wrote. I guess that is to be expected. After all, everybody can write a stinker. Some more than most. Even when writing for imaginary readers.
Now that I have more than just imaginary readers, I figured it is time to really take my friend’s advice and ask my readers (both real and imaginary) if there are any stories they would like me to write about. So I am asking. What do you, my readers and fans, want to read about?
Before you get too excited and start posting crazy ideas on my Facebook fan page, understand that I am not as clever or widely read as guys like Dave Barry. It is not my shtick to take an idea from “an astute reader in Pocatello” and make it into a funny column like he does. My thing is to take events from my own life and the lives of those around me and make them into stories that make people laugh, cry, or think. My thing is to write about those common events in our lives so we can all remember we are taking the same journey together.
This call for ideas should present some interesting stories since I know most of my fans. Most likely, people will bring up things to embarrass me, but that is okay. I am sure I can live it down. After all, “Remember when…” stories are remembered most fondly and usually with the greatest emotion.
If after reading this, you think giving me ideas is a great idea, use the contact page on my website or post something on my Facebook fan page. And thank my friend for giving me this idea. (I will make sure that I thank him, because nothing else I tried to write today is even close to being ready for prime time.)
By the way, I usually run my pieces by the people who are in them to make sure I get the facts straight and to ask for their permission before I post them, but if you give me a topic or story, I will take that as permission to embellish and/or embarrass. And if you find yourself in these pages, make sure to tell your friends to read them (especially, if the story is embellished or embarrassing).
Faithful readers (both real and imaginary), thank you for reading and bearing with me. Maybe next week I can actually write about something more embarrassing. Rather, interesting.
© 2010 Michael T. Miyoshi
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