In the Beginning Was the Word ....

This online journal is an experiment to see whether or not I can muster the energy and discipline to write something original at regular intervals. At this point I don't know how often I will be writing these entries; I suppose it will depend on how busy my life becomes over the next year. I am aiming for a new entry roughly every 10 days -- i.e. somewhere between every week and every two weeks -- for one whole year, but at this point I don't know whether I will become overwhelmed by outside events or simply bored with this project before the year is up. Either possibility is likely, given my temperament and history. On the other hand, it is possible that I will succeed in my goal of generating roughly 40 online journal entries in one year. By this time next year I will know one way or the other, at any rate.

I decided to start this project at this time for a number of reasons. I have often toyed with the idea of maintaining an online journal but never thought I had anything interesting to say publicly that wouldn't get me into trouble. I have also maintained handwritten journals for years, so writing an online journal has always seemed to me to be a duplication of effort.

With the transition to the Year 2000, though, I thought it would be interesting to chronicle some of my thoughts and experiences during this historic year. The mere fact that I am writing at this time is of interest, no matter what I write.

Another reason I am starting this online journal at this time is to add a little more spice to my home page. One thing that has frustrated me about my home page over the years has been the slow pace at which I can add new writings. I am very fussy about the quality of my work, so it takes me a very long time before I am satisfied enough with a poem or short story to put it on public display. The complicated issue of copyrights as they relate to the Internet has also discouraged me from posting some of the works I have worked on the hardest and care about the most. As a result, I often take a long time to post anything creative on my home page even though I may have been working on and have completed several writing projects in between updates. This has led to a great deal of frustration for people who think I have added a new piece to my page whenever I update it, only to find that I have merely added some new links or changed the color scheme. This project is an attempt to address that situation and to encourage visitors to check in more frequently.

We'll see how the year works out. Wish me luck, and check back often!