Tag Archives: writing

Mojo … where art thou?

September 30, 2014 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

I have been fairly slack of late in posting here save for quotes of the day and betting tips.  I was pondering on my train to work this morning that fact and realized that I have lost my writing mojo.  Normally, when I do not post here for a while it is because I have just been too busy to commit the time to writing because I find I need to give myself time to construct the posts I put on here.  Whilst I have been busy in my new role and doing renovations, I have also found myself of late sitting in front of my computer screen / with the wordpress iPad app open and not having the words come.

I have no clue when my mojo is going to come back: I would love it to be soon but even as I write these words I am struggling for inspiration.  Maybe cricket season starting in the near future will help get the writing “juices” flow.  In any event: normal service shall resume at some point when the mojo returns!

Writer’s block sucks!

September 6, 2014 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

I wrote a while ago on this blog that I would, from then forth, be writing about only things that interested me on my own timetable at my own pace. That was after a period of attempting to write every day or multiple times a day.

Of late I have found that I have had the reverse problem: I have tons of things that I want to write about however I am not converting what is in my brain to the page (or in this case the iPad). I have, on more than one occasion lamented that currently, due to work and renovating a unit, I am pretty free time poor.

That excuse though is only part of the story because, despite the plethora of ideas that are floating around my head, I just can not seem to convert same into prose.

I hope this phase passes with due haste because, as I have also commented elsewhere, this blog is one of the best pieces of therapy I have and frankly I am hating not writing as much as I would like at the moment.

Bugger of writer’s block: you are killing my buzz!!!

20,000 views: thank you but you are all nuts!!!

June 28, 2014 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

One of the interesting features of the WordPress site is the excellent statistics it offers about ones blog (s). A while ago I wrote about the importance of not worrying about what anyone thinks and just writing and since that time I have checked this blogs statistics only sporadically. When I checked this morning I was a bit surprised to find that the number of views of the site are now over 20,000.

In short I just wanted to say thank you for reading. I am humbled and more than a bit disbelieving that those of you who are regular readers are interesting in what I have posted here.

What I also wanted to offer some insight into is why I write on this blog: I get asked that question often in different contexts. For me it is simple: when I write I feel better. Writing clears my head and is also an indices that I am in control of my day and mindset and both are not controlling me.

This week, for example, I have not had much time to write and, more particularly, was feeling uninspired. Those facts of course were indicative of having a week where I found myself uncomfortably (metaphorically) stretched and feeling a little flat.

I love what the process of writing does for me personally much more than the words I publish so the fact that you read what I have written (after posting I tend to avoid re-reading) is the best feedback I could ever have about that which I write about.

I would love to say that I am going to write more: the fact is that I am going to have some weeks where I am struggling health or time wise so all I can say is that I will continue to write when I have something to say. I hope in return you get even 1/10th as much as me out of this blog as I do.

Thank you again for reading!

Blogging: sometimes life just gets in the way!

March 22, 2014 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

I have written before on this blog about the fact that I write because I enjoy writing and I write about no specific topic because the process of writing is as important to me as the topic. Which is not to say that I write about anything other than things that are important to me or interest me.

This last week I have been busy. In fact I have found myself frantic at times with not just work but what could best be described as the usual vicissitudes of life. The biggest loser in such a big week has been my writing on this blog. I just have not had the time to write. Equally, I have to confess I have not felt like writing much and in this context I would just be writing for the sake of writing which is not a smart place to be.

With the weekend upon me and more time to think I have realised in equal parts how much I have missed writing this last week and how happy I am that I did not write something just for the sake of writing. I am not going to say here that I am going to commit to writing everyday: I am busy and to so commit would lead to the path of writing for the sake of it.

What I will say is that this week has made me realise that writing is more than just a hobby; it is an important part of my life that I have to make time for when I have something I want to write and am passionate about. Here’s hoping this coming week is not as busy as the last and I make time to write!

For the love of writing: why blog? Or ought the question be for whom?

May 29, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , 1 Comment

I have been seeking some feedback on this blog and some other writing I have been doing recently with a view to improving not only what I write but also the level of readership what I am writing ends up with. I will confess to some frustration that I spend an awfully long time writing a blog for only 50 or so readers to view it.

One question that came up via email from one of the people that I have sought feedback from was this:

Who do you blog for?

In reply to that question I posed a fairly verbose and self indulgent response about writing for the readers. That lead to the retort from my feedback provider that he could tell when I was writing for a particular audience and not for myself or in a topic that I am invested in because the quality of my writing dropped.

This raises a valid issue in my mind: is blogging about one’s audience or oneself? If one is blogging for oneself then do the audience numbers really matter?

The more I have thought about this issue, the more I have come to the realisation that I actually do blog for myself. I feel better when I write and I feel even better when I am writing about something I believe in or am invested in.

Normally at this point I would asking you as readers for forgiveness for writing a such a self indulgent post. To do so would be against the central theme of this post: I am going to write for me from here on in and focus on topics that I am interested in. Readership may drop but finally I think I can say I am not bothered by that.

I think this slight change in mental approach to this blog will help with the regularity of posts and quality of writing. I know I am going to enjoy writing this blog more now that my mindset is to write whatever I want about whatever I want.

Just because I have said that I am not writing for an audience any more does not mean I am not interested in your views about what I write: indeed I hope this slight change in approach will lead to more interaction on this blog or via twitter or via email.

100th blog: for the love of writing

January 5, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

This is the 100th post to this blog. It is not my 100th blog / article as I was writing (or should I say ranting) about cricket and rugby on another blog and for another website. This blog had its genesis in two things: my purchase of an iPad and a trip to New Zealand. What came from a mobile travel blog has morphed into a blog about anything and everything I feel like writing about.

I have tried in writing this blog to, on the one hand, write about issues that bother me both from my life and also in sport whilst also, at times, seeking to be irreverent. I have been overjoyed by the fact that there are people out there who enjoy reading what I write and I will concede to being disheartened at times when a blog I have spent hours on researching and writing is read by one person (and that may have been me).

I get asked a lot: “why bother writing, you are busy enough as it is?”. My regular reply, and the truth, is that I love the writing. Actually that does not give justice to why I write: I love the process of getting the written word on the “page” and massaging it into a form that is readable. In a previous life I wrote legal opinions for a living and with that part of my life gone writing this blog has gone some way to fill that void. Now I get to write about what I want, when I want, in a form that means that anyone with an internet connection can read. The fact that people from 32 countries have read this blog has made me deeply proud.

The help and feedback I have received along the way from some wonderful people can not be discounted. Three people deserve special mention for helping (or trying) to polish the rough edges in my writing and giving me a forum coupled with this blog to write: Irene Watt (@pinkrugby), Jeremy Irvine (@Jeremy_Irvine) and Kate Stone (@oskythespy) you know how I feel about the help you have given me so all I will say, again, is, thank you.

Finally, before the festive season I was thinking about shutting down this blog. The daily grind of work coupled with a dwindling readership led me to thinking it had run its course. I have been reenergised over the Christmas / New Year period by the writing I have done, both here and in private, and will again be “strapping in” for another year of rants, sport and frivolity.

Thank you for reading.

Stephen