Thursday, May 19, 2016

Imagine/Inspire

I’m back, readers.

No, please, the applause is welcome. Don’t be shy. I know you missed me.

*dodges thrown fruit*

Now look at that splatter. The stagehands will have to clean that up, you know.

But then, the place is getting musty, isn’t it. I only ever come here to talk to you all. Maybe I need to invest a little more time on renovations.

*peers around the stage*

Yes, this would all look so much better new and improved. You know what?

It’s time for a makeover.

All right, fun and games aside, this is just a quick post to explain how I’m revamping the blog. The existing labels work well enough for navigational purposes. But unifying themes are lacking. I'm changing that.

From now on, all posts will fall under two primary categories. Simple, yes? I know what you’re thinking, but these two aren’t in opposition. They complement one another. Like peanut butter and bananas. Strawberries and chocolate. Milk tea and anything.

*steeples fingers*

That said, the duality still pleases me.

So – under the first category will be posts which will make you Imagine. I admit, this is casting a very wide net, including books, movies, music, video games, anime, Star Wars, my own stories, etc. Basically all things bright and fantastic. Or gritty and realistic, as the case may be. Content which I hope will give you a glimpse of worlds beyond this one and feelings beyond the ones you’re feeling now. In a good way, of course.

The second category is for posts that are meant to Inspire. These will have a more focused message, where I talk about life – what I’ve learned and how and why. They might not always be upbeat, though I’ll usually end on a positive note. Just the other day, I was reminded that honesty can also be inspirational. It shows others fighting the same battles that they are not alone.

I do have a habit of pulling lessons out of stories, or using stories to illustrate lessons. Occasional posts might be marked as both – like this one. But most will be one or the other.

Questions?

Yes, you, in the third row. How will this affect how you view the blog?

It won’t, really. A rose by any other name – is still a rose. Fancy new titles aren’t going to change my writing. And yes, I just compared my writing to roses. For you.

*dodges more fruit*

Ha! Missed.

But seriously. The writing won’t change, but I’m hoping your impression of the blog will.

You see, I started Black Wings in Bright Skies as a way to improve my writing. That still applies. But by now, it’s grown into something more. Looking back, I realize I keep coming back here for two reasons. You can probably guess what they are.

I want to talk about imagination, in all its myriad forms. The songs and stories and imagery that are so good, you can’t help wondering, someone really made this up? And of course, someone did. Even now, the heights of human creativity amaze me.

And I want to be a source of inspiration. The same way so many other writers have inspired me.

I thought I might as well make that official.

Thanks for reading. More posts coming soon, lame jokes and all. So long, farewell, to you and you and you…


*bows and smiles*

Until next time.