"My conclusion from all this is that we live in an age that is very much extrovert-centred. People think that in order to be successful you have to shout about yourself from the rooftops. I don’t think that’s true, and my own experience tells me that it isn’t true."
Lovely to hear, Terry. I appreciate this.
Also, the style of websites from that era! Ahhh, how the internet has changed. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Nathan. I'm glad that resonated. Yes, agree about thewebsite, but I love the fact that it was actually so dynamic, and in what it had to offer, somewhat ahead of its time :-)
A great start to the week (although it's now Thursday - yet again I'm behind on my reading!)!
I love your literary map - that's right up my street (if you'll pardon the almost-pun).
What you've said here strikes a loud chord with me: '...we live in an age that is very much extrovert-centred. People think that in order to be successful you have to shout about yourself from the rooftops.'
I like a 'show, don't tell' approach. I write what I enjoy writing (and by happy coincidence, that's the kind of stuff I enjoy reading) and don't chase the dreaded numbers. I'm not much of a shouter - nor any kind of salesperson - but I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and if others find they enjoy it too, well, that's lovely.
I think what you’ve hit on is the genuineness of connection: reading good things makes me want to connect with that person (and I hope they in turn with me). More and more, with AI and bots and the pox of influencers and gaming the algorithms, it’s far more productive in my experience (n=1) and more importantly, more enjoyable, to connect with meaning.
The video surprised me - I liked it. Also, btw, I'm your biggest fan, at least in Texas. Your writing feels 100% you, you don't play the room. I also like that, very much.
Thanks very much, Mary. You mean the music video? I like the fact that there's a story there, even though I don't understand what that's got to do with Tennese Williams.
By "play the room" you mean just for effect? That's very kind of you. I like your writing too, fir the same reason plus lovely drawings!)
The mighty google says the"Something of Tennessee" is Elvis not Tennessee Williams.
The song is about the lonely lifestyle of men like Elvis and a tribute to him. Anyway it is a lovely song, I have never heard it, and wouldn't have without you including it. Those kinds of small details, plus never knowing when you're kidding (pretty positive you know dang well it's not about Tennessee Williams), plus the three eared cats are other reasons I eagerly read your weekly Newsletter. If I lived in Texas, I would challenge Mary B. But I'm claiming Ohio.
Thanks, Jeanne! Well that makes sense. I really wasn't kidding. I looked up the song about a year ago and the website I landed on was going on about T. Williams, but it still didn't make any sense. But lonely men like Elvis certainly does. Thanks for kind words!
Yes, the music video, and I like the story, too, that I can't understand. The crescendo of the music and sentiment at the end of the video is top drawer for me. And yup, I mean just for effect. You're consistently you. And thanks. . . 😀
I read the comments and it makes sense to me! I thought he was singing about the state of Tennessee and watching the video, had a sense of a lonely troubadour who suffered hard knocks throughout his life. I love the music video even more now!
It's such a great video. I love the bleakness, and the subtely of the male bonding, and, at the end, dis-bonding. I don't know anything about the state of Tennessee. Is it a vast, lonely sort of place?
Tennessee is in the Smokey Mountains, mostly rural, Nashville is there (country music), lots of early American history, slow-ish pace of life, it's beautiful. There are many impoverished areas, many small towns are mere shadows of themselves. Here's a link to the Smokey Mountains from our National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Thanks very much, David. I think part of the fun in that Mick Miller video, in addition to the daft joke, is his deadpan delivery and his trying not to crack up, and failing! I hope the other grandparents like it as well 😃
I like that first video as well, along with this "Look, here in the UK it’s a bank holiday, aka a day off, meaning that either hardly any Brits will read this or lots of them will because it’s a day off. I’m glad that’s been clarified." Thanks for the chuckle.
I love his deadpan delivery but what really made me laugh was watching him crack! Terrible joke too! Not as bad as the goldfish one I included last week though!
I still don’t understand SEO. I add tags to my posts and have no idea if they help. When I rewrite an essay and click update there’s an SEO box that wasn’t there for the first post.
I find tags help me, and therefore presumably other people, find stuff. Whether such things work in a wider sort of way is anyone's guess. I've never bothered with the Substack SEO thing: can't be bothered!
Interesting stuff. I'm terrible at promotion and like you have tried suggested tactics with a similar amount of success. I'm not sure what success is ... Once it would have been my own dump bin in Waterstones and the resultant royalties. But the last few things I've done have been for love and people liked them and that's been very warming. I think success now would be more work where even a few people express joy, and some financial security... But now they are not mutually exclusive.
PS. I love the basement at Any Amount. Not the random treasure room it was a decade ago but still capable of great surprises!
Thanks, Drew. I agree about those things not being mutually exclusive. I think Any Amount is great, but I haven’t been in the basement for ages because it went off in my opinion. But as u say, sometimes there's a good surprise find.
I so appreciate this. I am terrible with social media, and it can be hard to continue to publish without a huge following. But you're right—I need to focus on writing what's important to me and redefine success in my own mind. Thanks for this!
Thanks, Jen. I think doing so makes for a much better state of mind. I always try to think of subscribers as individuals rather than a unit that is making up the numbers.
"My conclusion from all this is that we live in an age that is very much extrovert-centred. People think that in order to be successful you have to shout about yourself from the rooftops. I don’t think that’s true, and my own experience tells me that it isn’t true."
Lovely to hear, Terry. I appreciate this.
Also, the style of websites from that era! Ahhh, how the internet has changed. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Nathan. I'm glad that resonated. Yes, agree about thewebsite, but I love the fact that it was actually so dynamic, and in what it had to offer, somewhat ahead of its time :-)
A great start to the week (although it's now Thursday - yet again I'm behind on my reading!)!
I love your literary map - that's right up my street (if you'll pardon the almost-pun).
What you've said here strikes a loud chord with me: '...we live in an age that is very much extrovert-centred. People think that in order to be successful you have to shout about yourself from the rooftops.'
I like a 'show, don't tell' approach. I write what I enjoy writing (and by happy coincidence, that's the kind of stuff I enjoy reading) and don't chase the dreaded numbers. I'm not much of a shouter - nor any kind of salesperson - but I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and if others find they enjoy it too, well, that's lovely.
Thanks, Rebecca. I absolutely agree. I was brought up to believe that self-praise is no recommendation.
I think what you’ve hit on is the genuineness of connection: reading good things makes me want to connect with that person (and I hope they in turn with me). More and more, with AI and bots and the pox of influencers and gaming the algorithms, it’s far more productive in my experience (n=1) and more importantly, more enjoyable, to connect with meaning.
Thanks, Bryn. Yes, exactly that. Thanks for putting it so well.
The video surprised me - I liked it. Also, btw, I'm your biggest fan, at least in Texas. Your writing feels 100% you, you don't play the room. I also like that, very much.
Thanks very much, Mary. You mean the music video? I like the fact that there's a story there, even though I don't understand what that's got to do with Tennese Williams.
By "play the room" you mean just for effect? That's very kind of you. I like your writing too, fir the same reason plus lovely drawings!)
The mighty google says the"Something of Tennessee" is Elvis not Tennessee Williams.
The song is about the lonely lifestyle of men like Elvis and a tribute to him. Anyway it is a lovely song, I have never heard it, and wouldn't have without you including it. Those kinds of small details, plus never knowing when you're kidding (pretty positive you know dang well it's not about Tennessee Williams), plus the three eared cats are other reasons I eagerly read your weekly Newsletter. If I lived in Texas, I would challenge Mary B. But I'm claiming Ohio.
I love a good challenge! 😄
😁
Thanks, Jeanne! Well that makes sense. I really wasn't kidding. I looked up the song about a year ago and the website I landed on was going on about T. Williams, but it still didn't make any sense. But lonely men like Elvis certainly does. Thanks for kind words!
Yes, the music video, and I like the story, too, that I can't understand. The crescendo of the music and sentiment at the end of the video is top drawer for me. And yup, I mean just for effect. You're consistently you. And thanks. . . 😀
Thanks very uch, Mary. And do read Jeanne's comment for some very welcome elucidation about the theme of that song
I read the comments and it makes sense to me! I thought he was singing about the state of Tennessee and watching the video, had a sense of a lonely troubadour who suffered hard knocks throughout his life. I love the music video even more now!
It's such a great video. I love the bleakness, and the subtely of the male bonding, and, at the end, dis-bonding. I don't know anything about the state of Tennessee. Is it a vast, lonely sort of place?
Tennessee is in the Smokey Mountains, mostly rural, Nashville is there (country music), lots of early American history, slow-ish pace of life, it's beautiful. There are many impoverished areas, many small towns are mere shadows of themselves. Here's a link to the Smokey Mountains from our National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Terry,
Great article on success. I agree that longevity has a quality all its own and yours is a great record.
I laughed a lot at the grandson joke. Plan to send it to fellow grandparents.
So thanks for that. And finally I appreciated your shout-out!
Thanks very much, David. I think part of the fun in that Mick Miller video, in addition to the daft joke, is his deadpan delivery and his trying not to crack up, and failing! I hope the other grandparents like it as well 😃
Thanks, Terry, for introducing me to Tom Pendergast and David Roberts. Very interesting! I liked the black and white film, too!
Thanks, Sharron 😀
Thank you for this excellent reframe Terry - success is about longevity, not a numbers game.
Thanks, Donna. So nice to know I'm not alone in this.
I like that first video as well, along with this "Look, here in the UK it’s a bank holiday, aka a day off, meaning that either hardly any Brits will read this or lots of them will because it’s a day off. I’m glad that’s been clarified." Thanks for the chuckle.
😂. Thanks, Sue 😀
Oh Terry, that Mick Miller joke! I enjoyed it even more than your kind mention of my piece.
But your comments about chasing success ... so wise.
Thanks for kind words about success, Tom.
I love his deadpan delivery but what really made me laugh was watching him crack! Terrible joke too! Not as bad as the goldfish one I included last week though!
I went back for that joke: you’re right, it’s worse.
🤣
I still don’t understand SEO. I add tags to my posts and have no idea if they help. When I rewrite an essay and click update there’s an SEO box that wasn’t there for the first post.
I find tags help me, and therefore presumably other people, find stuff. Whether such things work in a wider sort of way is anyone's guess. I've never bothered with the Substack SEO thing: can't be bothered!
Interesting stuff. I'm terrible at promotion and like you have tried suggested tactics with a similar amount of success. I'm not sure what success is ... Once it would have been my own dump bin in Waterstones and the resultant royalties. But the last few things I've done have been for love and people liked them and that's been very warming. I think success now would be more work where even a few people express joy, and some financial security... But now they are not mutually exclusive.
PS. I love the basement at Any Amount. Not the random treasure room it was a decade ago but still capable of great surprises!
Thanks, Drew. I agree about those things not being mutually exclusive. I think Any Amount is great, but I haven’t been in the basement for ages because it went off in my opinion. But as u say, sometimes there's a good surprise find.
I so appreciate this. I am terrible with social media, and it can be hard to continue to publish without a huge following. But you're right—I need to focus on writing what's important to me and redefine success in my own mind. Thanks for this!
Thanks, Jen. I think doing so makes for a much better state of mind. I always try to think of subscribers as individuals rather than a unit that is making up the numbers.