I recently had an email conversation with a blog buddy named Going Down the Road Feeling Grand. Boy, is that a mouthful! You know, we berate celebrities for giving their kids unusual names. I’m looking at you, Elon Musk/Grimes, Chris Martin/Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce/Jay Z, and pretty much every Kardashian, but apparently even regular folks saddle their kids with odd names sometimes.
Oh, wait. Her name is Shelly. My bad.
(As an aside, I was almost guilty of this myself. I lobbied to name my daughter April Storm, but her mom refused to bite. Fine. Danielle it was. Later, as a teen, she learned of my failed attempt and lamented the fact that I didn’t try a little harder. Proof that I was onto something after all!)
Anyway. SHELLY has reached out to me for blogging advice on occasion, and this time was no different. First off, she wanted to know which bloggers I enjoy reading most. I gave her your name, and yours, and yours too, but told her to avoid you like the plague.
And then she showered me with compliments. I assumed this was an attempt to butter me up before asking to borrow money, but it turns out she was just being nice. Whew! I can’t be throwing Benjamins around willy-nilly. Or even Washingtons, for that matter. It’s the holidays, after all, and we’ve got a new truck to pay for.
One thing she said in particular got me thinking.
Your life is interesting, she wrote, but what’s also true is you see it as interesting and make it so for readers through your story-telling. I gotta admit, I admire especially your casual style that I know isn’t always easy to pull off. You seem to be a master at casual. Did that come with so much writing, or have you never really had to work at your conversational tone?
I think the casual conversational tone just comes naturally to me. I write like I’m hanging out in a bar with a bunch of friends, shooting the breeze. That was my exact response to Shelly. But was it always this way? Curious, I pulled up my very first WordPress blog post, dated 12/16/09. And lo and behold, this passage jumped out at me:
I’m reading an excellent book called ‘How To Become A Famous Writer Before You’re Dead.’ It’s chock full of fantastic advice, and written in a breezy, conversational style by an author whom I feel would be perfectly at home perched on a bar stool beside me, tipping back a drink.
Double-spacing after periods aside (bad Mark!), I couldn’t help but laugh. Looking back 14 years later, it appears I subconsciously took Ariel Gore’s advice to heart and adopted that very style I admired myself. I don’t remember writing those words, or much about the book either, but apparently it was super influential in my life.
Circling back to Shelly’s question, writing conversationally is never something I had to work at, but I have gotten more casual over the years. Y’all are like family now and I feel comfortable around you!
So, whose house can I crash for Thanksgiving this year?! Save the neck for me!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, have I mentioned it’s my favorite holiday? (Don’t tell Christmas. She’s one jealous bitch, and I’d rather not deal with the drama.)
Against all odds, really. Because bizarre things tend to happen around Thanksgiving. Turkeys explode. Terrorists try to kill me. My internal organs revolt and send me to the hospital. It’s a holiday fraught with chaos. I should long for the innocent bliss of Penguin Awareness Day or Submarine Day or Work Naked Day instead. OK, maybe that last one isn’t so innocent. But I guarantee it’s fun!
And yet, despite the risk, I really do love Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect combination of low-key, delicious, and festive, especially when you’re not hosting. Tara and I did so for many years, but since moving to the middle of the country, we have officially passed the torch to my west-coast brother.
There’s a parade and football, pumpkin pie and wine, John Candy and Steve Martin waking up in bed together. And a nice, long stretch of don’t-have-to-work.
Unless you’re Tara and do-have-to-work. Sucks to be her.
In any case, we are ready for whatever the holiday brings our way this year. The turkey’s taking a brine bath, the outdoor Christmas lights need only be plugged in, and hey, I’ve got a potato masher instead of a garden trowel. Life is good.
How would you describe your blog writing style? What’s your favorite holiday? What do you look forward to most about Thanksgiving? Who’s your favorite blogger? (If you don’t answer I’ll just assume it’s me.)
Mark My Words 
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