Okay, so now I'm finally going to school. Oh, its not what you think. I didn't decide to enroll in an institution and pay tuition. No. What I did do is sign up for Orato. Posted a few articles with my usual brand of acidic sarcasm and thought: "hey, this is pretty cool!". Then, I discovered that they basically rewrite your entire article for you. It still has your name on it but, may or may not have the point you were trying to get across.
So, who's fault is that? Mine for not being clear enough or theirs because they would have talked about something slightly different? Probably a bit of both. All I know is that it wasn't exactly what I was trying to say or how I would ever say it. Some are better. But, some are not. We all have an opinion. Even the editors.
Yesterday I took the trouble of finding a picture I thought was perfect for what I wanted to say. Today I found that they replaced it with one that better suited their version of the article. So, why bother hunting for a photo?
The tone is completely different. This part is the most valuable. I've often been told I had to soften my tone. Now I'm finally being taught how to do it. It has almost gone from being a stab at becoming a serious writer to a social experiment. Almost but, not quite. After all, if they are taking this much interest and time to completely rework my articles they must feel that there is some worth in them.
I still like being caustic. But, I guess that's what The Dead and Gone is for. Incidentally, did I ever mention why this blog is called that? Basically, because once a thought has escaped the mind and manifested itself you can't take it back or undo it. It's effectively, dead and gone. All you can do is try to explain it, apologize for it, forget it, justify it, prove it, or move on from it. It's like when you present evidence in court and then the judge orders it stricken from the record. The jury still heard it. It still made an impression.
One thing I did learn so far is never post right to Orato. You never know what from your article will take or if it will see the light of day. My favorite piece so far has been completely reworded and reduced from 600 words to 121. Oh, well. Maybe some day I'll revisit it and say it better. Someday, after I've learned to sufficiently soften my tone while staying true to my caustic nature.
