Let Me Clear A Few Things Up! Answers To My Most Frequently Asked Questions.....

There are a few questions that have been asked of me or my blog since I started publishing 2 years ago. Below are those asked most frequently. This is my attempt to clear the air and allow all to see why I do what it is I do.

Questions

• Why do you write stories on your blog, this is about recipes and opinions right? 
• What gives you the right to have an opinion and share it with others? 
• Why don't you follow conventional wisdom when it comes to your blog? I mean who in the hell expects to be taken seriously when using Walter Turncoat font anyway? 
• Why do you add that music thing to your blogs, it can be annoying at times? 
• OMG, people don't want to read a damn book every time they tune in to OPC Blogs, is there anyway you can just make quick points and show lots of pictures? Pictures and catchy phrases are what keeps your readers engaged anyway.
• Why do you have two blogs any way, can't you stick to one subject and be happy? 
• When you have gotten advice on changes why haven't you acted on that advice. 

Writing has been something that I have been intrigued with for a while now. If you have ever worked with me then you can tell by the emails that I send. I leave no detail uncovered so as to give you all of the information that is required to be effective for the task being directed. When I start off on a blog entry I will normally relate to something from my past be it recent or long ago. I have a great memory because I have trained myself to remember everything photographically. This in turn is mastered by remembering the picture based on the story around it. While my food blog is about food, there are stories around the recipes that are included to give context. As far as the opinion blog, most opinions are based in experiences or stories. 

My right to my opinion is God given as is yours. The more suitable question for me is what gives anyone the audacity not to share something that might be helpful, enlightening or otherwise entertaining?  We all have something that can make the world a better place, not being melodramatic but I will say that if one person is effected in a positive manner due to a post that I have shared then the world is changed. The fact that I've grown up in DC, lived in Oakland, all over Iraq and now Afghanistan gives me a number of experiences to share that I think offer a unique perspective on a wide range of subjects and issues. 

Dis' My Damn Blog and I do what I want (lol)! Seriously though I have a desire to be true to myself in every situation. I love giving advice and sharing stories but when I look in the mirror I am still the Mark that I have proven myself to be, part charming, part humorous, big part goofy and part serious. I hate Arial as it does nothing to describe who I am. Walter Turncoat reminds me of comic script and if nothing else my life has been overwhelmingly comical. I want to be taken a face value and that is it. I am seriously comical and comically serious. 

When I sit down to write, it all starts with music. I have listened to the same song over 50 times before in order to get the emotion of my story on paper beforehand, it's simply my process. I spend as much time compiling a playlist as I do writing the story, taking pictures and / or coming up with recipes to post. When I finally publish the post I want you to feel every aspect of what I was going through as I wrote it. I am convinced that it helps the reader connect to what they are seeing and sensing on my posts. 

If you are a lazy reader then I'm probably not a good follow for you it's really that simple. Words mean a great deal to me as do stories so the need to share will not be compromised. Again, this is being true to myself and a flat out refusal to be phony for the sake of capturing the masses. Of course I'd like to have mass appeal but not at the cost of my own identity. I wholeheartedly embrace change but not reinvention if it is not needed. I can't tell you the amount of times that I have heard, "you need to hit them fast, make your point, show a flashy and relevant picture and then move on or you will lose your reader!" Man, I lost those types at "There are a few Questions...." Technology has allowed us to become too lazy. Do you know any cell numbers by heart anymore? All we do now is press a name and presto, there's the other party on the line saying hello. I hope to take you on a quick trip away from your day while you are reading, if you can't take the time to do so then hopefully you can return later. If you can't then so be it, I know that not everyone will be interested in what I have to say any way. I'm good with that but I still say that you can get food for the soul from many sources so be careful what you discount.  

I recently talked with two very key people that lead to a drastic change in format, content and the creation of a separate blog. My friend Tracey Austin sent a message to me about some of the typos that were present and some other structural issues in reference to my food blog. The next day I heard from another friend Eboni Green that went more in depth with some of the things that she would have changed, given her druthers. There have been so many that suggested changes before but for some reason I listened to these two incredible women and I'd like to thank them both for pushing me to change and as a result find new inspiration. What was ultimately determined is that the food blog would be less wordy and more recipe and picture oriented. This blog would allow me to fill my need to write and share my thoughts on a range of subject and issues. This is why I have two now and will look to add a series out soon. This will be a fictional series based in humorous coming of age stories about a central character and all of his friends. I know, go figure right? 

While I can be slow to react, but as seen above, when I get it and agree I will shift gears. At the same time I have to be true to myself or risk coming off as inauthentic. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the most part I know what makes me tick and I think I reflect that with each post. Can I be better? Of course I can but that's where the growth comes in. On my food blog you will notice a distinctive change in material, writing style, flow and other things since I started. I could go back to make the corrections but I want to see my growth or lack there of as I have moved about. Writing is a learning process for me and I won't cheat the system by taking shortcuts. Allowing myself to see the growth is an important step in the process of learning how to write for public consumption. I consider myself not only a fast learner but more importantly an ongoing student.

Herat, Afghanistan 

I hope that this gives you the answers and a bit more insight as to why I do what I am doing. If it does not feel free to ask whatever it is and I will try to answer it as openly and honestly as possible. I also hope that I haven't rubbed anyone the wrong way with this post. I contend that if I have, then you are clearly not reading what I have shared but choosing instead to read into what I have written. Good luck with that.... Love you all and hope to see you next week.

Above Kabul, Afghanistan