The Importance of Doin' It Up Right
Writing last week's article was tough; harder by far than any other article. Heck, any other series of articles, or combine two or three of the articles that felt like birthing a True-Scale Space Marine...
...and none of them compare. This is brutal.
Don't believe me?
For those of you who've followed the Terrible Tuesday (and yeah, sometimes it's Wednesday) series over two years and 97 98 articles have probably realized I closely follow the comments. It's part of my style to avoid talking out a subject as an attempt to encourage you, Oh Faithful Reader, to take the time to jot a thought or three. Following comments, particularly by those of you who do so frequently, is part of the satisfaction derived from maintaining a competitive slot on Bell of Lost Souls.
Last week, I couldn't even look.
Literally. Didn't. Look!
The day the article hit, I emailed Big Red and asked him how well it was received. He obviously didn't realize how freaking paranoid I can be, as his reassurance wasn't very. My concern was I honestly didn't know if it covered enough ground, with enough specificity, to be at all worthwhile.
But why this one?
I'm of the opinion too many articles, editorials, and posts on the Blogosphere and Forums promise more than deliver. It usually starts out okay, only to drift off somewhere after the third paragraph into generalist TheoryHammer. Rules of Thumb and the like. Or, even less helpful, the ever-popular Obvious-Some? drivel all dolled-up like it makes a point.
(Note though, the exceptions prove the point; there is some unbelievable material out there, just waiting to be found again for the first time.)
(Note though, the exceptions prove the point; there is some unbelievable material out there, just waiting to be found again for the first time.)
Too harsh? Maybe; maybe not. Sure, they can't all be winners - and God knows I've churned out some crap over the years - but the important topics should be treated with some respect.
Rules. Reviews. Products.
Basically, any topic that might potentially influence a fellow hobbyist into shelling out hard-earned cash is a topic upon which effort should be piled. It's gotta be done up right - especially in a venue like Bell of Lost Souls, which is read by millions all over the world.
With this in mind, I finally got around to rereading the first article, published last week, and laying eyes on the comments for the first time.
Know what? It was pretty okay after all. Relief!