...I first began this blog.When I decided to start one my daughter Annie was horrified. “Oh no! Another ‘I got up late this morning and brushed my teeth and flossed and then made myself some cereal” boring record of someone’s life.” I assured her I would never do that in this blog. Just her voicemail.
I would write penetrating, witty, sparkling articles on anything that interested me. Maybe offer some writing advice, tell a few war stories, review a movie or two, share some of the funny emails I had sent to friends in the past. And every so often I would succeed beautifully!
A fellow blogger suggested that to build an audience I should post at least three times a week. I figured, “Well why not everyday?” Compiling stories from a 30+ year career, and all that I’ve learned about the craft of writing, I should easily be able to post once a day…for two months.
The original objective was to increase my visibility in the hopes of getting a collection of humorous travelogues I emailed to friends published as a book. I had previously shown them to one editor who said “Very funny but no one knows who the fuck you are.” So I started a blog. So far that plan has been a giant bust. I can’t even get a book agent at the agency that represents me.
But my objective has changed. This blog has taken on a life of its own. Connecting with all of you – from all over the world (I still can’t understand why someone in Kuwait would give a shit about what I think of the Bionic Woman) has been an unexpected total joy. And then there’s the neat blog swag I’ve received. Some books, DVD’s, a few things I won’t specify because I plan on re-gifting them this holiday season, and the folks at Astroglide were so tickled I made a joke about their fine product they sent me an Astroglide mug. I’m ke
eping that. (Yeah, like I could give it to a woman.)And amazingly, the two months have now turned into two years and I still haven’t run out of things to talk about. Between the strike, porn star karaoke, AMERICAN IDOL, award shows, THE CELEBRITY FIT CLUB, baseball, tips on writing specs, Debra Messing, golden memories of AfterMASH, worst song competitions, shamelessly hyping my seminars and play readings, travel tips, channel surfing, lost scripts of CHEERS, Katie Couric, and miscellaneous opinions on anything (whether I’m informed or not) I’ve been able to keep posting on a daily basis. (It’s also very helpful that you suggest topics and questions for me.)
Some goals for this year: To meet more of you in person. To have a few of you break into the business and thank me when you win an Emmy. To get a whole set of Astroglide mugs.
Thanks to everybody for finding and sticking with this blog. Tell your friends… especially if your friends are book editors.
Onwards and sidewards.
Ken
p.s.
I know nobody reads the archives but if you’re curious, here was the very first post.
59 comments :
Congrats Ken...it's been a joy and a pleasure
Congratulations on your 2 years! I love reading your blog posts. Hope you reach your goal of getting your stories published.
It was very cool having you mention Kuwait in the post. And reason I care is cuz I respect your work and enjoy your blog :)
All the best from Kuwait,
Fatima
Congratulations! I am a software engineer from India and LOVE your blog!I've been hooked on to it for almost a year now.... Thanks!!
Your a daily part of my life now... thanks for the information and the entertainment.
Congrats Ken, and thanks for your wit and generosity. Can't wait for the next 2 years!
"Very funny but no one knows who the fuck you are. So I started a blog. So far that plan has been a giant bust. I can’t even get a book agent at the agency that represents me."
Yeah, but on the plus side now Aaron Sorkin knows who you are and thinks you hate him... so you got that going for you.
Congratulations on the two year anniversary. In spite of your prodigious talent I know that coming up with something to post everyday is much harder than it sounds. I'd say your batting at least .800, if you were a baseball player you'd be a gazillionare.
Let's all meet back here in a year.
Thank you and congratulations on your blog birthday.
I really enjoy hanging out here.
Congratulations Ken; It's amazing you've managed to daily post for two years! Just think, with that amount of time you could have written an award winning screenplay that both boosted your profile and made you money! But instead you just entertained us lot... good move. ;D
Congratulations on 2 years. I can't remember how I discovered this blog, but it is one of two that I have actually decided to read religiously. Where else can I read the thoughts of a guy who wrote for about 800 of the sitcoms I loved AND was a location manager for movies I enjoyed?
As for the Astroglide mug, the sad thing is that somewhere in this world there is someone using their product to make that mug go places it shouldn't. Think about that as you're enjoying your morning coffee.
Finally, a blog where I was reading from the first ... well, week. Love the inside show stories, love the baseball stories, love the travel stories.
Does Hallmark make a "congratulations on your blog's anniversary" card? And if not, why not?
Would you mind starting one of those "I got up, and brushed my teeth" blogs now and leave my voicemail alone?
love,
Annie
P.S. Miss you guys already.
Has it really only been two years? Seems more like twenty.
Congrats, and keep it up, Ken!
Happy blogiversary. I'll be two next month, which is practically middle age in blog years. I've enjoyed reading your blog and hope you have at least a couple more years of blogging in you.
Congratulations, Ken. Your blog is always one of the bright spots of my day. Now that you've been writing it for two years, I fully plan to develop a jaded, world-weary attitude: it's not as good as his early blog days, it's gotten too commercial, why did he have his blog give birth in the back of a taxi?, and so on..
congratulations, ken! it's been a blast reading your thoughts on, well, everything.
congratulations ken. it truly has been a pleasure. the post a day thing is a real encouragement for daily visits (along with being the only blog i've ever read that mentions el centro, KXO, and the Belsons).
Mazel Tov Boychik! You don't look a day over whatever you were two years ago!
Love the blog! Always entertaining!
Happy Blogiversary. And, no, I don't read the archives either, but, then, I've been following you almost from the beginning.
Congrats, Ken. Wish I had something cooler to say, but alas etc. Have a nice dinner with your wife to celebrate.
Congrats Ken. Thanks for giving us a window to your life.
Go Mariners.
-Jim
Happy anniversary and many more. And thank you for giving me something funny and clever to read during work.
I usually make it a point not to comment on the blogs of people I don't know. Not sure why that is, but feel special that I'm breaking the rule. ;)
I'm one of the zillions of aspiring young writers in this town and got excited the day I found your blog by accident. Thanks for writing! Tell your daughter sorry I'm egging you on. :)
Malinda
I've said it before now I'll say it again: Happy anniversary, Veen!
And, we need to know, was it wheat or sourdough toast this morning?
well, if you ever do get around to teeth flossing and cereal eating, I have no doubt it will be delightful to read.
skoal!
Congratulations, Ken, and a continued thanks. Without this blog I would never have met you. And, you know, vice versa.
Happy Blogiversary, Ken! I originally found you through Blogger's "Blogs Of Note," and I continue to read regularly. Thanks for providing the insider's perspective on TV scripts, sports announcing, and more importantly, the writers' strike.
CongratuTHANKYOUlations, Ken!
Happy 2nd! How exactly does one send swag to you, anyways?
Congrats on keeping going. It always surprises me how much good and funny stuff you can not only come up with each day but also give away for free. I can't think of a single day when I've thought "the old boy's losing it."
And if you are taking requests, then how about the low down on how you write for animals. John Mahoney always sounds a bit peeved when asked about the dog. Are you the guys who used to upstage him or does the script just say "dog does something funny" and you let someone else sort that out.
Oh goody, I've been waiting for somebody to help me break into the business (and I really, really want to win an Emmy - and I will definitely thank you during my acceptance speech - ummmmm...what is an Emmy anyway?)
Meanwhile, I'll just take my place on the picket line in the hopes that by some miracle you'll be walking, too.
BTW congrats on two years of blogging - maybe a "best of my blog posts" could be the follow-up book to your as yet unsold/unpublished humorous travelogue classic.
Congratulation to Ken for blogging for two years and keeping it very interesting, varied, and topical!
Who knew way back in grammer school, I would be wondering what you had to say every day! LOL
Two years! That deserves a good bottle of Thunderbird Ripple, if anything does. Congratulations, Ken.
I for am not surprised you can do it everyday. You're a radio guy. Coming up with something interesting everyday is what radio guys do. (Well at least at the well programmed stations) And you do it extremely well.
Thanks for the entertainment.
Congratulations, Ken. It's a joy reading your blog, especially your Cheers posts, and that tribute to the fellow who wrote Arthur.
Congrats on renewing for a third season Ken.
(BTW -- Are those long-awaited new behind-the-scenes stories about Mary Tyler Moore's variety show going to be your blog's equivalent of waiting to see if Niles and Daphne will ever get together?)
Between your blog and Jane Espenson's, I find myself a very happy camper when I sit down to work and open my RSS reader. When she guested on your blog, it was the best crossover ep since Buffy showed up on Angel. I hope to thank both you in my Emmy speech one day.
Congrats and thanks; this is a fun place to check into every day. And I'm sure I'll be able to fit you into at least one of my Emmy speeches (unless I win for an Aaron Sorkin show -- then it might be a little dicey).
Now it can be told...
I was so confused when I started reading your blog. You mentioned your partner, so I thought you were gay. Then you mentioned your kids and I thought it took you awhile to figure our you were gay.
Finally, I think I saw a post where you mentioned your writing partner and I was no longer confused. Until you mentioned that coffee mug.
It would be incredible fun to break out an Astroglide coffee mug here at my straightlaced office just to see the looks on people's faces.
How many proofs of purchase was it Ken?
I'm definitely thanking you if I win an Emmy! Congrats on the 2 year anniversary and thanks for the entertainment!
Congratulations. Of course, you really got the idea for blogging from my blog, just disguised the fact by going back in time (Doctor How anyone?) and begining yours exactly a year before I began mine. Nice ploy.
You know, for a writer, you write really well.
Little Dougie knows some book editors of course, but after what they did to his new book, they're best avoided,like all other types of agents.
Here's to two more. I'll drink to that!
Cheers
Happy blog birthday, Mr. L. Btw, I have read the archives.
Happy blog birthday. You started your blog as I was getting married I suppose. And if you want to meet someone, well, I'm in LA all the time. I think I actually found you from that post you did a while back about things to do in LA. I think I did some of them. Please say that was you and I'm not getting the 400 blogs I read mixed up.
Ok, I found it. June 21st.
Congrats on two years. I enjoy your blog very much. If you suffer a brain injury and as a result decide it would be a good idea to hold an event in Richmond, Virginia, I'd definitely go!
Happy milestone! Your stories are a lot more interesting than most people's.
I knew I was far gone when I determined when I last defrosted my freezer by checking my blog.
Thanks for linking to the trip down -- I guess out there it’s Memory “Drive?” Your travelogues make me nostalgic for places I’ve never experienced. Veja du?
Have you ever thought of webcasting yourself watching the Oscars with running color commentary – ala Mystery Science Theater? Or maybe we all agree not to watch until you post us the writer’s-cut with a crawl? Or as a send up of DVD directors’ voiceover commentary?
Two years may not seem like a long time for us as readers – but that’s like twenty-four in BobEvans/CatherineOxenberg years. You’ve just about replaced caffeine as substance of choice to ease the morning neurons into firing position. Does it do that for you too? Thank you, it’s just right. I’m glad I found your blog and even gladder the BGA didn’t walk out too.
Now just 2 more questiond:
What kind of event was it where they were holding up that sign in the photo? Charlie Sheen's wedding?
And what’s a Toni Senecal? Sounds like a pretentious, overpriced, West African Laxative?
not only have i read some of your archives - i've searched them.
I don't remember to come here often, but keep blogging - pretty soon there will be no TV and I know I'll need something to read :)
Ken, the only thing more silly than you writing in a blog everyday for two years is...
... that I and many others have been coming back everyday to read it.
Good work. I think.
PS - don't podcast. i never have time for that (which is why i miss so much of Aaron Barnhart's stuff. just type, darn it. *we* have to!)
oh, and you might want to feature the pronounciation (sp?) of your last name. if you think that's bad - i knew this girl Lissa, online, for a year, only to meet her and find out is was pronounced Lisa. Spent a weekend with her, mispronouncing her name (out of habit (and i still do it)) Now she has it in her sig line
I'm sure somebody's already said it, but I'm too tired to read the 50 comments, so...I'd hate to think what one actually puts in an Astroglide Mug. Congrats, anyhow!
Thanks, Ken , for the thoughts, the humor, your words and your shows. Yours is one of my Top 5 favorite blogs. Too bad mine bit the dust.
Best,
Alan Hinton
alan0825@socket.net
Ellen,
I just saw WORDPLAY. Email me direct.
Pam,
It's pronounced Le-Vine and in "Hollywood and...."
Nice work, Ken.
Here's to more of the same, or better!
Patti
Sitcom Room 2 alumnus
Congrats/bugger, is it really two years?
Time flies when you are reading old stories about MASH. Still wish I got baseball though.
All the best from Scotland!k
hi Ken
i am a writer here in singapore and i learnt a lot about comedy writing by watching mash, taxi, and cheers, my all time favorites in comedy shows. So congrats, and keep up those stories about stories behind mash, and cheers.
tell us what it was like directing your first script..did you have to worry about camera angles and such?
andrew
Congrats on the two years. I have nothing funny or original to say, but I should thank you for reminding me to go floss my teeth.
Now that you're in your terrible twos can we expect truculent behavior?
Hi Ken, we share a blogiversary date, (although I'm one year behind you). Glad to see the second year can be wonderful . . .
Post a Comment