Why make further excuses? Why resist the urge when it is so strong, to write about the trickiness of learning the craft of blogging? I shall stay loyal to earlier pledges about not allowing the theme to dominate; but to make superhuman efforts to avoid it completely would be disloyal to how important it feels to me at the moment.

Of course, it's not really important at all on any scale other than to enrich a sense of personal fulfilment, but it is sufficiently so to bother my mind and occupy my thoughts for much of my time (when I really should be thinking about other things!).

I suppose I am an improver - isn't that what they used to call apprentices once they had began the long road towards expertise in their chosen craft but still had much to learn? I damn well hope I am improving as I seek to discover and unravel the mystery of what makes a good blog ...good.

I think (and what do I know), that I am a case of " Searching for his voice". What should I write about and how should I write it seems to sum up what's going on in my head each time I sit facing the Blogger posting area and listening to what Anthony Burgess would have called its "Impatient hum."(The great man was actually explaining in his autobiography why he refused to upgrade his writing implement from manual to electric typewriter).

I could describe myself as "A work in progress"- though I probably shouldn't as that is a job for others should I ever be critiqued. I do find myself wondering though, "should I write like this", "Is there too much/little humour. Am I coming over as too earnest or self evaluative or important. Is self depreciation charming or merely irritating - "shit you'd think he was the only one who was ever a beginner!" Shouldn't I be peppering the whole piece with illuminating links, quotes, and amazing facts as seen for example in the Notes and Queries section of the Guardian.

Then again why do I care, the subtle counter tucked away, buried within the outer margins of this front page is testament to my unfashionable-ness. I am speaking only into cyperspace wilderness therefore I can say anything, anyhow. But my ego is being tickled and an eye may chance to fall.....