English: Male long hair in Western culture. Totnes, UK 2008 (Saturday afternoon, about tea time) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During the last century long hair was part of a rebellious image along with a shaggy beard, or so the Saga of the Silver Scribbler began. I grew older and the hair turned silver and thinned but I persisted in keeping my image – it was me, it was my individuality, even if I was told repeatedly that it made me look old. Then came the transformation, the day when my wife helped me to cast off that past and discover what I could become – with some scissors. And I haven’t looked back … although I’m probably due for another trim as I write this.

As we move into 2013, it’s my website undergoing the transformation and I’m sure that my readers will agree that the layout is brighter, clearer and easier to navigate, without so much scrolling down a thin column of black and red. Does anybody remember what’s black and white, and read all over?

The wonderful thing about WordPress is that a Blog-meister can try dozens of themes without losing their original material. Great to see what it could look like if you are tempted by Garishmod or Enhancedcyber or in my case Sunspot. Select what you want and you have an instant makeover.

Okay, there will be tweaks to make – like reducing the size of the Blog awards – but it’s not like starting again. I left that for my poor wife to do on our new website at www.duskweald.wordpress.com. Our old site at www.duskweald.co.uk was becoming impossible to update so we have decided to move it or rather build an improved version. Once again we have experimented with themes, and hopefully found a suitable one.

Thus Writing Wings evolves, at least in my mind where the inspiration to continue scribbling emerges. Hopefully I can inspire words and images for others but I am always open to suggestions for future blogs that provide the motivation to create. Ideas please.

As the Saga of the Silver Scribbler unfolds, there is a niggling fear growing in my head, one that has plagued me for a while. The Work In Progress, does it lead anywhere? How?

Spiral of Hooves should be published as an e-book sometime this year by Spectacle Publishing Media Group. There is a sequel planned but could this be a dead end? I’m a writer all-but-housebound by my MS, unable to get out easily and sell myself. MS takes a toll on my energy and ability to devote time to writing, social media, self-promotion and all the work required to be a writer. Self-publishing takes all that and money. Traditional publishing requires an agent, which means approaching them then getting out there and meeting them … but how?

Or am I writing merely to share with family and friends? In many ways the writing is my way of putting the images in my head on paper or screen. The satisfaction begins when at least one person – my precious wife – can share the images. That is the moment when it begins to feel worth doing. A labour of love.

At least in this life perhaps the options have ended and that is just my karma, plus a legacy for those left behind. Reincarnation?

You Want Me To Go Down Where?! (Photo credit: tobym)