The ever-present dedication

This is the first entry of a blog which may soon be filled with random snitches or may remain mostly devoid of entries, depending on how well I take to this blogging. If those diaries and journals of my childhood are any kind of foretelling, this project is doomed to in-completion.


The idea that interests me most in the blogging world is the idea that is so entirely different from the world of diaries. People are supposed to read this. Perhaps, that fact alone may rescue my little project. That aspiring author in me will never be happy with an incomplete work (the two dozen books I've started aside). So I will treat this blog, like the title claims as a work, soon to be published. That is to say that I will live with some roughness of technique and grammar, spelling errors will be assured, in exchange for completeness.


Basically I shall endeavor to end anything that i start on here, whether or not I begin to hate it halfway through.





So saying, I shall now try to write that which I consider to be one of the most important parts of any published work. . . the dedication. I am one of those people who will pick up a book and judge. I judge not the book, but the author through four things. Cover. What did you let them print your work in. First sentence. Does it intrigue me? Last sentence. Does it make me want to read the whole book just to get to that sentence? And Dedication.


I think the author revels more about him/her self than in any other part of the book. biography included. Who cares where you live or how many cats you have? I want to know who you thank. Here are some examples of good dedications:

By Lemony Snickets/ A Series of Unfortunate Events

To Beatrice -
darling, dearest, dead.

By C.S. Lewis/ The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

My Dear Lucy,
I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be
your affectionate Godfather,C.S. Lewis

I could never endeavor to write such striking prose, but I have often lain awake at night wondering who, if I should ever finish and publish a book I should dedicate it to. Here are a few samples, varying mostly by mood.

~I dedicate this book to my sister Tiffany, as pay back for all those chapters of disjointed stories, the half poems, excerpts and snitches I have made you read. You did it grudgingly but I appreciate it none the less.

~I was going to dedicate this book to family, but I am not speaking to them at present. Then I was going to dedicate it to my dog, but he ate a page of my manuscript. Then I was going to dedicate it to the hamster, which we bought for my little brother but has to live with me to avoid the cat, but he is running on that stupid little wheel and its driving me crazy. Then I thought why not dedicate it to you, my reader, whom I cannot yet dislike because I have never met you. But then I thought what if you did not buy my book? And so, this book is dedicated to no one.

As you can see, it is best not to write dedications during heightened emotion. However, as one of my favorite Bible School Presidents often says, I said all that to say this.

This blog is dedicated to whomever reads it. To those who like it, dislike it, don't understand it, or just don't care. Also to those, who never read it, but share my sentiments, and my passion for the written word. It is dedicated to dreamers, authors, poets, artist, and to the people who feel, that though they themselves are not artists, they can at least appreciate art.You who are the starving artist, and you who buy ridiculously priced art, so that the artist will not starve. To you.