Excursions

I published my Micro Camp talk as a blog post today - a feedback I had received after the talk. In case you missed the talk or prefer listening to it in your own voice instead of mine, here you go. 😊

I started writing actively on the web some 15 years back. As I look back today to these years gone by, I realize I have discovered a few ironies of life, a few lessons for the writer within me. Today, I want to evaluate where I am and share what I have learned over these years. But let me start with a fascinating Aesop’s fable, though — a tale about a man, his son and their hard-working donkey.

A man and his son were once walking to the market with their donkey along by their side. Neither of them was sitting on the donkey. A fellow countryman suggested, “Why don't you ride on the donkey? After all, what is it for but to ride upon, you fool?”

When the man put only the boy on the donkey, another person complained, “Look at that lazy youngster who lets his father walk. Yet, he rides.” Tired, when he got on himself, a woman scoffed, “Shame on that lazy person. He lets his poor little son plod along. Yet, he rides.”

Well, the man took his boy up before him on the donkey, and the passers-by started jeering and pointing at them. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours,” they said.

The man and boy, at last, lifted the donkey over their heads and carried him on their shoulders. They went along as all who they met laughed at them. The donkey, though, knew just one way to live — to do his thing. So, he was still flapping his legs in the air.

In short, everyone had laughed at the man and the son, whatever they did. It's an interesting tale of how criticism, if paid any heed to, would just make things worse for you. However, here's how I look at the story.

Do you know who was unaffected as the town was laughing along? Yep, the donkey. Do you know who didn't get any criticism from anyone? Yep, the donkey.

As I began writing more on the web and making it public, I realized very early on that I cannot let the criticism or the scoff that I will invariably receive from the ugly Internet affect me. I wrote on my blog. I wrote on Medium. Not only that, I shared my writings at many places, not being worried about what others will say. That was so unlike me, the introvert. But if I hadn't done so, I may have stopped writing a long time back.

Try to please everyone, and you will please no one, the saying goes. So, be a donkey, stay unaffected by the criticism and continue your creative work.

Through these 15 years, my productivity for writing has not been consistent, though. I have been super productive at times, publishing multiple posts in a week, and then there have been times when I did not post for months. I have blamed it on platforms, the editors, my lifestyle, my likings etc. But I have come to realize it is cyclic for me, these are all phases. I do want to compare two specific phases that I have enjoyed a lot.

There was a time when was I was writing fiction pretty regularly. I made it a habit, a routine to write short stories and send them to publications on Medium. I was productive, and I had fun. But for some unknown reason, I had stopped reading. I now feel I had even stopped living, unaware of events that I was surrounded by.

That did not help. And I was reminded of another phase when I wasn't churning fiction from my mind. I just narrated things happening around me, and yet I was most creative and productive then.

I wrote posts about crappy elevator logic, stupid bets, my conscious subconscious or the time when I didn't claim my spectacles because I preferred not to hurt my ego. Were these posts great? Who cares? I felt good. I could never weave a better story than what life was weaving around me.

Keep your eyes open. Some of the most amazing stories surround us. Stay inspired — because life creates better stories than a writer's pen. You just have to pay attention.

And don't ever halt for planning what you want to write. During each of these phases of my writing, I thought I knew where I wanted to take my writing to. A life journal. Fiction. Humour.

It was as if I was deciding for myself what I was allowed to write, what I would enjoy writing for the longest, or what I would be good at. That was senseless — I now know that would have never worked. But as Chris Crutchly said, hindsight's never around when you need it.

There is no point planning too much, too ahead. Just create. Do what your heart says now, without thinking where it will lead you. Don't try to connect the dots while you are planting them — a genius once said you can only do that looking backwards.

Nonetheless, there are times when I do halt. After all, life does suck every so often. It has been doing that for the past 18 months. I was taken over by boredom, and yet didn't know what I could do with all the time I had at my hands. I was living through phases that weren't comfortable. And I followed the easiest path, I stopped writing. I have done such foolhardy multiple times in these last 15 years.

Under heaven, all can see beauty as beauty, ⁣
only because there is ugliness.

Lao Tzu, the famous Chinese philosopher, says while talking about the duality of life. It is so true. It's easy to forget that things will eventually improve. We begin to label things. Negative and positive. Right and wrong. Sad and happy. But, as the masters at Pixar once said, “Sometimes the only way to really appreciate joy is to experience sadness”.

Lao ends his verse with these lines.

"When the work is done, it is forgotten.
That is why it lasts forever."

Yep, don't halt. Create. Write. Get bored. Be surrounded by negative thoughts. Get bogged down by them. But don't stop writing.  Don't publish them, sure. Let them lie forgotten in the pages of your diary. But write.

And definitely don't wait for the inspiration to come to you from outside. I have realized it's the worst way to get inspired to write. I read. I listen. I see. And that's when I write. I can't depend on others for inspiration. I need to seek it out.

Things tend to happen to you in life when you are not ready. So, I am always ready. I am always writing. What's written is not perfect every time. But when that one perfect thought does hit me, I am usually ready. And boy, I have written my fair share of imperfect posts. Stupid posts. When I read a few of these posts from the early days, I cringe.

I was told the tone of my posts is not right. Or the platform I am writing at is not right. Or my method of sharing is not right. But I didn't care. I was stubborn in what I wanted to write. It was OK if it came out stupid.

But you know what, at times I wish I could still be that same free self. The stupid one. I had the most fun then. I am a shadow of that person — but I have learned the lesson. It's OK to be stupid. Just be alive. I write what my mind wants me to write now. At this moment. I write what I want to read. It doesn't matter how cringe-worthy it sounds.

Be stupid. But then be playful. Be eager to learn.
Be stubborn. But then be cautious. Be friendly.

Do you know what other animal shares all these characteristics as per Wikipedia? A donkey. So be a donkey. But act. Write. Create.

I had delivered a talk with this content as part of Micro Camp 2021.

Cover Artwork by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

I started writing actively on the web some 15 years back. As I look back today to these years gone by, I realize I have discovered a few ironies of life, a few lessons for the writer within me. Today, I want to evaluate where I am and share what I have learned over these years. But let me start with a fascinating Aesop’s fable, though — a tale about a man, his son and their hard-working donkey.

A man and his son were once walking to the market with their donkey along by their side. Neither of them was sitting on the donkey. A fellow countryman suggested, “Why don't you ride on the donkey? After all, what is it for but to ride upon, you fool?”

When the man put only the boy on the donkey, another person complained, “Look at that lazy youngster who lets his father walk. Yet, he rides.” Tired, when he got on himself, a woman scoffed, “Shame on that lazy person. He lets his poor little son plod along. Yet, he rides.”

Well, the man took his boy up before him on the donkey, and the passers-by started jeering and pointing at them. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours,” they said.

The man and boy, at last, lifted the donkey over their heads and carried him on their shoulders. They went along as all who they met laughed at them. The donkey, though, knew just one way to live — to do his thing. So, he was still flapping his legs in the air.

In short, everyone had laughed at the man and the son, whatever they did. It's an interesting tale of how criticism, if paid any heed to, would just make things worse for you. However, here's how I look at the story.

Do you know who was unaffected as the town was laughing along? Yep, the donkey. Do you know who didn't get any criticism from anyone? Yep, the donkey.

As I began writing more on the web and making it public, I realized very early on that I cannot let the criticism or the scoff that I will invariably receive from the ugly Internet affect me. I wrote on my blog. I wrote on Medium. Not only that, I shared my writings at many places, not being worried about what others will say. That was so unlike me, the introvert. But if I hadn't done so, I may have stopped writing a long time back.

Try to please everyone, and you will please no one, the saying goes. So, be a donkey, stay unaffected by the criticism and continue your creative work.

Through these 15 years, my productivity for writing has not been consistent, though. I have been super productive at times, publishing multiple posts in a week, and then there have been times when I did not post for months. I have blamed it on platforms, the editors, my lifestyle, my likings etc. But I have come to realize it is cyclic for me, these are all phases. I do want to compare two specific phases that I have enjoyed a lot.

There was a time when was I was writing fiction pretty regularly. I made it a habit, a routine to write short stories and send them to publications on Medium. I was productive, and I had fun. But for some unknown reason, I had stopped reading. I now feel I had even stopped living, unaware of events that I was surrounded by.

That did not help. And I was reminded of another phase when I wasn't churning fiction from my mind. I just narrated things happening around me, and yet I was most creative and productive then.

I wrote posts about crappy elevator logic, stupid bets, my conscious subconscious or the time when I didn't claim my spectacles because I preferred not to hurt my ego. Were these posts great? Who cares? I felt good. I could never weave a better story than what life was weaving around me.

Keep your eyes open. Some of the most amazing stories surround us. Stay inspired — because life creates better stories than a writer's pen. You just have to pay attention.

And don't ever halt for planning what you want to write. During each of these phases of my writing, I thought I knew where I wanted to take my writing to. A life journal. Fiction. Humour.

It was as if I was deciding for myself what I was allowed to write, what I would enjoy writing for the longest, or what I would be good at. That was senseless — I now know that would have never worked. But as Chris Crutchly said, hindsight's never around when you need it.

There is no point planning too much, too ahead. Just create. Do what your heart says now, without thinking where it will lead you. Don't try to connect the dots while you are planting them — a genius once said you can only do that looking backwards.

Nonetheless, there are times when I do halt. After all, life does suck every so often. It has been doing that for the past 18 months. I was taken over by boredom, and yet didn't know what I could do with all the time I had at my hands. I was living through phases that weren't comfortable. And I followed the easiest path, I stopped writing. I have done such foolhardy multiple times in these last 15 years.

Under heaven, all can see beauty as beauty, ⁣
only because there is ugliness.

Lao Tzu, the famous Chinese philosopher, says while talking about the duality of life. It is so true. It's easy to forget that things will eventually improve. We begin to label things. Negative and positive. Right and wrong. Sad and happy. But, as the masters at Pixar once said, “Sometimes the only way to really appreciate joy is to experience sadness”.

Lao ends his verse with these lines.

"When the work is done, it is forgotten.
That is why it lasts forever."

Yep, don't halt. Create. Write. Get bored. Be surrounded by negative thoughts. Get bogged down by them. But don't stop writing.  Don't publish them, sure. Let them lie forgotten in the pages of your diary. But write.

And definitely don't wait for the inspiration to come to you from outside. I have realized it's the worst way to get inspired to write. I read. I listen. I see. And that's when I write. I can't depend on others for inspiration. I need to seek it out.

Things tend to happen to you in life when you are not ready. So, I am always ready. I am always writing. What's written is not perfect every time. But when that one perfect thought does hit me, I am usually ready. And boy, I have written my fair share of imperfect posts. Stupid posts. When I read a few of these posts from the early days, I cringe.

I was told the tone of my posts is not right. Or the platform I am writing at is not right. Or my method of sharing is not right. But I didn't care. I was stubborn in what I wanted to write. It was OK if it came out stupid.

But you know what, at times I wish I could still be that same free self. The stupid one. I had the most fun then. I am a shadow of that person — but I have learned the lesson. It's OK to be stupid. Just be alive. I write what my mind wants me to write now. At this moment. I write what I want to read. It doesn't matter how cringe-worthy it sounds.

Be stupid. But then be playful. Be eager to learn.
Be stubborn. But then be cautious. Be friendly.

Do you know what other animal shares all these characteristics as per Wikipedia? A donkey. So be a donkey. But act. Write. Create.

I had delivered a talk with this content as part of Micro Camp 2021.

Cover Artwork by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

Benches of varied colours and shapes- they always attract me. They have their ears to many wonderful personal stories.

Over the years, I’ve hoarded so much of electronic crap. Every now and then, I will find an odd charging cable or a dongle - I have no idea what they are for. I keep getting rid of them and the crap keeps finding a way into my home. It’s as if there’s a secret portal from an alien land to each of my closets 🤦🏽‍♂️

Currently reading the audio book : Made to stick by Chip Heath 📚

I am a coder and a writer. And it is absolutely painful to have these two personalities live within you.

When the coder wants to code, the writer is checking his choice of words or the structure of comments. Or the depth of documentation -- the writer wants the coder to write an essay. The coder wants to bloody put bullet points, command followed by command. What ends up happening is I take minutes to name one method because the writer didn't like my choice of verb. Urghh!

On the other hand, the coder makes the life miserable for the writer in me. All the writer wants to do is focus on penning words together. Get coherent, and impactful. And all the writer is whispering in his ears is, "Look at that font and the colour scheme of the editor. That doesn't look nice, right? What if there is a better editor? What if you make one?"

All the writer wants to do is read intently, and there is the coder shouting at him, "Why isn't your website this beautiful? Look how efficiently it uses JavaScript? Or doesn't use it at all." Anything and everything can get the coder excited.

Boy, given the pain this causes, I'm surprised am still a coder by profession and a writer by hobby. I, at times, feel they could very well kill each other one day.

Yellow is my favourite colour! ☺️

Setting up ElementaryOS has been a frustrating experience. Attempting to get the WiFi working with updates has broken the whole system twice now. I’ve tried all the fixed suggested on the internet - and nothing works. Sigh! Time to try another distro - it’s frustrating.

Current state - reviving an old MacBook Pro.

All I read on the timeline today is about Glass. A lot of people got the access and a lot are awaiting theirs. And I haven’t event attempted yet. Sigh! Long way before I get the access I guess. Plus iPhone only is a bummer. If not Android, at least iPad/Web support was must.

As I was planning my recent move across the state, I was, deep within, also thinking about what I can expect from this. What would be the benefits of moving away from the current place? What could I do that I am not currently doing? How would my mornings be? Or my evenings? How would my work-life balance change?

However, I spent no time first acknowledging the state that the things I do not own or control would be in. In short, I was setting too many expectations for myself, signing up for the resultant heartbreak that would invariably cause. Why do I do that? Is it not easy to plan only for things that depend just on me? The things that I do control?

Resonating with the thoughts I was living through, Jason Becker had recently posted how it is frustrating that he could never meet the expectations he sets for himself.

How often am I angry, frustrated, and disappointed because my expectations could never be met, even if what happens is great? The expectations gap has an outsized impact on my experience. How do I get better at discovering realistic expectations without shortchanging myself?

Even I got curious. What are realistic expectations? Cheri Baker pointed him to an article by Gregory Sadler discussing the Stoic concept of the dichotomy of control.

It is an insightful read — what was most enlightening for me was reading about the concepts of control and power. Here is the relevant passage from Epictetus's Handbook (emphasis mine) that Gregory examines and talks about.

Some things are within our power (eph’ ēmin in the original Greek) while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.

I always knew that I should not let things outside my control affect me and my day-to-day life. And I always struggled with that — how can you stay aloof to what is happening around you? Why can't you control your behaviour? I realized after reading the essay, though, that there is a minor distinction between control and power.

Control is too strong a word. There are times when I (and possibly each one of us) get frustrated and quip that I control nothing. In short, I am neither able to decide nor influence the things happening around me.

It typically happens when I decide to wake up one fine day, get ready and spend the whole day with myself, reading and writing. But the morning jerks me up amidst complete chaos — things are broken around me, physically and mentally. The tap has suddenly started leaking. Or my kid or spouse do not share my enthusiasm for a beautiful day. Sure, I might still have a wonderful day. But stay saddened by the fact that the day turned out to be so different from what I had fancied.

So, what does one do? To think that nothing is in our control and not set any expectations is effortless, yet wrong. Furthermore, setting realistic expectations is a lot harder than it sounds. Whatever expectations you set for yourself, there is a slight probability that fate has other plans for you.

Gregory suggests that I should mould my thought process. Rather than thinking that I would not let things outside my control affect me, I should reason with myself on these lines.

I am responsible for, and should focus upon, the things that depend upon me, i.e. my beliefs, my decisions, and my character. These are the things that matter, which determine if I am a good or bad person, and If I live a happy or unhappy life. I not mistakenly think my happiness or value is determined by the things not ‘up to’ me.

Here is my takeaway. The only thing I should focus on is the thing that is up to me, my character. Don't give too much attention to the notion of control. It is not fruitful. Set the expectations, the plan. But be aware that things will not always work out as per the set plan. It is only natural to hold the feeling of frustrations and disappointment as a result. But then realize that these feelings are only temporary, find ways to stay calm amidst disappointment. And definitely, a way to not do that is finding the right expectations to set — there's no right way to do that.

I have found my ways to stay calm amidst the disappointments. I listen to my favourite music, I write in my diary, I meditate. At times, I simply get back to the work I love. All these acts calm me down. What are the actions that do the same for you?

Blame and curse auto-correct as much as you want. But if not for that feature, I would still be spelling Thursday and Marriage incorrectly. Not exaggerating, the occurrence of these mistakes is frequent.

Liked Martin MacDonald’s tweet→

My brain is like Chrome. 237 tabs open, 3 are frozen, and I’ve no idea where the music is coming from.

I think all can relate to this! 😊

The Mysterious Street Snack →

Soon enough, I’d learn that my idle curiosity was, in fact, a mystery that has baffled and, at times, infuriated botanists for decades. This snack has been widely sold on the streets for decades and yet, somehow, no one seems to know what it is.

A fascinating read - so close to the home and yet I was clueless of this mystery.

I shouldn’t do that, but I tend to skip over the names, especially longer ones, as I am reading an article. It’s as if my mind applies a filter internally to label names as irrelevant to the larger story.

So typically I get the what, how, when of a story. But miss the who.

I am pretty excited about the upcoming Micro Camp 2021. Not because I am giving a talk – well, of course, there’s that. But because the whole line-up of the sessions is brilliant – each topic unique, different from another. Looking forward to learning and engaging! ⛺️😊

Amidst all the moving and settling , I finally took my second shot for the Covid vaccine. Finally. Yay! And I hope there are no side-effects this time around. I couldn’t sleep the whole night after my first shot. Fingers crossed, that doesn’t happen again.

Is 21.5-inch non-retina iMac still a good option to consider? What about 24-inch M1-based iMac? The way things stand I’m seriously considering buying an iMac - I don’t want anything portable. I wonder if the transition phase we are currently in makes this an untimely purchase.

I published another issue of my newsletter today - it narrates my experience to be back to the place I’ve been calling home for the past 10 years. This is also the first issue posted on the Ghost platform. You can subscribe to Slanting Nib here.

In process of recording myself talk, I have earned a new respect for the folks who do this regularly. I love writing, it comes naturally to me. I enjoy recording audio. But video? Boy, that’s not easy.

Hello Friend,

I have recently moved back to my permanent address — the place I have been calling home for the past ten years. It was precisely a year ago that I had shifted to my original hometown. My wife and I wanted to be closer to our parents in these uncertain times. Good that we did. We ploughed through some of the toughest times with the support of the extended family. The sheer burden of the unknown and uncertainty would have crushed the lonely and separated souls.

Even though the closeness to the family was welcoming, the place you call your home always lends innate warmth. You feel calm, at home, free of some strange burden. Possibly, it is because of the familiarity of the surroundings. Or maybe it is because you have fallen in love with your abode over the many years of togetherness. Whatever the reason, things generally feel right.

That has been the experience for me for the past week. The period when I was away from this place appears way back in history. Is it not spectacular that you can so easily get habituated to the change in your surroundings?

That said, the drive back was full of anxiety. The ride, itself, was  uneventful — instead, we welcomed the chance to spend a pleasant 12 hours on the road. It was the inside that was churning with thoughts. I was petrified, thinking about the state the home would be in. Would it be covered knee-deep in the dust? Or full of cobwebs? With pests running everywhere? The fear of the unknown was nibbling my heart within. Just the thought of the sheer work we may have to put in to make the place liveable made me uncomfortable.

As I unlocked the main door and stepped inside, I realized I was foolish to let these thoughts burden my mind. Of course. Our home is not somewhere in the wild, open for unruly animals to pry at. It is part of a gated community. No cockroaches or spiders were running around the house. The dust that I was so terrified of was barely visible. I could feel it was there. But cleaning that was far from the back-bending chore that I imagined it to be. The home was just the way we had left it, our own. Calm.

Anyway, the place is back to being our home again. Now, this is also a time to settle into a new routine. A change of setting calls for a change in the way I was leading my life for the past year. I have already got my mornings back — a familiar, peaceful morning is when I am writing this letter in. Now, it is time to handle the other phases of the day.

With that update out of the way, here is the selection of three brilliant essays on life for this week.

“The Capital T Truth” by David Foster Wallace →

[I]t is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now). Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master.

“Why Go Out?” by Sheila Heti →

I’m always super-aware of how whenever I go out into the world, or whenever I get involved in a relationship, my idea of who I think I am utterly collides with the reality of who I actually am. And I continue to go out even though who I am always comes up short. I always prove myself to be less generous, less charming, less considerate, not as bold or energetic or intelligent or courageous as I imagined in my solitude. And I’m always being insulted, or snubbed, or disappointed.

And yet, in some way, maybe this is better. Each of us could suffer the pangs of withdrawal from other people and gain the serenity of the non-smoker. We could be demi-gods in our little castles, all alone, but perhaps, deep down, none of us really wants that. Maybe the only cure for self-confidence and courage is humility. Maybe we go out in order to fall short, because we want to learn how to be good at being people, and moreover, because we want to be people.

“How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day” by Arnold Bennett →

A failure or so, in itself, would not matter, if it did not incur a loss of self-esteem and of self-confidence. But just as nothing succeeds like success, so nothing fails like failure. Most people who are ruined are ruined by attempting too much. Therefore, in setting out on the immense enterprise of living fully and comfort- ably within the narrow limits of twenty-four hours a day, let us avoid at any cost the risk of an early failure. I will not agree that, in this business at any rate, a glorious failure is better than a petty success. I am all for the petty success. A glorious failure leads to nothing; a petty success may lead to a success that is not petty.

Postscript

You, my reader with a keen eye, must have noticed that this issue looks slightly different. It does because I have moved my newsletters to the Ghost platform. Without going too much into details, let us just say that I wanted to challenge myself to write more long-form essays. I do plan to do that on Ghost.

I have published below essays since I delivered the last issue of the newsletter. Given that I recently started publishing with Ghost, these posts are meta thoughts on my choice of platforms.

• On Thinking in Long Form →
• No Blogging Platform is Perfect →

You can also receive my essays along with the newsletter issues, if interested. Just let me know. I will deliver every essay I publish by email. Or you could, of course, also subscribe to the good old RSS feed.

Have any recommendations or feedback for me for the newsletter issue? I’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply, or you can even email me.

Thank you for reading and sharing.

—Amit

[Facebook Wants Us to Live in the Metaverse] (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/facebook-wants-us-to-live-in-the-metaverse) →

“The metaverse is “a virtual environment where you can be present with people in digital spaces”

Sigh. Why do we keep putting a new name to the same old stuff? Of course, I know - for monitory purpose.

The real test for any blogging platform is how simple it makes it to write from both a desktop and a mobile device. I have come to realize that no platform does it perfectly.

I look for these features in an editor from any platform before I select it. It needs to have a simple editor that works well for posts of any length, works well from a device of any form. It needs to support building drafts before posts are published. It needs to support a simple editing workflow. That's it. And even these simple needs are not fulfilled by a single platform.

WordPress has a decent mobile app, supporting all the necessary features of the platform. But the Gutenberg block editor is so convoluted to work with even on desktops that working with it on a mobile device is an absolute pain. It has too many bells and whistles that a blogger with simple text writing needs rarely uses. It is good to capture the ideas in short and expand on them on a desktop. No wait, the editor is pain even on desktop.

The static site generators like Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy etc. need a CMS to be tacked on to them. Sure, you can choose a CMS of your choice, but for me, the experience never worked well. I have tried multiple static site generators, but the overall publishing workflow is unnecessarily complicated for my simple needs.

Of course, there is always an option to use a text editor of your choice on your machine and publish the posts from the editors – if the integration exists for your selected platform that is. But that works best when you draft a post from a single machine. For me, that's typically not the case. For example, just this post has been written across three different devices – a web-based CMS is a must for me.

Another promising option is connecting to IndieWeb and using any Micropub clients to publish to your sites. But unfortunately, after years of enabling all my sites with IndieWeb components and publishing via Micropub clients, I have come to realize that none is, by design, a CMS in any form. I find them lacking in supporting creation of drafts to work on later or editing of existing posts.

Sure, it has all the definitions for you to build such a system over, but that's an unnecessary overhead that I am not ready to sign up for.

Micro.blog simplies hosting of a simple blog. It has a pretty decent iOS app, and a suite of well-defined APIs. A few third-party apps have already been build over those APIs. But the platform lacks a good editor – its editor is too basic for any post longer than a regular micro post. Sure, it works. But barely. On a mobile device, it does not work at all. The recommendation seems to be to use any of the mobile apps, but they all lack the features I need.

When I moved my blog to Micro.blog, I had published this concern.

I wonder if I would be ok to post mainly from mobile, but as a regular micropub post. WordPress always allowed me to post so much more. I am not sure what m.b allows. It should be good enough, but is it really? That would be a test.

Unfortunately, I have realized that the platform doesn't pass that test, wholly. The editing experience remains poor for the long form posts – both from a desktop and a mobile device. It's a great system with a promising base, but still has a long way to go before I can use it for the longer form content.

So where does this leave me?

I have been struggling a lot from the beginnning to find that one good platform that addresses all my needs mentioned above. But, unfortunately, I have failed to find a single one that does all the aspects well. I love Micro.blog as it solves my simple needs of hosting with a no-nonsense platform for blog. It works great for micro posts – I can live with the mobile workflow for such short posts.

And I have recently fallen in love with Ghost for the long-form needs. It has a great editor on both the desktop and mobile devices, it has a brilliant CMS for my drafting and editing needs and is a solid platform all-round that I can host myself. WordPress failed big time in that aspect.

So, at least for the foreseeable future, here's how my posting is going to be. Micro.blog for micro-posts. Self-hosted Ghost for long-form posts, that includes my newsletter.

Why a special space for long-form writing you may ask?

I believe the choice of your blogging platform affects the type of posts you write. If the writing experience you have with a platform does not suit a particular form, you will invariably stop writing those posts.

My love for writing words is satiated only by the long-form posts. That love is also the reason why I started writing on the web in the first place. I can't stop writing them just because the platform I choose for my convinience does not support such writing well.

Subscribe to Slanting Nib here or read through the issues archive first. You can also receive every essay I publish by email, if interested. Just let me know. Or you could, of course, subscribe to the good old RSS feed.

It’s not easy to become a writer. It is fiendishly difficult to stay a writer. To string words together, day in day out, that would be meaningful. To be inspired to do so every day. To not get lost in the deluge of “inspiration” posts that are anything but.

Each week, I dig through the endless archives of the Internet to find those few fascinating posts, which I deliver as issues of this newsletter to assist a writer to stay inspired. This is what I had written while introducing the newsletter as part of the first issue.

There are times when we [the creative people] get stuck and look for inspiration. There are times when we wish that finding help was simpler. With this newsletter, I intend to lend exactly that to the writers, a helping hand of sorts.

With every update, I will publish a curated list of the articles and tools that I believe every writer would find interesting and helpful. I will also feature one writer that inspires me to write more, along with some of their writing.

I have struggled many a time for inspiration, for guidance. I often wished if only there was a hidden dole of helpful articles and directions that will keep me interested, motivated to trudge along. Slanting Nib & A Keyboard (referred interchangeably as Slanting Nib) will attempt to be that nudge for me first. My wish is it manages to do the same for the writer in you, manages to inspire the words in you.

Slanting Nib will be delivered every Sunday at 5 PM UTC. Featuring a personal letter and essays about something close to me, along with three thoughtfully curated posts. That's all. Each issue aims to be interesting enough to be worthy of your time without becoming too long to be a burden, a drag.

What can I expect in each issue?

Each issue generally follows some theme. The first issue focused on the history of writing, for example; the second one presented a few inspiring words from masters. As long as I could, I intended to maintain a common thread that connects all the posts included in an issue.

However, I soon realized that I needed to make the newsletter more about my thoughts. Make it personal. So in addition, I have started drafting a warm letter for the readers. I follow it up by a section of featured writing with a maximum of 3 articles. All the articles will be meaningful. I will make it a point that neither is a listicle of any form. Or one from the myriad of productivity hacks.

What if I have feedback?

I would love to hear from you. If you come across something that you think would be the right fit for an issue, do send the recommendations to me. If you find something incorrect or some part that doesn’t work, don’t hesitate to let me know. And of course, if you like something I have included in the newsletter issue, or it helped you in some way, I would love to hear about that too.

Just hit reply to the issue or email me with any recommendations or tips, writer or tools. I am a completionist, I will acknowledge every email.

So if this sounds interesting to you, you can subscribe here. Or you can also read through the issues archive. No rush.