A Detour On The Road (Midterm Proposal)

It has been an extraordinary few weeks. Writing about what I enjoy. Sharing the latest news and information regarding human rights.

But unfortunately, my time as a blogger has come to an end.

I was extended a wonderful opportunity to return to Burma on a humanitarian diplomatic mission. I will not have regular access to the internet, and felt it was in the best interest to end my blog at this point.

Thanks to everyone who has followed from day one – I appreciate it.  I have enjoyed writing about topics close to my heart and even taking on the role as Devil’s advocate – an assignment I found challenging but got a kick out of the role reversal. Most helpful through this journey was picking up a great book, “On Writing Well”, by William Zinsser. It helped me realize writing nonfiction didn’t need to be serious and dry – it could be fun and interesting at the same time as being informative. It also gave me a few pointers on, well, writing well.

I highly recommend checking out a new blog created by my close friend and associate, Winston Smith. Winston has stated his blog will be “a satirical and witty take on current political events.” His blog will be an excellent précis of the current political climate, keeping readers informed but having fun as well.

 I am excited for his blog. I believe those that have grown accustomed to my site will find his a great read as well. These are topics he is well-versed in and finds great comfort in writing and sharing his thoughts with others. However, the direction he will be veering towards will be different from that on my blog, which has carried a serious tone.

This will be the first time Winston has blogged, and has a nonexistent online presence. But no worries – Winston has assured me he will be building his presence quickly through “utilizing twitter, engaging and interacting with commenters on my blog as well as other blogs, and promoting my brand through platforms such as Digg, Del.icio.us, or StumbleUpon.” He has also mentioned creating a podcast to accompany his blog.

As of now, there is no word on the new blog title; he advised this should be finalized by the end of the week – so stay tuned. In the meantime, please feel free to follow Winston on Twitter @WnstonSmith for the latest news on his blog. Be assured I will be sharing with him what I have learned through the past few weeks, and making suggestions on writing a great blog.

Take care and thanks again for taking the time to read this blog. I will be online until the end of the week, so I am not gone yet. But my direction must change – life has decided to send me on a new journey. Farewell.