My Name is Lizz

I’ve spent the last couple months or so devoted to my new position at work. I spend most of my free time playing Wizard101, cleaning, and reading. As usual, I have a million projects I’m working on, but nothing that seems to be fleshing itself out significantly. But I’ve realized that I never make any progress on anything and it’s lead me to the realization that if there’s something I’m good at I should probably stick with it for awhile. I’m going to try and keep writing about wizard rock for Examiner.com. And if this Pottermore thing is interesting I may become involved with that, too. We’ll see. In any case, the only other thing I’ll be genuinely devoting my time to is developing a business plan for a new Kickstarter venture; a vegan cafe and green educational center and meeting place to be established somewhere in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. While I have many ideas and plans to get the ball rolling, the first thing I really have to do is come up with a name for it…

I just spent some time mulling about Austin’s Craiglist. Dismal as usual. I have one job to apply for, and a few writing possibilities, but I doubt I’ll explore them. Really not qualified or interested in such seedy ventures.

I’ve had a generous heaping of success in regard to selling ebooks through Amazon’s Kindle marketplace. I think my best bet when it comes to making money from writing is to pen some short vegetarian cookbooks and to promote them alongside my Examiner and blog writing.

The wizard rock articles are going well! I’m assembling bits and pieces for an article on wizard rock in the UK, its past and its future. Anyone who has ideas for articles is free to suggest them!

Rusty’s second birthday is on the 29th. I’m not sure what to do about it. I discussed with Chris starting a tradition of buying him a new collar every year, but other than that, I’m kind of at a loss. He doesn’t have any doggie friends with whom to have playdates, so *shrug*

My brother got me some AWESOME books for Christmas. The first is Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and the other is called Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. I’ve gotten ingredients to make the Vegan Cookies’ “Chocolate Agave Trailmixers” and I’ve made “Spinach Chickpea Burgers” from the other. They were great, by the way, and I may make another recipe from that book tonight.

Chris decided to start eating much healthier. We haven’t used cheese in anything since Christmas and she isn’t using refined sugar in her coffee anymore. She has digestive concerns and such changes will really help how she feels. We’ve also been doing yoga every night this week. It’s kicking my ass, but I am starting to feel better. =)

It’s been approximately six months since I’ve had the Internet within the confines of my home. It has left me feeling so disconnected, so out of the loop, so out of touch with my Internet peoples.

I’m afraid I may delve back into the web life with too much enthusiasm. If you find that is the case, I apologize, but it’s really only because I missed you so much. Take a compliment!

If you follow me on Twitter you may recall that I’ve been given the honor of writing for Examiner.com. “As what?” you may ask… The National Wizard Rock Examiner. It’s entirely possible that you’re in shock, considering the last thing I wrote concerning wizard rock in the least happened to be this post at the Wizrocklopedia. I think that is perhaps prudent to examine what it was I wrote at the time (I haven’t the foggiest recollection, myself- this should be interesting) and to set my intentions forth in regard to my reasons then and now.

I really do believe that it’s impossible to keep up with every bit of “news” the bands put forth everyday without one person devoting full-time hours to it. Unfortunately, again, that isn’t realistic. While bands, and sometimes podcasts, can support themselves with merchandise, albums, and donations, this is not something the Wizrocklopedia can do.

This quote essentially begins my reasoning behind leaving the ‘pedia. It is, for the most part, true, though due to stress in regard to the position I held, it also wreaks of bitterness. I guarantee you that had I had the opportunity to better establish the Wizrocklopedia as a business I would have, devoting all of my efforts to it, I would likely still be running the website. A part of me still doesn’t understand being a Harry Potter fan professionally, but I will admit that a glimmer of resentment smoldered within me back then, toward others partaking in such an adventure.

I leave the Wizrocklopedia in the hands of Freya and Dinah with the hope that the community we’re supposed to have established as a whole will do something to save it from dying an untimely death.

Untimely death seems to remain an issue amongst the community, though it’s been nearly two years since this original quote and it seems to me like this musical movement is still journeying onward despite “new” material for inspiration.

Everyone has always predicted wizard rock’s impending doom. In 2010. In 2009. In 2008. And in 2007. Well… There’s still a Wrockstock. And those conventions. And it’s really quite surprising to me that anyone whose still listening would consider wizard rock to be dead.

I don’t retire from my job as Senior Editor with any bitterness or malice but I am happy to be rid of the responsibility.

Lies! All of it. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. I battled with my own creation from the very beginning, trying to distinguish my efforts from those that I considered “unprofessional” or embarrassing. I could never create what it was I was aiming for, perhaps because my vision was not what my readers wanted, and in the end the only solution (after trying to force my readership to conform to my aspirations) was to hand the reigns of the wild pony to someone who liked it for its tenacity, style, and nature instead of glaring through it with annoyance.

I am simply unable to provide the ‘pedia with the attention that it needs.

I don’t know how many people actually know this, but when I decided to get involved, like actually start being a part of it instead of being just a rabid fan, I volunteered at WizardRock.Org as a writer. The problem was that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, which was report. And therein lies the problem; I became a webmistress to be a reporter, and instead of being able to write (though I did a shit ton of that to begin with) I had to be in charge of things like site layout, updating lists, marketing, PR, and, oh, managing other writers. Trying to find help. I was editing instead of writing, and as it turns out, I’m good at one and bad at the other.

I’m not expecting to be welcomed back with praise. I’m not expecting to be welcomed back at all. I return because I want to, because wizard rock and the people who make it continue to intrigue me. I return because I have questions that I want answered as well as the ambition to share those answers with others. I return because I left and it was the wrong thing to do. I return because too many other people have left.

I return because I want to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Just sayin. Thanks.