I have decided to finally end the blog. This will be my last post. After doing this almost daily for close to 16 years it is not a decision I made lightly. To be honest, I had been contemplating it for about a year.
There have been 6,850 posts, 188, 330 comments, more than 3,000 Friday Questions answered, and over 42,000,000 visitors over that stretch (of course it could just be 42 people who came back a million times).
Why am I stepping away? Well, first of all, I’ve outlived blogs. Mine may be the last one on the internet. When I started and blogs were the thing, I figured this would be fun to do for a couple of years. Other bloggers advised I post something new every day as a way to build an audience. That was a little more work than I had planned but okay. Eventually the blog took on a life of its own and I found myself posting daily for well over ten years. I can’t believe I didn’t run out of things to write by 2010.
But what was once fun has become a chore. I think I have run out of things to write about, or at least they’re getting much harder to come up with. I began reducing my schedule hoping that would help, but it hasn’t. I just feel it’s time.
I’m also involved in a number of other creative pursuits and really want to focus more on those. The podcast will continue. I’ve been doing that for six years and nearing 300 weekly episodes. I thought initially a lot of my blog readers would subscribe to the podcast, but that hasn’t been the case. I seem to have a largely separate audience for the podcast. But it’s still out there if you wish to follow me. I’m also on Twitter (@KenLevine), Instagram (Hollywood and Levine), and from time to time my cartoons will pop up in The New Yorker. So I’m not David Letterman growing a ZZ Top beard and disappearing into the Ozarks somewhere.
What I will miss most is you. I’ve made a number of good friends and have really enjoyed the little community that has formed via the comments section. Often times I found the comments more interesting than my posts. So I will miss the daily interaction and your contribution.
Beyond that, I sincerely hope you got some value out of this sixteen-year labor of love. You were entertained, maybe learned a writing tip, enjoyed the assorted adventures of my various careers, and looked forward to the occasional photo of Natalie Wood.
It’s certainly been a fun and rewarding ride; a much longer ride than expected.
The blog will remain up. I’ll still post weekly links to new podcast episodes. And you’re welcome to dive into the archives. Among the 6,850 posts there are at least 20 that are really good.
Some people to thank: Howard Hoffman, Lee Goldberg, Cynthia Furey, Mark Evanier, Dan O’Day, Doug McEwan, Larry Gelbart, and all my guest bloggers (that ranged from Aaron Sorkin to Babe Ruth).
Thank you for your support. Thank you for allowing some old guy TV writer to be a part of your life. I wish you all much success, good health, happiness, and projects that bring you as much joy and satisfaction as this blog has provided me.
As hard as it’s been to write this, ending it is even harder. So I’ve decided to just leave a teddy bear on the bunk and move on, hoping we meet again.
Thanks again.
Ken
from By Ken Levine
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