Sunday 20 April 2008

This is your life...

I got tagged - this is somewhat inevitable as I'm in no state to outrun anyone, and is also very welcome as I'm struggling to think, and therefore being told what to write is extremely welcome. This time it's the six word bio. The rules (which I have slightly amended to suit my own purposes since being tagged by DJ) are as follows:

  1. Write your own six word memoir;
  2. Post it on your blog illustrated as required;
  3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post;
  4. Tag unsuspecting bloggers as necessary;
  5. Let them know they've been tagged.

My six word bio is: 28 years of freely chosen journeying.

It's a bit lacking in context. Unfortunately, the context wouldn't condense down to the full stop at the end of the bio.

Having already altered the rules, I'm going to change them again - anyone fancying picking up the tag: Leave me a comment and I will ghost-write your six-word bio for you - feel free to pull it to bits in quality control before publishing the final version on your own blog. (Caveat: This is only going to be the slightest bit entertaining if I already know something about you. Anon should not apply...)

36 comments:

trousers said...

Nice choice of words there. I was worried that you might let the dramatic pace drop towards the end, but you managed to keep it going throughout :)

Reading the Signs said...

Oh yes please - blimey! You've made an offer I couldn't possibly refuse, though I can't promise to comply with all the tagging regulations as stipulated - but neither did you so that's ok.

But Why? said...

Signs,
I'm assuming a hyphenated word counts only once, so for a first draft I suggest: Pre-travelled poet sees trees in woods.

But Why? said...

Trousers,
Thanks. I'm impressed you found something to comment on - six words doesn't leave much scope for reply, does it?

I'd happily write your bio, but I see you've got there already, and frankly, ghost-writing someone's bio without doing the interviews with them first is a little bit hairy (if also like most of the job specs that seem to be around atm...)

DAB said...

I challenge you! TF

But Why? said...

TF,
Harsh. Very Harsh. But you are not Anon, and I did offer (mehr fool mich), so may I suggest: Born, developed humour, ages with smiles.

Kahless said...

Great choice of words for your bio.

And fantastic offer, thanks ...

DJ tagged me too and I havent the foggiest what to write, so hey, could you write it for me please?

Phew.

Kahless said...

Oh and are you 28 or 18+28?

Though I reckon you wont still be rowing with such vigor at 46!

But Why? said...

Kahless,
Thanks. You're welcome. May I suggest: Despite family, Warrior turning out well.

I guess I can now add "Ghostwrting biographies" to my CV...

P.S. 28. I'm hoping to hold off being 46 for a few years yet. About 18, in fact....

Kahless said...

Outstanding - thank-you.

Reading the Signs said...

Er - um, pre-travelled is interesting. What does it mean? I do see trees in woods though, yes. That's very true. Spot on, B-W.

But Why? said...

Signs,
I'm open to interpretation.What would you like it to mean?

Reading the Signs said...

Been there done that got the T shirt, I suppose. I haven't but so what, really, I could do with borrowing a bit of shine. Only pre-travelled (or pre-anything, come to think of it) doesn't sound very, you know - glamorous.

But Why? said...

Signs,
I was aiming at the displaced person fleeing persecution family background (which doesn't neatly condense down into a single word), but I'm more than open to interpretation/changes of storyline/words, etc.

DJ Kirkby said...

Tsk, tsk, helping Kahless write hers...I am afraid that means she is pulling ahead in the deity-ness. I liked it though, well done, wish I could have asked you to write one for me. I liked yours too but had to keep counting it as it appears to be more than 6 words but isn't...?! Hope you are on the mend.

Reading the Signs said...

Ah - displaced - that definitely rings bells, I could go with that. I do, in fact, go with that. Thank you.

But Why? said...

Signs,
My pleasure. Any time you need a ghost writer... (Methinks my labours are not required.)

Fire Byrd said...

don't know whether I like your words or trousers comment best. I would let you ghost write for me but I think it would involve ears so probably best left!!
pxx

But Why? said...

Pixie,
I'm sure somewhere along the journey to writing your bio, my ears would have gone a deep shape of crimson. Do feel free to pickup the tag yourself - I'd love to see your bio up on your blog!

But Why? said...

DJ,
I somehow missed you there(!) I think perhaps the hyphenated "twenty-eight" makes it sound longer than it is. I do keep checking it, but each tmie it still seems to be the regulation six words.

I am much recovered, and considering how much of the doc's advice ("not to do anything strenuous for two weeks") I can live with, particularly as I have a couple of races this weekend(!)

DJ Kirkby said...

Hmpf...I am working up to a full blown nag session here (not a pretty sight) if a dr tell you to rest, you REST! Dr's are sually teling people to exercise more. Listen. To. Your. Doctor!

But Why? said...

DJ,
I did listen to the doctor - she told me I should stay away from raw turnips and have potatoes and toast but not fried. (I'm finding it a lot easier to stay away from the fried toast than I am to contemplate not racing this weekend.) Ultimately, I'm going to listen to my body and make a decision tomorrow.

titration said...

Please please can I have a bio too??? Even though you don't realllllly know me or anything? :)

But Why? said...

Titration,
OK, I have a first draft. How about: Travelling to love through virgin territory.

Your thoughts?

titration said...

I love it... totally feels like that. :) Although the territory... (well let's just say it's no longer all that virginal). Just can't blog about it.

Thanks. Good stuff.

But Why? said...

Titration,
Congratulations & I hope everything continues to go well!

Badger said...

Can I have one?
Badger x

But Why? said...

Badger,
Ah, now, you see, I think strictly speaking, biographies and memoirs are only ever written by/about people, and you are most definitely a badger...

Playing for time... Badger is a tricky one...

Then I thought about David Attenborough's quite fabulous Private Life of Plants, and realised that, whilst not six words and not exactly a bio either, if a non-sentient life form could have such fabulous desciptions of their lives, then a sentient Badger must surely be bio-able.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the essence of the "Wow!" tic in just six words. You, however, manage it in one. How is that...?

With that in mind, I offer: Picture perfect: Badger, set in Yorkshire.

P.S. I have independently come to the conclusion (following an extended geek-moment search) that no-one in webland has a definitive history of the usage of badger sett vs badger set. You'll just have to allow for a bit of creative licence.

Anna MR said...

Hei But Mutta, this is my take two on Firefox, as Safari is somehow fucked and doesn't have the publish button down there at all. Anyway, please pretty please write my bio and I promise I'll make a post of it forthwith.

It's been a while, as you may have noticed, but I'm super pleased to see the House of Why? is still its fine self.

But Why? said...

Anna,
Of course you may have a bio - hopefully tomorrow when my brain has defrosted from its post-rowing-in-the-rain hiatus in function.

Lovely to see you here, and it makes me so glad I tidied up earlier, just before you swung by. How fortuitous(!)

But Why? said...

Anna,
Challenging life requires longer to understand.

(That's my excuse for why I haven't yet posted anything resembling a bio.)

Sigh. And I have to work tomorrow, despite it being a public holiday. I will put my brain to work on it whilst commuting.

Anna MR said...

Sweet But Mutta, how I relish the thought of you sweating over a hot keyboard over my bio. Yesyesyes, it's unfortunate you've had to work on Spring Bank Holiday Monday (isn't this what you quaint English call most of your public holidays - Christmas soon to be known as December Bank Holiday Monday, cetra?), and I sympathise with your post-rowing hiatus too (have some cocoa, girl) - but I'm sorry, the idea of you slaving away, chewing nervously at the end of your keyboard is a delight. Obviously, I think what you've come up with here ("Challenging life requires longer to understand") is already a bit of a gem, but I am not letting you off that easily, since you yourself were silly enough to claim that just as a place-holder excuse sentence. Ha.

Anyway, keep up the good work, my dear, and never for a moment think my eye is off you.

But Why? said...

Anna,
As luck would have it, inspiration has struck. Yes. I have it. It was there all along, staring me in the face, between the eyes where my concentration is most intense, but I had yet to realise it.

With only the slightest sleight of hand, therefore, I offer you the following precis of your life:

A small number of large experiences.

Ta-daa!

Anna MR said...

Dearest Butkins, Mutta Supreme, I am delighted (and wheezy, having laughed quite heartily with my ailing lungs). Delighted.

I shall put up a post latest tomorrow. Were there any other rules? Not to worry, you bent them all as it was. I shall challenge the rest of them to reply in six words only, no matter what they say. Or something. Thank you very heartily, But, you are a total star. Hemingway is currently blushing, I am sure, over his by comparison totally second-rate effort with the baby shoes cetra (quite an achievement, though, blushing, in his condition, so the old man shouldn't feel too much of a failure, really, all things considered).

You, however, should feel like a star. Yes.

But Why? said...

Anna,
You really are most welcome, even if you did enjoy a little too much the prospect of my sweating day and night over a keyboard for want of six little words.

Six words? I've never found six words so difficult in my life. I think Hemingway can stand on a nearly equal footing, though - his baby shoes had such a thick, lingering pain about them. Six very beautiful words they were.

(And you may have to forgive me if I respond to your post in more words than six. I am all six-worded out, as I'm sure you'll appreciate.)

Anna MR said...

Why Dr Why?, my dearest Mutta, I would have thought that speaking-in-sixes would come to you like second nature now. But yesyes, you may come and go and say what you like how you like, in exchange for my lovely bio. Truly, I couldn't have put my life in such a succinct and six-worded way if I had had all of eternity to spend over it.

Anyway, you'll find that I have cheated (as is my wont) and have posted the post and tagged everybody who reads it, but what I've tagged them with I've left for them to decide for themselves. I hope this gets interesting. Feel most free to pick the tag up too.

And thank you, once again.