Akron Life February 2023

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[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Yada Yada

Here’s how I overcome writer’s block and embrace the “Seinfeld” mentality.

Writing can be challenging. Whenever I struggle to think of what to write about for this column, I often think of my late dad, Don Baker Jr., who wrote a column for Akron Life as well as various other magazines for well over 40 years. He said to me, Resist writing the monthly column, because once you start, it never stops. Yet here I am. I have always sat on the business side of the table and gladly let others write the stories. It’s not that I don’t have a lot to say — I do, but I struggle to reach the word counts. Sometimes I think I have plenty to say on the topic, and then I look down at the word count just to see that it was only a 50-word thought. When my dad was writing the publisher’s page, I would often get on him about being late and coming in with his column minutes before we went to press. He is probably looking down at me laughing because my deadline for this article was a couple of days before I turned it in. Now I know how he must have felt at that time. It’s one thing to start writing because you are inspired and totally another if you aren’t inspired at all. Most of the time I have an idea or a theme in mind, and I just throw it all down on paper. Later I look at it — sometimes I keep it, and sometimes

I start over. But throwing it all down on paper is the problem this month. This isn’t the first time I have started a column about nothing. I have several drafts in my folder about nothing. The truth is, I have a few topics in my back pocket that I have felt I could use if I am ever in a jam, and the topic about noth ing is one of them. If you are a “Seinfeld” fan, then you are probably familiar with them discussing a “show about nothing.”

During “The Pitch” episode, Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza pitched a TV execu tive on a sitcom about nothing. The dilemma I am having now is whether this is a good time to use this theme about nothing. I’m wondering, Is this a good time to pull the get-out-of-jail free card? I guess it’s as good a time as any. I am extremely busy with lots of new and exciting projects we are working on for Akron Life and Baker Media Group overall. Stay tuned.

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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