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I had a most notably arduous time deciding on a topic this week, and so that itself has become the topic. Actually, the last few weeks seem to have brought progressively more difficulty in my ability to focus on writing a story.

I attribute this to two main factors.

First, there is material. There are endless possibilities for what content fills this space, but what could be of possible interest to those who might˙find˙this page. Nothing much has changed in my life or my environment which I would characterize as interesting. Same old same old. I have frequently said that whenever something bad happens to you, at least you've got a good story. I guess that by this paradigm my life is pretty good then right now. Last week's story about the Packers, as well as the intense coverage they got nationally proves that there are also good stories in the good things that happen. By this paradigm, my life could be better.

The other factor affecting my indecision is that I still have not identified my audience. At first I didn't care but it has become increasingly difficult to write without knowing who may read this and what their reaction may be. In the beginning I wrote for myself, then The Netly News. Now I write for myself elsewhere, and Netly does not seem interested in anything beyond that one story for which I still have yet to receive payment. But the task of defining an audience on the World Wide Web is not mine alone, and at least I don't have millions of dollars riding on my immediate decisions. On the internet the audience is everyone ... anyone ... or maybe no one.

Should I just regurgitate what I read in the news? This would certainly make the task easier and I wouldn't have to look very far -- but what would that accomplish? Besides, there are enough people doing it already.

Should I be controversial? This would probably get me a few more hits, and I'm not afraid to speak my mind so controversy is not out of the question. But I don't want to go looking for it; there's just nothing I feel strongly enough one way or the other about to directly pledge myself to a crusade.

Most prominent on my mind these days is of course my career. In considering the subject of work however, I feel much trepidation over the ambiguity of just where it is that the line is crossed from the simple recording of ones experiences, to where it can be considered the illegal dissemination of information. This is why when I speak of work it is intentionally vague.

It may just be a matter of biding my time until I free myself of the prison which my job has become and can go out again in the light of day to rejoin the real world. The simple act of mingling would help immensely towards defining an audience, assuming of course that I mingle with a possible audience, in person, face to face. This would break me out of the digital world, and I would no longer be limited to new media..

So, what it comes down to is that I am experiencing I think, for the first time, what may be a form of "writer's block." Or possibly just a bad case of indecision. I've got a lot of little stories running around in my head any one of which could be fodder for this column, but I can't seem to just decide on something and focus on it. Either something happening in my life to make it important to me to express a point, whether good or bad, or some indication from my yet to be identified audience that a given topic would be of interest to them. Some catalyst is needed to set me on a particular course.

Maybe this whole idea of self-publishing a column is a bad idea. Perhaps I am just losing interest in writing. What if I'm just not cut out for it?

I am still most intent on continuing with this publication.

Only time will tell what the topic will be for the future holds no bounds. Return next week to see what -- if anything -- will grab my attention as the week to come unfolds.