Two years ago No Script For Life.com ran a special three-part look at grudges and personal feuds. At the time, it was this website’s – this writer’s – most ambitious project to date. It was a big success for the site, and caused traffic to noticeably go up. Since then, the project has been available to view via the archive section of the site (typos and all!) and still receives attention. So, it felt like now was a good time to revisit that series and examine it a little.
The main core of the three-part series was a two-part piece titled The Total Asshole’s Guide To Holding A Grudge, an ambitious and cynical look at holding a grudge – from the grudge holder’s perspective.
The Total Asshole’s Guide…was not meant as a serious guide to help somebody maintain a feud but to uncover the selfish truths that often lay at the heart of grudges, an attempt to explore the spurious morality of grudges, and, perhaps, poke fun at them a little too.
As the author, returning to The Total Asshole’s Guide… after three years, the piece seems to be a little unfocused as a whole. It is as if the core notion at its heart got a little lost. I fear it reads as if I am advocating grudges and supporting those that hold them.
If I was presenting that three-part feature now, there are many things I would do differently. Having something like this, a few paragraphs explaining that I was not being one hundred percent serious would certainly be included.
The third and final part of the ‘Grudge’ series was a poem written for the occasion. ‘Resent Resentment’ was an attempt to create a little equilibrium. After looking at things from the grudge holder’s perspective, the poem sought to shine light on what it is like for someone to have a grudge held against them. ‘Resent Resentment’ attracted more attention that the main two part ‘guide’ and remains one of the most viewed pages on the website.
A fourth ‘epilogue’ post was created to explore any hitherto lose ends. This piece, entitled ‘Don’t Let Malice Survive You’, was perhaps the most candid this writer had been up to that point.
Now, it is possible to re-evaluate the ‘grudge’ series and ask if it achieved what I wanted it to. I wanted to bring new visitors to the site, and present something different to the type of material I normally pot. From those perspectives, the series was indeed a great success, but looking at things from an artistic stand point, I fear the original intent got lost somewhere in the execution.
If you haven’t yet read The Total Asshole’s Guide… it is still available by clicking on the links above so you can form your opinions. You may disagree with my analysis, that whilst it is no doubt entertaining, it lacks overall focus. I suppose that’s why writers are always seeking feedback.
This picture was used as the featured image for the second part of my ‘Grudge series. I have been asked about the various grudges shown , so be sure to check back soon for a long-awaited explanation as to what each one means.
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