Memes

Memes are these sometimes cute, generally informational and (to me) rather annoying little lists that are passed from blogger to blogger. They entice you to fill them out and post the results, thereby sharing a little of yourself with readers.

And now a paragraph or three from Wikipedia.

The term "meme" refers to any unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea or concept, which one mind transmits (verbally or by repeated action) to another mind. Examples might include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, songs, dances and moods in addition to concepts such as race. Different definitions of meme generally agree, very roughly, that a meme consists of some sort of a self-propagating unit of cultural evolution having a resemblance to the gene (the unit of genetics).

As memes include all or most discrete pieces of information about which we think, incorporating new memes can alter one's perceptions. Memes in themselves appear morally neutral; not necessarily good nor bad. However the application of memes can have implications, which may result in either positive or negative results.

Memes have, as their fundamental property, evolution via natural selection in a way very similar to Charles Darwin's ideas concerning biological evolution, on the premise that replication, mutation, survival and competition influence them. For example, while one idea may become extinct, others will survive, spread and mutate — for better or for worse — through modification. Note an important fact, however: not only the memes most beneficial to their hosts will necessarily survive; rather, memes that are the most effective replicators spread best, which allows for the possibility that successful memes might prove detrimental to their hosts.

Why am I whining about memes?

Because I hereby pass on doing the latest one to hit my mailbox--"10 Things I have Learned About Writing". I pass because why I have certainly learned at least thirty things that will improve my writing, not annoy agents and/or publishers when querying and how to gain readers the nice way after publication, I don't think I'm in a position to share them just yet.

As a technically unpublished novelist (though I've published articles and short stories, I want to be a novelist and call myself unpublished as a near-miss with a vanity scammer does NOT count), I think there are far better lists from successful authors whose memes should be read, memorized and hung above desks. I have also linked to a few others.

Plus I'm lazy and I want to save it for a neat post when everyone has forgotten about the meme. Oops. Oh well. My master plan is under the shed in my back yard. The password is "Prince Albert".