This round of A Round of Words in 80 Days runs from January 7th to March 28th. Here are my goals for this round, all involving YA manuscripts. Abbreviations are used for the titles. This week there are no updates since the round just started. Today I'm only stating my goals.
A) Revise and edit EK, a manuscript my beta readers gave me feedback on right before the round.
B) Revise M, a draft I wrote during the summer.
C) Revise and edit VD. I went through one phase of revisions during the last round. For this round I'd like to polish the manuscript before sending it to beta readers.
Now it's time for the Beginnings Blogfest. Participants write about a beginning that's important to them—it could be the beginning of one's blog, career, life, anything.Thanks for hosting this, L.G.
This blog dates back to 2009, but I had two blogs before that. Early in the millennium I became interested in the idea of an online journal and interacting with others on it. My first blog was on Yahoo 360. I would read other people’s blogs, and there were some fantastic ones on 360, but mine was getting no traffic. I switched it from public to private several times. I liked the look of it and what I posted, but I had mixed feelings about online strangers reading it. Also, my posts were infrequent. My second blog was on Blogger and didn’t last long. I posted about books, but I don’t think anyone was reading it, so again I was blogging for myself without an audience. Then I decided I really wanted to put myself out there, so I started this blog and slowly increased my posts. I went from one or two posts a month to a post a week, and now I typically post three times a week. I learned to share my blog links and visit other people’s blogs…if you want visits and comments, you have to reciprocate. I’ve learned so many things from fellow bloggers about books, writing, promotions, and life in general. They've been kind by offering me spots for interviews and guest posts, as well as praising my debut novel. Also, I’ve even met bloggers in real life at conferences. A bumpy beginning led to these fantastic experiences.
40 comments:
I've started blogs before that didn't work out. It seems pretty common. The first comment I ever got on the first blog I started was so negative I chickened out and quit.
Thanks for joining in on my blogfest!
I also had blogs that were unsuccessful in the past. It's so true that if you want people to interact with you, you really have to put yourself out there and get to know people. You can't just wait for them to come to you. :D
It's awesome how blogging has evolved over the years. Who knew it would become such a big thing? Love your blog and glad you stuck with it to make this one!
I think that's the lucky bit for me. My first ever blog was MFB.
:-D
Glad you didn't give up on blogging. Took me a while to figure out the following and commenting thing. But I've learned so much since then!
Yes, I think blogging about three times a week is a good schedule. You don't have to blog every day. Happy 2013!
M, I loved reading about your blogging beginnings. It is a comfort to see similarities of feeling in the path of another.
Use Your Words... was my first blog and I'm happy with it. But I know it has only worked because I got lucky enough to stumble into the best community with people like you! And Cassie Mae. She was like a bloggy guardian angel giving advice to a dorky little newbie.
What a fun blogfest. It's cool to learn other other people got into this blogging thing. My blogging about writing started out on my personal blog until I realized most of what I was posting was about writing. So I created a blog for it. My poor, almost abandoned, personal blog. lol
It took me some time to figure out the following and commenting thing with blogging too. I don't know if I would have even got my blog off the ground if I hadn't signed up for the A-Z challenge. That really changed everything for me.
Interesting to read about your beginnings! :)
I am still running strong on my first blog, but I have had others die on the vine.
I have to say I LOVE the title of your book. It always makes me smile when I see it.
--
Tim Brannan
The Other Side
The Freedom of Nonbelief
I had a number of websites over the years, none of them as popular as my old Angelfire site. I think I'm mostly over having the entire site deleted by that pre-Vatican II wingnut's sycophantic friends. I was able to save a lot of the things I wrote for it over the years and have moved on to a new blog, while that pathological woman and her yes-women friends are probably still living in the past.
You are doing so well on your blog now. It is a learning experience!
And visiting other bloggers has taught me so much already, I'm getting addicted. :)
And today you have over 700 followers. Isn't that just too kewl! Bravo, Medeia!
I stumbled into blogging without a clue! But I soon stumbled onto a few other writing blogs and learned the same things - it's a lot of fun!
I think most of us had bumpy starts. I had a blog with a few other bloggers, but it got to be too much managing my main one and blogging on the other one. We ended up dropping the blog when one writer moved to erotica (she has since stopped publishing it) and the other two of us were writing YA. The two just didn't go together. lol
I think we all had bumpy beginnings. Thanks for sharing!
"…if you want visits and comments, you have to reciprocate."
So true! Popping in from the blogfest - great post!
I can relate to your story very much. My blogging journey started the same way.
It's helpful to read these kinds of stories from people who have been able to build a good readership. After a 6-month break, I moved my blog to be completely anonymous at the end of September, and I've been surprised at how difficult it's been to rebuild an audience.
Sometimes I feel really discouraged, but I'm meeting great people and it's more about quality than quantity - I want to make real connections, not just collect a bunch of names who never interact with me. Hearing about your repeated beginnings was so encouraging - thank you!
Visiting from L.G.'s blogfest.
It's so true that you have to go out and interact with bloggers if you want them to visit your place... it's definitely a give-and-take... and a great learning experience too!
Thanks for sharing your story! I do think giving back in the blogging world is the best way to get yourself out there, and you get to learn so much and have a lot of fun experiences!! :)
I started my blog in 2007 and I'm still learning and doing new things.
-Lauren
Hi Medeia!
I can relate to you. I also met some fellow bloggers and it is like meeting a lifelong friend!
Your posts are always so inspiring and upbeat! I love visiting your blog.
I too had a previous blog, on myspace, where I basically cut my teeth! :)
Blogs are such a great way to meet a lot of interesting people, especially for writers, but I'd never want to manage more than one of my own. They're a lot of work.
This is my first blog, so luckily I didn't chicken out:)
Yeah, you rally have to put yourself out there for it to work. Great hearing how you starting. I'm impressed by how long you've been blogging.
That's a lot of revision, Medeia. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I do. I think revision is really fun, but I know a lot of people don't enjoy it. I hope it all goes smoothly for you.
One must reciprocate, therefore, consider this comment reciprocated.
The notion of putting oneself 'out there' sits rather uneasily with a reserved Brit like me. However, the most successful bloggers are those that do make their blogging as much about their interests as about their own life and personality.
Blogging is a serious pursuit for some, while for others it's merely a way to pass on thoughts and opinions. I only started blogging because I spent a lot of money on a new computer and felt I needed to justify the costs by doing something constructive. The blog was born and has struggled along ever since.
I don't remember Yahoo 360. hmm....
I love your blog.
Aren't you glad you stuck with it? Obviously, you've found a winning formula with this blog, because you have a boatload of followers, and what's even more important, good interaction. No matter what prompts us to start that first blog, those of us who stick with it have the bonus of meeting an incredible community of people.
blog beginnings are always interesting. Especially when you're getting the first followers....
Good luck with your ROW goals!
It sounds a lot like how I started blogging. I didn't blog much, and I didn't comment on other people's blogs much. I switched to different blog servers too. Blogging is definitely a learning curve, I think. :)
I completely agree that the key to getting blog traffic is BEING blog traffic. We have to participate in others' communities. BTW, thanks for being a part of mine. :)
I like this. How do u become part of this blogfest? My first blog was reflections on life then I decided to dedicat a blog to writing which is how Writing Like Crazy was born. Maybe I will join u in this blogfest. :)
Best of luck with your new set of goals.
I'm still not 100% convinced this blogging thing is for me, but I've REALLY enjoyed meeting awesome people like you because of it. I'm glad you stuck with it.
Good luck with this.
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
I remember Yahoo 360. I tried starting a website on there but quickly gave up because it was too rigid.
I'm glad you didn't give up on blogging though because I wouldn't have met you.
PS: you won the January Trivia on my blog. :)
~Akoss
Thanks for stopping by, everyone. I'm glad to see similar experiences and that we all stuck with blogging.
I had a good feeling, Akoss.
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