Sisterhood Blogger Award

A huge thanks goes to Joy of Tales from Eneana for nominating me for this award! If you like fantasy, you should check out her site which has all kinds of fantasy stories which take place in Eneana. Besides having really great stories, Joy is a really sweet person and an excellent NaNoWriMo buddy. 🙂 So, go visit her blog.

Without further ado, here are Joy’s questions to me.

 

1. What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? Or put another way, what are you hoping others will get out of it, or that you will get out of it?

I started my blog so I would have a place to share the stories I wrote. Or the stories I was going to write, since I didn’t have any at the time. I guess I was also hoping it would be my motivation to write, which it was. At least once a week, I had to write something. So it kept writing at the front of my mind and didn’t let me shrug it off and put it on that list of “things I’ll do someday.”

I was originally going to post only fiction, but realized that it was so much more fun to have different things going on, so I branched out and started Operation Inspiration and Just Chatting. These post gave readers a chance to see the person behind the stories, and it gave me a chance to share some things that inspire me to write and hear from readers.

What I’m I hoping others will get out of it? I want others to feel what I feel when I’m reading a good book–that thrill I get when I’m in a the midst of a good story. I love escaping to new worlds and exciting adventures, and I want to provide that for others.

 

2.  How do you deal with the inevitable frustrations of blogging, like posting something you worked really hard on and getting little response? (It’s okay to admit if crying is involved; we’d understand.)

I try not to dwell on how many likes or comments a post gets, but lets be honest. It’s hard to do! After spending hours looking for the right topic, the right words, the perfect meme–no one comes around to appreciate my genius.

When I finally finish all that hard work, I sit back, and I’m like…

This post will bring the masses to me. Finally, my brilliance will be appreciated!

And then my soul is crushed by the lack of likes and comments on my glorious post, and I decide I will never write again. (Take that all you soul-crushing people of the internet!)

Of course, this is a very immature response, and I try very hard to be mature, so I keep on writing and remind myself that just because a post didn’t get a lot of attention doesn’t mean that it was bad. It could have just been posted at the wrong time of day, or on the wrong day, or maybe the tags could have been better chosen. Or maybe the little trolls that live in internet land took my post, crumpled it up, and threw it to a dead internet space like Myspace so no one would find it.

Just because a post doesn’t get swarmed with love doesn’t mean I’m an awful writer and should stop torturing people with my horrifically written words. The internet is weird. Some posts take off and some don’t.

Even if no one sees them, my posts are still glorious.

 

3. What is one way that someone has been especially supportive about your blog and/or your writing more generally?

After all the drama of my last answer, it will come as no surprise to you that likes and comments are extremely supportive. I mean, I know my posts are a genius’s brilliant burst of gloriousness (try saying that five times, fast) but it never hurts to be reminded.

All kidding aside, comments are probably the number one thing that keeps me going. I love knowing what people thought of my post or short story and how it affected them. Knowing I’ve got someone thinking, or inspired them to keep blogging, or even if I’ve just made them laugh, is the best feeling there is. 🙂

 

4. What is one thing you wish you had known when you first started your blog?

Blogs should come with a warning that pops up on your screen the moment you start to sign up.

Warning: your life will never be the same after this. From now on, after every piece of writing you do, your first thought will be, “Would this make a good blog post?” and if it doesn’t your next thought will be, “How can I make this into a blog post?” You’ll never be able to enjoy a weekend again because all you can think about is the post you should be working on. And if you’ve already posted? You still can’t enjoy you’re weekend because you will spend it all hitting the refresh button to see how many views said post has received. Sites like Facebook and Twitter will become a distant memory as you will spend all of your time online reading and commenting on other blogs, so when your friends are all talking about the latest cat video you will have no idea what they are talking about and feel completely socially isolated. Which only leads you to read more blogs, because you are quite popular in the blogging world. In short, blogging will overtake you life leaving you addicted to its satisfying little subject tags, its wonderful commenters, and that amazing feeling you get when you click the publish button. If you want to  avoid this fate, turn back now.

Yep, that’s all I have to say about that.

5. How do you find or make or schedule time to write for your blog? How well is that working for you?

Didn’t you just hear me? I’m addicted to blogging! Addicts don’t have to schedule time for their addiction.

Ok, so while blogging can be addicting, there are times when I don’t feel like writing a post. If I don’t feel like writing a post, I don’t.

I know, I know. This goes against everything you’ve ever read about being a successful blogger or writer, but this works for me. Blogging is something I do for fun. I want to enjoy what I’m writing so that enthusiasm can bleed into my post and out to the people that read it. This doesn’t mean that I won’t make myself write sometimes. My only rule for myself is to post at least once a week. It’s just enough stability to keep me from forgetting about blogging without making me feel overwhelmed or stressed to put out posts. I’ve noticed I work better with lenient rules. I feel freer that way, and I’ll actually do more than what I’ve set for myself. Most of the time, I post twice a week because I like doing more than what’s expected. It’s like getting bonus points on a test. 🙂

 

6. Everyone procrastinates at least once in a while. What’s a guilty pleasure that you indulge in when you’re supposed to be working?

Reading. I can’t get enough books! Or maybe eating brownies and ice cream. Can’t get enough of that either.

7

. What do you like to do when you’re not working or writing? Do any of your hobbies, or your occupation, feed back into your writing?

I read a lot of fiction, which feeds back into my writing. I also read a lot of online articles about writing or watch YouTube videos on writing.

I work in an herb shop, so my job has nothing to do with writing. Though, all this knowledge of herbs I’m gaining would be really useful in making an interesting fantasy character.

See, writers make everything point back to writing. 😉

 

8. Which holiday or celebration (annual or otherwise) in the country where you live do you enjoy the most?

Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. I love seeing all the decorations in people’s yards and the lights on their houses. I love decorating the Christmas tree. I love the food.  Love the presents. I just love Christmas!

 

9. Since I love food, I have to include it here: Tell us a story about one of your favorite foods, like a special time that you made it, or when you first had it, or just describe what you love about it.

I can’t think of a story that has to do with my favorite foods, so I’ll just list some of my favorites. I love burgers and fries, Mexican, Chinese, and stake.

 

10. Tell us a story about someone who told you (or implied) that you couldn’t do something because you were a girl/woman, and how you responded.

I’m coming up blank for this one. There must have been some time that someone implied that I couldn’t do something because I was a girl, but I can’t think of one. Maybe I was so damaged be the insult that I blocked it out of my memory. 🙂

 

Nominees

Since the rules say I can nominate any number of people, I’m nominating all of you. 🙂 Any girl or woman reading this who would like to join in on the fun can. Just be sure to leave a link to your post so I can read your answers.

Here’s your lovely award!

 

Rules

• Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
• Answer the 10 questions given to you.
• Pass the award on to ‘N’ (as many as you want) other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
• Give your nominees 10 of your own questions to answer.
• Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog.

 

My questions

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

2. What do you like to do when you’re not working or writing? Do any of your hobbies, or your occupation, feed back into your writing?

3. Where is your favorite place in the world you’ve been, and what’s so special about it?

4. What do you enjoy most in other people’s blogs or social media feeds (and what advice would you offer on how to make a blog more successful)?

5. Any favorite travel or inspirational quotes?

6. Who will play you in a movie about your life?

7. Where are three places you want to visit?

8. What do you want to be in an alternate universe?

9. If you could only watch one children’s program for the rest of your life what would it be?

10. What motivates you to write routinely on your blog?