Happy 4th Birthday Invisible World!

It’s been four years since I’ve started Invisible World, and while in some ways it seems like I’ve always been blogging, I can’t believe that I’ve been at it for that many years. It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when I hit “publish” on that first post and eagerly awaited my first like. I still remember the excitement when a small group of friends seemed to sprout out of no where. With their kind words and dedicated support of those first few short stories I posted, they not only planted the seeds for a successful blog, but they gave me the encouragement I needed to take writing seriously.

I might have some small talent, but I knew I had a lot to learn, and I owed it to my readers (however few they might be) to hone my craft and present them with better material. I read books, found articles on Pinterest, and listening to podcasts. I realized that storytelling wasn’t just something I was trying out, but it was something I LOVED to do.

As the years went by, the blog evolved. The short stories I posted get better (I hope ;)) and I even did a thirty-something chapter story with you all (which is now a book in its fourth draft!). If you would have told me four years ago that I would write a book, I would have rolled my eyes and asked what kind of drugs you were on. 😛

But all of your support has encouraged me every step of the way.

So, instead of listing Invisible World’s stats or featuring my favorite post of the year, I’d like to say thank you to a few wonderful people who have made Invisible World a better place. More than that, they have made me a better writer.

A special thanks to…

Christopher from clcouch123 for your encouraging and insightful comments. You never fail to have something thoughtful to say to add to the discussion. There seems to always be some interesting tidbit you share (like the “characternym” 😉 ). And you are always super encouraging and make me feel way smarter than I actually am. Not to mention, you don’t mind my jokes about the dark side and cookies and my terrible Yoda-phrased sentences. 😀

 

Mayur from itsmayurremember for your enthusiasm for my stories. Your comments never fail to make me feel like a real writer and not just a girl with a big imagination scribbling down a bunch of stuff and hoping that it turns into a cohesive story. You remind me to never give up.

 

K. A. Parker for your friendship. We’ve been around the blogging community for a bit and it’s nice to have someone to share the ups and downs with (and to tag me in twitter #AboutMyWork games that I take forever to do 😉 ).

 

Joy Pixley from Tales from Eneana for your support both inside and outside the blogging realm. Not only are you a constant support for my blog, but you and I have been through quite a few NaNos and Camp NaNos together. It was so wonderful to be able to talk with someone who understood what it was like to feel overwhelmed at the amount of words we needed to write, or what it was like to sneak off  on Thanksgiving Day to cram in a few extra words. And it was great to have someone to celebrate with at the end of it all, because only a fellow NaNoWriMo participant can ever truly understand what that’s like. I always looked forward to seeing your name in my inbox. 🙂

 

 

Jeyna Grace for being the very first commenter on my blog. Though I’m sure you don’t remember, I always will. It was so exciting to find that someone actually read my stuff and took the time to comment in those early days. 😀

 

booksandbark for being one of my first blogging friends. I remember thinking how adorable your blog was and hoping one day mine would look as cute (though I don’t think I ever reached that goal :D).

 

Nandini Bharadwaj from Unputdownable Books for being my twin from across the world. You’ve been an amazing friend from the moment you offered to proofread the chapters of The Hashna Stone that I posted (Can you believe that was two years ago?) to the moment we found out that we both loved LOTR GIFs and were obsessed with Myers Briggs personality tests. As much as we’re alike, you are sooo much better at proofreading than I am. 😀 You’re super smart, and I can only hope that your intelligence will rub off on me. 😉

 

Jessica from Jes2G  for sticking with me for so long. You’ve been around for awhile, but somehow you aren’t tired of me yet. You’re either just as crazy as I am, or you have no other friends. 😛 (Just kidding everyone…her blog is super popular and she probably has more readers than I do :D) I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog…was it two or three years ago? *shrug* We became instant friends, and now I’ll always have someone to talk with about the woes of the creative process and our crazy characters.

 

A blog is more than just one person putting out a post every week. It’s a community where people can come together to discuss things that they are passionate about. A group of friends supporting each other and encouraging each other to follow their dreams.

I’m so thankful for all of you that have been with me, whether it’s been a few years or a few weeks. I appreciate all of your comments and words of encouragement. Invisible World wouldn’t be the same without all of you. And neither would I.

Thank you Epic Dreamers!