I'm coming out of thesis overdrive to sample the blogs (because let's face it, a non-stop diet of Virginia Woolf, no matter how amazing her work, can get depressing without something else to think about periodically). I surfed over to Allison Brennan's site and found this link to an article by Sarah Weinman about blogging. Great article! Check out her 8 tips to a successful blog.
I used to try to post every day, but I just can't manage it lately. Maybe I need to plan better, definitely post on certain days of the week. I like to take weekends off because I'm spending it with the hubby and I can never predict what we're going to be doing.
One of the things Sarah talks about are long-term goals. I don't think I have any. I started blogging as a way to reconnect with other writers and with the writing community. Several years ago, one of the best writers' communities anywhere was a bulletin board. It was on the GEnie network and was a meeting point for romance writers everywhere. The sense of community was amazing, and when it went the way of the dinosaur (individual web presences becoming de rigeur) I missed it very much. Starting a blog, and reading blogs by other writers, gives me that same sense of community I had on the RomEx. (And I get to connect regularly with at least one other writer who was a part of my intimate circle on RomEx, the fabulous Terry K. who blogs at I See Invisible People.)
Beyond that, I had no long term goal. I suppose I wanted a web presence because I was also looking ahead and thinking that when I sold my first novel I didn't want to have to learn how to do all this. I wanted it ready to go, the learning curve long since mastered.
I know I've asked before why you blog, but how about if I ask what your long-term goals are, if any, with the blog?
My long term goals for my blog are similiar to yours. I added a blog to my website in order to build a bigger web presence and to create something that would allow me to be interactive with visitors. I love that I’m getting some repeat readers and hope someday to be able to share my novels with them as well.
Also when the time comes that my first book (and second and third, etc) is published, I wanted people to be able to find info about me and my books quickly and easily. A few months ago, if you’d googled my name… you would have come up with lots of Susan Flemmings but none of them would be me. Now if you do a Google or MSN search, my site comes up first. On Yahoo, it fluctuates but my site is usually in the top 10.
I’m sure that one of the factors that contributes to keeping those ratings are that my site is constantly being updated as I post to my blog several times per week. As well… other bloggers have linked to my site… both in their blogrolls but also in posts. That helps to create a web presence too… but it also feels really good because along the way, I’m discovering an on-line community of fellow writers and readers.
I’m with you, Lynn. Blogging has become a community for me, like we had back in the RomEx days. I really miss that. Now I have people to chat with through comments on each other’s blogs. And I got to meet your friends Cynthia and Patricia, a very nice bonus. 🙂
I guess my long term goal is raising social consciences, though I haven’t done as much writing on that lately as I’d like, particularly on mental health issues. I started blogging in this format right after my bipolar diagnosis, when I was scared and confused and couldn’t find the kind of down to earth information I needed. As I got myself together, I decided I wanted to provide a 1st person account for any anonymous person out there who was searching the way I did. If it helps just one person, it’s worth it.
Plus, it keeps me writing every day. Long term, it’s helping me focus enough that I’ll be able to work on my novel again soon.
Long term goals for Cynthia:
1. write, write, and write again
2. Start a blog with fiction elements that caters to fiction and non-fiction writers to sharpen their writing techniques
3. publish poetry
4. write a novel
5. publish novel
6. do it again
and there you have it… my full list of long term blogging goals. 🙂
Thanks for all the comments, everyone!
Sue, I agree it’s good to learn it now and be prepared. And to create a presence. Trouble for me now is that I’m really leaning toward a pseudonym–LOL! Ah well, it’s been a blast and I like the community. And if I use a pseudonym, I’ll link to me. Ha!
Terry, I think you do a great job of making people think, even when they don’t agree with you (which I usually do, btw). 🙂 And I like that you plan to write your novels again. 🙂
Cyn, you don’t surprise me with your goals at all! You go, girl! I’m so glad you’re writing again. 🙂