I've been absent since my last post because I've been
struggling. Struggling with what to write about on this blog. You know, I've
been blogging on and off since 2006. I originally started a blog because I was
being tormented by my college roommates and wanted an outlet. It turned into a
gossip blog and I had a great time logging in every day to update my fellow
bloggy friends. It was also very therapeutic. I found my voice and a 'niche' before I even knew what that meant without
realizing it.
When I first decided that I was going to take my writing
seriously, I began to research. Everyone said that authors (especially
indie/self-published authors) should have a blog. But no one could really
answer the question of what to blog about. "Find your niche," they
said. "Be unique." But what did that
mean?
For the last week, I've been looking at my 'to-do' list, my
eyes skittering past the Add a post on
blog in shame. My mind was blank. Because I'm new, I don't have a ton of stuff to say about the world of self-publishing.
And I definitely don't have a lot to say about the mechanics of writing. I'm
not formally educated enough to explain to you the structure of a sentence.
I write because I
love to tell a story that the common person can understand and enjoy.
While still researching on what to blog about, I came across
a guest post on Jane Friedman's blog entitled 'It’s Time for (Many) Experienced Writers to Stop Blogging'. The post was
engaging, but the comments were even more captivating. I encourage you guys to check it out.
As I read, I realized that I didn't want to blog solely
about how to be a better writer from a mechanical standpoint or how to get a
book published. Are these things important to me? Yep. Are they all that I have
to offer? Nope.
I have a new puppy. And a new husband. And coincidentally a
new car. I work a job in the entertainment industry full of wonderful yet
quirky people. What I'm trying to say is I have a LIFE. A life that I
constantly drawn upon for my writing. So
why can't I do the same for blogging?
From this point
forward, I give myself permission to write about anything I want on my
'author's blog'.
And I encourage all you newbie writers out there to do the
same.
I'm so glad I found your post because I can relate. I'm new to blogging and the whole self publishing thing - In fact, I find all of this quite mind numbing. When I started writing my novel, I looked forward to sitting down in front of my computer and checking in with my characters. Now that I'm finished and in the process of publishing, I find I spend too much time offering writing tips in a virtual sea of tips and not enough time on the sequel. Holy Cow! It seems as though the work involved in self publishing can suck the joy right out of the creative process. Thanks for letting me vent! And I think I'll take some of your advise and maybe bring my life to my blog.
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