Category: Blogging

A Return to Slow Blogging

Published on by Debbie Johansson4 Comments
Image courtesy Peter Olexa on Pixabay.

This year has been a tough one for many of us, myself included, although I have been more fortunate than others. As a result, my writing has pulled me in different directions and there have been times (including just recently) when I wondered if I should give it up completely. This also included blogging.

I have been blogging for eleven years (that’s some milestone right there!) and throughout that time, I have met some lovely people around the world, built up a small community, and continue even now, to get followers.

With other forms of social media (and people can sometimes forget that blogging is a form of social media), there is only so much that can be said. As a writer, blogging is a form of creative expression and outside of writing my stories, blogging gives me the freedom to express myself to others. I feel comfortable doing it and I enjoy it. So, in the end, I have decided to stick with it.

When I began blogging, I had set out to make it part of my writing journey. It helped me write to deadlines, focus on my topic, and meet other writers. Lately, I’ve been hearing that blogging is ‘dead’, but that has been said for many years now, and yet blogging continues. Without blogs, I would never have read articles that would help me with my craft and learn how to be an indie author. I would also never have known about online courses and seminars that I have learned so much from. Without blogging, I may never have progressed as far as I have done. Without blogging, I may never have had author interviews or receive book reviews. I owe blogging and the blogging community so much!

Having said that, for some time, I was against the idea of doing a newsletter. It sounded so much like blogging and would only be another thing to add to my ‘to do’ list. However, after learning more about newsletters, I have recently caved. I am currently working on creating a newsletter and plan to have my sign up form up and running in January 2021. I’ll keep you posted!

As a result, this blog will be an extension of the newsletter and vice versa. Also, I will be blogging less – about once a month, although there may be other posts appearing from time to time.

This is just another step in my writing journey. I hope you’ll come with me! 😉

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year. Let’s hope that 2021 has better things in store for all of us. Stay safe!

And don’t forget, First Christmas is available on Amazon. What’s a shameless plug between friends? 😉

What is Your Blog About?

Published on by Debbie Johansson4 Comments

Recently after writing an 80k novel, I needed to take a break. I took a step away from blogging and social media and have only recently begun to catch up on blog posts, etc. Upon doing so, one post by a blogger asking this particular question caught my attention. It made me question my own blog.

When I began blogging many years ago, it was to stretch myself as a writer both in terms of craft and productivity. As an isolated profession, it was also a great way of meeting other writers and bloggers. Initially my blog was to be about my writing journey and what I have learned along the way and it still is. It has also been about what interests me and my genre/s. After doing some blogging and social media courses with author Kristen Lamb (which I highly recommend), one thing she mentions really sticks out: – talk about the stuff you’d talk about to friends – that makes the blog fun!

As a result my blog may be a bit of a mixed bag, which some people may or may not like, but it represents me as a person as well as a writer. After all, these days in the world of the internet, isn’t that what people want to see? Yes, I’m a writer and I talk about writing, but I don’t want to be the all-writing-all-the-time channel. That can get boring pretty quickly and there are plenty of writing blogs out there already from people with far more experience than me.

Author Anne R Allen believes that blogging can jumpstart your writing career even before you publish, where we need to treat it like a magazine. So in answer to the question my blog is about writing, the paranormal, history, film & television, crime/mystery and anything else that may take my fancy. I think having a blog showing a wide range of interests can be less inhibiting than focusing on one particular niche, although at times it can make one easily distracted. 😉

Blogging, like other forms of social media should be something we enjoy doing, therefore it doesn’t become such a chore and it’s a great way to build a community.

So, what is your blog about? Do you focus on a particular niche or do you have a wide range of interests? How has your blog evolved over time?

Main image courtesy of Pixabay

Finding a Writing Community.

Published on by Debbie Johansson2 Comments

 

Writing is well known for being a solitary endeavour; one in which a person must be comfortable with being in the presence of their own company for a good length of time. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way, which is one of the reasons why social media is so popular amongst writers.

Before the days of the internet, finding other writers was at times limited and depending where you lived, consisted of writing festivals or conferences. It wasn’t always easy to find like-minded people and keep in touch. Social media has made finding writing communities so much better, so that we can talk to other writers around the country or around the world and not feel so alone.

Over the years I have been a part of a few writing communities, making friends along the way, but there has been quite a few instances of trial and error in order to find the right community. Recently, after reading an article by Joanna Penn, I joined the Romance Writers of Australia. This is something I have contemplated for quite some time and after reading this article, I finally took the plunge. I have heard a great many things about this organisation and as I tend to have romantic elements in my stories, I am hoping to gain some knowledge as well as form new friendships.

The best community I have come across after all these years is that within the blogging community. By having a blog and putting myself out there, I can reach out to others, whether they are writers or readers. Having people comment and commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to meet and get to know others. This friendship can then be extended to other social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I know there are writers out there that think blogging is a waste of time and that’s their choice, however forming friendships through blogging can’t be overlooked.

Finding the right writing community can take some time and you really need to push yourself out of your comfort zone (yes, I’m still working on it). You will find your fellow writers to be the most friendliest and helpful group of people around, which will make your efforts all the more worthwhile.

And for those of you who I’ve made friends with over the years through this blog and other social media I thank you – you’re the best! 🙂

Are you in a writing community? After some trial and error, which writing community have you found to be the best so far? Have you been lucky enough to meet other writers you have only ‘met’ through social media?

Image courtesy of Pixabay