I survived
another exhilarating month of daily blogging during the 7th annual Blogging
A-Z Challenge (Yay!) and took a few days to gather the many thoughts
that floated and swirled like autumn leaves before they settle down to dry. Thankfully,
the wistful winds of mischievous fate whisked away the unimportant ones
;-)
As it
happens, the Question of the Month is: What are three pieces of advice you’d give to someone
starting their own blog? Which I can easily answer as I reflect on last month’s
blogging challenge.
First and
foremost, (and I probably said this last year too) the very best advice I ever
received was to be prepared. Have a theme. Thank
you, Lee @ Tossing it Out! Once you have a plan for each (and any)
day of blogging, let the fun begin! Respond to the comments you get and prepare
to be amused, amazed and entertained by all the blogs you visit. :-)
The second
thing I learned was to ignore the numbers - it’s not the multitude that counts
as much as the faithful few friendly
followers who, often as not, become true friends. Thank
you Shady @ Music & Memories! As in any garden, patience and care is essential,
and in all honesty I don’t know that I could keep up with 30 – 100+ comments and make a few rounds each day myself!
So I also learned to overlook unacknowledged comments.
Third, and
not to be confused with last, because it isn’t, by any means – is Enjoy! Have a good time. Meet new
bloggers, make new friends while welcoming everyone to your blog. Not only did
I run across some fantastic new blogs, I thoroughly enjoyed those I already
follow, such as Stephanie, Jeffrey, Debbie and Stephen, Cynthia, Ann and
Barbara! (These and more are listed on the right, below ‘Blogs I Enjoy’).
And after this challenge, I’m sure my list will grow :-)
In all, I’ve
had a fantastic time and am left with the irresistible desire to do it again
next year!
Congratulations
to all survivors and many thanks to all participants!
 | |
| Gone fishin'! Be back soon! |
Thanks again for your challenge...I loved it (even if I was horrible at commenting).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you aren't too bent out of shape about comments...I'm shocked at the number of people having hissy fits over their lack of comments!
Hi Keebles!
DeleteI figure if don't get comments it's because my post wasn't interesting. Can't really blame someone else for that, right? But it sure is nice to receive some kind of reply when you comment elsewhere or you feel uninvited. That being said, during challenges such as A -Z it gets hard to keep up:-)
Congratulations on surviving the challenge this year!
Congrats on finishing A to Z! These are great blogging tips and tips for the Challenge.
ReplyDeleteYou know...about the number of comments...I saw someone say that they wouldn't comment on a blog with a ton of comments, but the numbers are deceiving because they include the blogger's replies.
Hi Chrys!
DeleteI have to admit, I am a little reluctant to be number 93 or so, but the fact that I can see replies tells me the blogger does care who stops by, whether or not they ever visit your post in return.
Which reminds me, as busy as you are, I do appreciate you stopping by:-)
Have a purrfect day!
Hi again, dear Diedre!
ReplyDeleteYou did an outstanding job with the challenge. I learned a lot from you last month as I do every month and with every visit to Pensive Pens. In the year I have known you I have encountered consistently high quality writing and interesting topics on your blog. More important, at least to me, I have found a genuine friend in you. You are loyal and supportive of me and my blog and it is a pleasure to be here in support of yours. With some people it's a one way street, a lonely avenue, a dead-end alley (pick one :) In other words, some people do a lot of taking and give the bare minimum. Not you, dear friend. You give as good as you get. You make SDMM a priority and your comments are always excellent. For that reason I made a commitment to be here for every one of your April posts from A to Z. I did that for only a tiny handful of my very best friends.
Congratulations once again on your blogging achievement, dear friend Diedre!
My friend, you humble me no end. Thanks ever so much.
DeleteA year already? And yet it seems I've known you longer, due in part I'm sure, to the wonderful Music & Memories you share;-) I never want to miss a single post! You are a rare gem, dear Shady.
Wishing you a week full of pleasant surprises!
You make excellent points. Being prepared is the lesson I learn after my first overwhelming year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan :-) I can only advise from my own experience but I imagine a lot of us feel the same way. I'm glad you do too :-)
DeleteI love this blogging community. We celebrate each other's book releases and boost each other up! I've formed my tight little circle, but I'm always looking for new friends...I think that's the key. Find your cheerleaders and cheer them with all your heart...and get out there and make new friends. Then you'll have a happy blogging experience.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie!
DeleteI couldn't agree more ;-) To have a friend, you first must be one.
Have a creative week!
Congratulations or running such a successful challenge! ☺ I enjoyed your theme a lot, Diedre and apologize for falling behind. I had to write most of my posts on the fly and that leaves little time for the social aspect. Thank you for the mention, your support and fabulous comments! I hope to have things better organized for next year. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie!
DeleteThanks, I'm glad you enjoyed :-) No apologies necessary; I applaud you for coming out of a serious illness to not only participate in such a rigorous challenge but to pull it off so perfectly! I thought I was ready, but after two weeks, I was scrambling to keep up with writing posts and keeping my day job running smooth ;-) I think it happens to everyone at some point.
Have a truly relaxing week!
I love the party pic. But O M G with fishing kitties!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting me during A to Z. I tagged you in a post on my blog.
http://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2016/05/liebster-award.html
Thank you, Jamie!
DeleteThis should be interesting;-)
Keep up with your entertaining blogs and you'll be adjusting your profile in no time! Ultimately, blogging is all about connections and you are destined to make an easy million:-)
I'll be back in touch real soon!
Excellent thoughts, Diedre! A faithful few followers and some blogs you really look forward to reading all all most of us need in the blogoshpere. Thanks for the shout out!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, blogging at Life & Faith in Caneyhead
Thanks, Barbara! And you're more than welcome:-)
DeleteCongratulations on finishing and thank you so much for sharing your Reflections. We're learning as we go which I think is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Hi Arlee!
DeleteThanks, and learning is never difficult when you're also having fun, so I don't mind in the least;-)
I think one of the main things we need to remember, (and some forget), is it's all about FUN. If you are not having fun, it's going to be a chore. So your third piece of advice really hit home. We need to enjoy what we do. Also, I agree, I don't know HOW I would manage 25+ comments every day. Not that I wouldn't appreciate them, I just wonder how other people find the time.
ReplyDeleteYou had a great theme this year. It was fun learning all the friends of celebrities and those well known to us.
Hi Jeffrey!
DeleteThanks, I enjoyed researching for my theme almost as much as I enjoyed reading your vintage TV posts:-) I imagine those who can keep up with a mega-following are unencumbered by day jobs and other pesky obligations;-) Even if I don't "run with the big dogs", I'm quite content to at least be on the porch - ha!
I agree with your tips, especially the one about enjoying your experience as a blogger. I enjoyed coming here to see your posts last month and I look forward to seeing more of your posts.
ReplyDelete...Like you, I also like murder mysteries.
Hi Cynthia!
DeleteYou bring to mind another point; encouragement. Though seldom directly addressed, it is always greatly appreciated ;-) Thank you!
I recently read a book called "Gone Again" by Doug Johnstone. If you've read it too, I'd love to hear your thoughts:-)
I didn't participate in A-Z this year but I enjoyed reading everybody's posts. I think it's such a great exercise to prove that yes, we can blog every day! And it's also a terrific way to meet new people, just as you say. Is there an "I survived the A-Z challenge" tee shirt???
ReplyDeleteHi Quanie!
DeleteCould it be that you had two miniature distractions keeping you from the A-Z this year? Perfectly understandable :-)
The challenge certainly does keep us on our toes! And I find myself amazed at how much I can accomplish under pressure - ha! It truly is a great exercise, and meeting new people, new blogs to enjoy is a delightful reward :-)
Yes, they do have survivor tees - I bought one this year! I'm just afraid it will be delivered while I'm in the mountains and the lizards will make off with it:-)
Really good advice - once everything is planned, the rest just sort of falls into place and you get more time to do the fun part - visiting the other blogs :)
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Hi Debbie!
DeleteYou are so right, once everything is planned. Fate and I seem to disagree sometimes on sticking to them ;-) But I still managed to survive and enjoyed the challenge, visiting blogs and friends and meeting new ones!
You've mentioned some great summer movies on your blog, I'll try to whittle down my faves to tell you about:-)
All of the advice you shared is so on target! For A-Z participation and blogging in general!
ReplyDeleteWhile this year wasn't my first time participating in A-Z, it was my first time with a theme. And the great thing with that was that people had a reason to return and get to know me rather than reading a post and quickly moving on. With this knowledge in hand, I'm very much looking forward to participating next year! (Though a bit worried I won't have a good theme.)
Hi Mandy 'n' Justin!
DeleteAw, no worries. I can tell by your posts and genuine comments that you're a natural!
Having a theme sure alleviates a lot of pressure doesn't it?
Have a terrific summer!