Welcome back to Top Ten Thursday!
My six year blogversary is coming up at the end of this month, so I'd like you (and me) to blog about blogging:
The top ten things that come to your mind reflecting on your blogging journey:
What prompted you to start, what obstacles did you - or do you still - have to overcome, what have been your major learnings, what plans do you have...?
Before we dive right in, I'd like to point out that this is my 700th post! Whoa, that's a lot of writing!
- My first post was a short story about a recruiting assignment that included so many printed out resumes it became *necessary* to purchase a new purse. I figured the story was too lengthy to go on Facebook, so I signed up for a Blogger account without thinking it through. Was I going to be a blogger from now on?
- Since I had no plan (and no followers) I just went with the flow and wrote a little here and there when I had time.
- Apart from a handful of friends who blogged about their life as expats or posted recipes, I had no network, and I found it hard to find great quality bloggers to connect with, which was a pity.
- That's where Karen at Baking in a Tornado came in. I don't know how I came across her blog, but I did, and I'm glad! In October 2013 I joined one of her monthly writing challenges, the Secret Subject Swap and have been participating ever since. In January 2014 she created Use Your Words, and I still do it and love it. Apart from the writing challenge it's the community that I cherish. Over the years I became close to those ladies.
- It looks like monthly wasn't enough for me, so I also launched the weekly Top Ten Thursday that - as the name says - includes a list of ten items on various topics: food, clothes, scents, pet peeves, you name it. And if weekly is still not enough of a challenge, for the fourth time in a row I participated in the annual Blogging from A-Z challenge which requires to post almost daily during the month of April.
- Obstacles? I don't feel I have them. Reality is what it is. I lead a busy life, and my blog is my unpaid hobby, so in view of that, I get enough time to spend writing. My own un-focus is my liability. I sit down with the best intend to finish a post, but then Facebook happens. And Words with Friends, e-mail,... and boom, my hour of freedom is gone, and I need to get going and make lunch or (insert chore).
- Learnings? As long as I'm having fun doing what I love - writing - everything is cool. For a while I was thinking about making money, but I am not up to do what (I think) it takes: acquiring sponsors, pleasing them with content I wouldn't otherwise consider, following guidelines applying to my niche and chasing followers in order to produce page views.
- I almost forgot: I run a Facebook group called "Bloggers in Switzerland", I inherited the job from a friend who went back to the U.S. and is therefore no Blogger in Switzerland anymore. We are a very diverse and international group, and we share our posts in weekly threads and discuss blog related questions.
- If the magic blog fairy paid me a visit what would I ask for? I wouldn't mind a blog coach. Somebody who'd critique my content, my style, my English skills, and who guided me towards a more structured approach. I know I say it every year as I celebrate my blogversary: I have no real niche, my blog is like a 24/7 convenience store: there's a lot of stuff, a little bit for everybody, but probably not a lot for someone who wants more depth.
- For now single posts reflect my attention span. Somewhen, in the far future, it'd still like to pursue more substantial writing activities, a column, a short story, a book, a movie script...? We'll see. I'm not there yet. I'm still enjoying my blogging years.
I'm working on another blog post about blogging in preparation of my blogversary, it posts on June 20, make sure to check it out.
June 21st: There are certain things we feel magically drawn to: "stuff", foods, people, locations,... what are yours? Sign up here.
June 28 it's time for another photo scavenger hunt. Here are the items to take pictures of:
- Guidepost
- Cow
- Worship
- Pancakes
- Cool
- Hot
- Stairs
- Chains
- Flags
- Ribbons
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