In January of 2008 I began my blogging adventure here on the internet. Here’s the very first paragraph I wrote on One Writer’s Journal.
Hi, everybody. I’m just a country girl who’s been writing forever. I hope to share some of what I’ve learned about writing over the years and some about being a country girl through and through.
And the last paragraph in that first blog:
I’ll tell you more about growing up in the country next post. Wouldn’t want to give away all my secrets the first day. These blogs have a ravenous appetite for words.
Boy, was I right about that ravenous appetite of blogs! Words, words and more words. I first posted about writing here on this blog in 2013 when I had written my 544th post. Now seven years later, this will be my 1469th post. Wow. Maybe I should have written five more books instead. But I like journal writing as I said in Post 2 back in 2008.
I’m figuring out what exactly I want to write about in my blog. I’ve been a journal writer forever, but that’s writing to myself. Now this may be writing to myself too, but it’s like leaving my journal open out on the kitchen table where anybody can read it. That might be okay. I’ve done some of my best writing in journals. How about you? Are you a journal writer?
Since then I’ve left my journal open on a lot of nights. I want you to know I’ve appreciated each and everyone of you who has taken a peek. I love reading your comments and I hope you’ve had fun with some of the giveaways and games I’ve posted here.
I do try to remember this bit of advice from Liz Strauss. “The Internet has no eraser.” Once something is posted, it’s out there. It’s hard to grab any of your words back and make them completely disappear. So I’ve done my best to share encouraging words and fun stories.
The picture up top is the one I posted on that 2013 post. It’s me a long time ago when I was only beginning to scribble words in notebooks to make stories. I also think there’s an uncanny resemblance between me and the Jocie model and the poses of the pictures to the cover of Scent of Lilacs. What do you think?
I’ve scribbled and typed and word processed millions of words since then. And hope to have another million or two in my fingers. Right now I’m needing to come up with a few thousand new words for my work in progress and that’s why I’m cheating a little on this post by borrowing some lines from one of my older posts. Sometimes you just have to use a few words over.
Some of that next million will be here on One Writer’s Journal where the great thing about blogging is this from an anonymous (no doubt blogging) writer. “Blogging is not rocket science. It’s about being yourself and putting what you have into it.”
“Blogging is to writing what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud.” (Andrew Sullivan)
Writing out loud. That’s a good way to look at blogging.
So what do you think? Do you like to blog? Read blogs? What advice would you suggest to make my next 500 plus blogs more fun to read?
Comments 11
Oh, how I appreciate you sharing yourself, your on-target description of blogging, as well as a peek into your blogging history. And you’re right about the self-photo bearing a warm resemblance to the cover picture of Jocie–art reflecting real life?
I eagerly anticipate reading your next million or so words. You are truly a word crafter. May God continue to inspire your work and bless you and yours.
Author
Thank you, Jolene. I appreciate your kind and encouraging words. I do hope I can make my next story, the one I’m working on, one that will be a fun story to read and one that might bless some readers.
I thought it was kind of neat when I first got the cover proof for Scent of Lilacs when they decided to re-issue the books after they’d been out a print. Made me remember that old picture right away, since we are both sort of sitting the same way.
Yes, I think the poses of you and Jocie do resemble each other! And I love to read blogs! I do have a question, though. I have been seeing a lot of vlogging lately. What is the difference between blogging and vlogging? To me, they seem the same. Thanks!
Author
Vlogging is blogging when you are actually writing out loud, Linda Diane. It’s a video post. Instead of writing the words they record a video of whatever they were going to write. It was the thing there for a while, but I haven’t heard as much about it lately now that everyone does FB videoing and various other video things.
Your quote at the top of your blog today describes exactly how I feel about
your blog posts. They are like a letter from a well-loved sister who lives far
away. In the turbulent times we are in now, they are also a letter from home
to keep us grounded and helps to remind us that our Heavenly Father is watching over us. Thank you Ann!
Beautifully said! I agree whole heartedly. I look forward to her newsletters and her blogs and marvel that she is able to do all that she does. I think she should write a book on time management. 😊
Be safe-Stay well! 🙏🏻
Author
I’m glad that’s how you feel about the posts, Nancy, because that’s how I feel when I sit down to write a post. As if I’m writing to a friend. I especially like that you add to that by saying a well-loved sister. I have two sisters who I do well love and I’m happy to send out letters to some well-loved sister readers. In fact, when I began journaling back when I was maybe a little older than I am in that picture, maybe 13 or 14, I always started the entries with “Dear Nemo.” That is Latin for no one. At least I thought that was true when I was writing in my journal back then. I still have those journal entries, but if I ever read them I’d probably want to burn them. 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment and your encouraging words.
Karen, I need to read a book on time management! Not write one. But I do appreciate your thoughts.
Hey Ann! Congratulations on 1,649 blog posts since you started this blog! What an accomplishment! Thank you for your dedication and consistency! I think there is a striking resemblance between you in the first photo and the model on the cover of,”The Scent of Lilacs”,Ann! The only advice I have for you as you continue to share on your blog is this: keep sharing words that God puts on your heart,Ann, in all genuineness and sincerity. Personally, I enjoy reading about your life experience and the adventures you share with your family, friend!☺💜Proverbs 9☺💜
Author
That is a lot of blog posts, Emily, of this and that. I’ve never had a particular theme. Just whatever I think of when I sit down to write. Sometimes I can’t think of much so that’s when I dip back into those past blogs to see if I can reuse something. Haven’t done it often, but a few times, so maybe only 1,600 posts. 🙂 I very much appreciate you stopping by and commenting. I enjoy hearing from my blog and reading friends.
I have two blogs I read—yours and Al Sturgeon’s. I enjoy both, but I have to limit online reading so I’ll have time for other things in my life. Time goes so fast when one is on the internet and before one can blink an eye half the day is gone! Ann, keep on sharing. Perhaps you can do a blog on time management. 😊
Author
Thank you, Karen, for letting my blog be one you read. I know what you mean about having to limit the things you follow online. The other day somebody sent me a video. It was cute and I enjoyed watching it, but then another video popped up and another. All cute. But I had to click them off. As you say your time can be absorbed reading or watching on the internet. I can have that problem when I go out to research something. There’s always more and more to read. At the same time the internet can be helpful finding those research nuggets I need and it can be a fun way to connect with others and share some laughs. And it can be good practice for your self discipline.