Oct 10, 2014 |
Five Things Friday at Frankly, My Dear…
I love blogging. I love sharing my little bits and pieces of the world with you. And I love reading other blogs, too.
Today’s Five Things Friday is about some of my favorite blogs.
1. To start with, today I’m the featured guest blogger over at Things They Can’t Say.
So click on the badge to read how I’m not ready to be an empty-nester. It was a hard post for me to write, because I wanted to get it just right. I’m still not sure anyone else will cry when they read it, but maybe if Dot reads it, she’ll understand just how hard it is to let go sometimes.
Lily Don’t Blog
2. Lily Don’t Blog. A few days ago, my friend “Lily” had something to say about a pretty horrific news story. After I shared it on What’s the Word? Wednesday, she told me she had a whole lot more to say. So we set up a blog for her. Now and then I’ll cross-link, but you may just want to follow her on your own. She’s going to get real, sometimes, and other times fly with the fire-breathing dragons. You won’t want to miss her adventures.
Aaron D. Gansky
3. Aaron Gansky. He was the first guest blogger on my redux of What’s the Word? Wednesdays. He’s my writing mentor. And he’s teaching me about Magic: The Gathering. If you follow either of us on Facebook or twitter, you’ll often see #gameongansky as our way of keeping each other accountable in the writing world. His blog has all his social media links, Firsts in Fiction podcasts, and some amazing advice on how to be a better writer.
Blog Buddies ~Molly & Jenn
4. BlogHer. This is sort of a cheater item, because while I love the BlogHer website, it’s what led me to so many other great bloggers like Jennifer at …so this is love…, Winnie at Winnie’s Inky Fingers and Larissa at Papa Is a Preacher. It’s hard to choose just five blogs to tell you about, but if you love blog writing and reading, I highly recommend BlogHer as your go-to reference.
5. Alton Gansky, not to be confused with Aaron, above. Al’s blog and website are just as useful as his son’s but for other reasons. Al is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference that I’ve mentioned before. His blog contains useful writing tips as well as Conference updates. Plus, he’s published over forty titles. He’s worth paying attention to.
And those are my Five Things Friday for today. Happy blogging!
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: Peacocks
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: #DoingTheWriteThing
“What’s the Word?” Wednesday: Why Lily Couldn’t Sleep Last Night
Meet the Gilmans
May 15, 2013 |
Yesterday I was on the phone with my web designer [read: know-it-all brother who does this for a living and is graciously helping out his sister who knows nothing about behind-the-scenes maintenance].
It was the first time someone explained SEO to me in terms I could understand. My blog just isn’t getting the popularity I need it to. Granted, my efforts have been more toward my bigger writing projects like The Unemployment Cookbook and Amara’s Light. So when I haven’t understood SEO or how to promote the Blog in a better fashion, I’ve been okay with that, knowing someday it would come. The traffic. He will build it, and they will come.
Let the construction begin…
He mentioned something that stuck. Like a popcorn kernel between the teeth. Like packing tape to a cardboard box. Like dried-on food on a day old plate. Yeah. It was that kind of stuck in my brain.
I’ve heard it before. And now my Google Guru has said it: If you want more traffic, you have to direct them.
Right now, my Blog voice is shouting directions every which way. I’m less flight director and more flag performer. I write about everything. Everything. Recipes. Creative writings. Poetry. Snippets of upcoming projects. Photos of life with the Frog. My housing project ideas. Crafts. Frustrations.
Nippers says “hi”.
I’m just a little bit all-over-the-place disorganized.
And I’ve been told to pick a direction.
And I can’t.
My Blog is my Blog. It’s my Life. It’s not a lifestyle blog. I don’t focus on one aspect. It’s me. It’s my online sharing of things I think you’ll enjoy.
Am I wrong?
If I choose to direct the Blog toward only Biblical prose, what happens to my food posts?
If I decide to focus on creative writings, how I incorporate my homey moments?
If I land in the kitchen, is there a place for travel?
My Blog is more than my Blog. It’s me.
And just as you don’t limit yourself to reading only Cookbooks or only news or only how-to articles, I can’t limit myself, either.
I am incredibly complicated, intricate and multi-faceted; surrounded at times by mystery, sometimes in the dark, sometimes brought to light. Much like a Diamond.
Yes. That’s it. We’re all diamonds. Some are rougher than others. But we’re all diamonds. We all have much to share.
We’re All Diamonds
My Blog is an outward indication of the parts of me I choose to share. any given day I can turn and reflect on a different aspect, thought or idea. Any post can be centrally focused or have a plethora of cutting edges shining through.
Will I lose ratings for this? Possibly.
Will I find my way through the Blogosphere? Probably.
There are many blogs that draw attention to Cooking. Books. Reviews. Writing. DIY Home Crafts.
But there’s only one Real Mojo. With many sides.
Shouldn’t there be only one Blog with many stories?
This Blog post is appropriately linked up with Shell’s Things I Can’t Say weekly linky-list. Her topic this week? “Your Blogging Voice”.
This is my voice. At times scratchy, melodic, stern, wishful, and strong. This is my voice.
I don’t think I could change it if I tried.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 27, 2012 |
You really should read some of the stories over at Shell’s link up. This was only the second time I linked up. I added this morning’s post, “What’s the Word?” Wednesdays: Blog Hop because her topic and mine are similar. But she has a way of writing that inspires me. It’s so heartfelt, so honest. Like she’s opening the doors to her house and allowing us to snoop in her medicine cabinet.
I want to be that transparent. But I’m just not. Partly because my family doesn’t really want me writing about them (go figure), but partly because I guess I don’t think my transparency matters. I write more of what I want instead of who I am. Unless it’s fluff.
Not Shell. She really gets it. She doesn’t even know me, doesn’t know how her blog influences me. But I hope she finds out. She really needs to know that she’s not writing into empty space.
I know sometimes it can feel that way. As a blogger, we put our “schtuff” out there, and then edit it for public consumption. There are basic rules, you know. Be nice. Be fair. Don’t be mean or belittling. Don’t over-expose yourself. Keep your guard up. It’s a complicated relationship: that of being a daily public blogger and being a private person.
So anyway. I really admire Shell and her posts. And I think I’m gonna try to be a little more like her.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
