Dec 11, 2012 |
I admit it. I got frustrated yesterday. Really frustrated.
I know I shouldn’t. I know I should revel in this Something Good that is my new job and a clean house… but I almost lost my temper. I definitely lost my Happy Place.
I discovered that I’m doing myself a disservice. Frankly, My Dear… is nearly two years old. And since August 1, 2011, I have blogged every.single.day. Sometimes, more than once.
In the beginning, when it was about social fiascoes and gaining confidence, it didn’t matter how trite my posts were. Or so I thought. But the more I wrote, the more I had to say. The more important it became to say it well.
And yesterday, my frustrations grew as I realized for about a month now, I’ve not written the way I want to continue to write.
Yes, November and December are always my busy season. Dot’s birthday. Holidays. And this year… a day job! Very exciting stuff. Very exciting, keep-me-on-my-toes stuff. Very exciting, keep-me-on-my-toes-and-holding-my-breath busy stuff.
It dawned on me… I need some R&R. I need to stop this “need” to write, and write when I have something to say. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Don’t worry. It’s just for a short time. For the week between Christmas and New Year’s, Frankly, My Dear… will be on vacation. We may check in from time to time. Run a few ideas past you. After all, I can’t just cut writing out cold-turkey!
Between now and then, I’ll post every day. A vacation is only a vacation when it’s a direction away from something else. If I quit writing now, what kind of vacation is that?
Come to think of, this all consuming day-job is a vacation from my unemployment. Hey, I like that! It’s a good job. I’m still learning the office procedures and rejoicing when glitches are generated from the Home Office system and not because I forgot to do something like hit the enter button. My budget is slowly balancing itself. Actually, it’s more of a teeter-totter; but now and then it levels off.
I need to focus on my job. And my bigger writing projects. My correspondence course. And better blogging. Guess what!
I’m not SuperWoman. Surprised? I am!
So this frustrating revelation led to a better outlook. Instead of remaining frustrated, I’m taking a vacation. I’ll give myself the end of this year to plot out Something Good for next year! Better blog posts. More advertising. Maybe a day trip or two with Mutti and Dot.
Definitely more recipes and writing. And positively a better budget. More reading! And making better use of my lunch hour for such things.
Yup. I just need to regroup, make a schedule, close my eyes, and listen to… nothing. Just for a few days.
I’d invite you to come along… but I think that defeats the purpose…
I’m learning to just be still. And keep my eyes closed. Sometimes it’s just as hard to not see the world, as it is to pay attention.
Retreat: Be Still
I refuse to be a victim of sensory overload.
I’m gonna take a vacation!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Oct 21, 2012 |
You’ve seen it. Every website you visit has that little box enticing you to leave your email address so you can get great content delivered to your inbox. Well, here at Frankly, My Dear… it’s no different (sorry).
Just recently I signed up with MailChimp to format and deliver newsletters.
This is more than just posting on the Blog each day. These newsletters will be filled with updates, recipes, and content not always posted on Frankly, My Dear… of course, they will highlight some of our more popular posts as well.
Next month’s issue is already being planned. You and your friends won’t want to miss it! I hope you’ll spread the word and be a growing part of our growing Blog. If you don’t already subscribe by email, it’s easy! Just enter your email in this box, and you’re all set!
You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription. Please do so. This makes it easier for the Blog to reach you.
We promise not to spam you with newsletters everyday… maybe just once or twice a month. Wanna see what it’s about? Click here to see our THANK YOU to you (and to subscribe only to the newsletter).
As always,
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Sep 29, 2012
Because Blogging is much more than just writing a public diary or recounting the day.
Because true Blogging is focused and disciplined and detailed.
Because Blogging includes communities and outreach with other Bloggers.
I now have My Communities page. On this page you can easily see where I’m out-and-about in the Blogosphere. From company Blogger Outreach like OXO to Blogger Communities like BlogHer and BlogFrog, my links will take you to my other lesser known sites.
If you’re a writer/blogger, I invite you to join me and build a bigger Blogger Community.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Sep 5, 2012 |
A few years ago, I had some friends suggest I start a blog. “A what?” I asked. I was certain they’d lost their minds. To me, a blog was nothing more than a digital diary. A public digital diary. Why would I want to spill my guts to a bunch of strangers?
I had a mental image of a Blogger as being someone who drank Starbuck’s all day and jotted down notes about things they wanted to (but not necessarily should) share with the World at Large. Someone who had nothing better to do with their time than write instead of work. Boy, was I so very wrong!
If you’ve been around Frankly, My Dear… for any length of time, you know that turning into a “Professional Blogger” was not my initial intention. I merely wanted to expound my writing skills while also sharing my social forays.
And then I discovered the difference between keeping an online diary and writing a Blog. The behind-the-scenes work that it takes to put together a Blog is remarkable. And the great ones make it seem so effortless. It’s like putting on a stage-play with each post. Do the characters (story elements) shadow or compliment each other? Is the set (website) designed to help or hinder the performance? Are there too many distractions, or not enough decorations?
Blogging, I discovered, is so much more than words.
As time went on, I found myself growing and changing along with my Blog. I found what worked for me (and what didn’t), what stories I wanted to tell, and what you wanted to read. It may not seem like it, but I strive hard to not be categorized as a Foodie Blog or a Mommy Blog. Frankly, My Dear… is so much more than that.
Just as you have many facets that sparkle and shine, so does a well-written Blog.
I also found myself craving the acceptance and recognition I get when reading comments from people I’ve never met. And what a feeling to read other blog posts I can relate to. Blogging is a wonderful community!
I follow other Blogs and seek advice from Bloggers. I discovered that discovery is part of the process. To learn, ask, inquire, seek, research, and hunt for the path that would get me from here to There. I’m still learning how to build a better blog. And I’m learning that it’s a whole lot more than just good writing.
The blogs I first had for reference were those from people who vented online. Bad grammar. bad spelling. Bad stories. It was all just very… bad. There were also those who told cute stories about their cute kids and had cute backgrounds. It was all just very… cute.
But I’m a serious writer, I argued. Blogging isn’t writing. It’s… well, it’s just blogging. That’s right. I said it.
Just. Blogging.
And I’m sorry. Because there is such a difference between writing a blog and Writing a Blog. The more I wanted to know about writing a good blog, the more I read other blogs. And I found some amazingly helpful ideas. I also saw what not to do.
First, find a niche. Some blogs are about one thing: Cooking. Automobiles. Crafts. Felines. Some are about life. Life with kids. Life with a Significant Other. Life Without a Significant Other. Still others (my favorite kind, of course!) incorporate a little bit of everything.
As long as the writings are coherent and connect to other posts, I think any number of categories works. Of course, disjointed posts and ten thousand themes in one year can make it difficult to follow. I try to keep it simple but real. I don’t expect every one of my friends to like every aspect about me. Neither do I expect every one of my readers to like every post I write. It’s the overall appreciation, the intrinsic value of all parts combined, that keep us together.
Add photographs. The bigger the better, but try to keep them similar in size. If you’re a blogger, invest in a good digital camera. You’ll be oh-so-glad you did. I know several bloggers that post copyrighted materials. Even though media sites such as YouTube and Pinterest gives us access to review someone else’s work, I personally stay away from putting it on Frankly, My Dear… unless I know it’s absolutely approved. Just as I would hate for someone to put all my photos on their blog without compensation, I don’t want to take advantage of others’ hard work (and copyrights!).
Comment. Find other blogs you like, and comment on them. If someone leaves a comment on your blog, reciprocate! The Blogging Community thrives on recognition. Promote other blogs. Ask for help with your own promotions. When a blog you like links up to a third blog, check it out! I’ve found several great blogs this way; and made some fantastic blog friends.
Don’t be afraid of social media. Sign up! Link up! I have Facebook, twitter, StumbleUpon, and Pinterest. So do many of my blog friends. We cross-promote and help each other out. If your blog is just for yourself and close friends, numbers aren’t too significant. But if you’re looking to get recognized and earn some corporate sponsors… well, the keyword here is earn. You have to work at promoting your blog. And ask your friends and fellow bloggers to help you out.
Don’t be afraid. Reach out! I am a big fan of asking questions. When I see a feature on a blog that I admire, I find a way to contact the blogger. Whether it’s an email, Facebook post, or direct message through twitter, I reach out. I ask, how did they do this? Who do I contact? What do you recommend? And most of the time, they reach back. They, too, know the importance of interacting.
But it’s still so much more than that. I spend several hours each week reading other blogs and leaving comments. I send emails to people and entities that I want to partner with. I’m on my social media sites throughout every day.
I’m just now learning what attracts sponsors and what doesn’t. How certain layouts can actually turn readers away from a Blog. Why sometimes short is better. What makes a good post. How to take a good photograph.
I didn’t come by this knowledge on my own. I sought it out, certainly. I googled my questions and read article upon article, blog upon blog. But without mentors and fellow bloggers, I’d still be in Bloggy Kindergarten. I’m so thankful to be striving for Blog recognition, and to have so many wonderful tutors.
Just as a diamond is made from coal, which is made from elements pressed so very tightly together into something so remarkably beautiful, so are individual people. And so are the blogs they write.
So you see, blogging really can be a business. At least, it should certainly be treated as one. The next time you read a blog post, I hope you notice the little details. But if you don’t that’s okay, too. Because sometimes, we writers only want you to read. And leave the behind-the-scenes stuff to us.
I invite you to click on the following blogs. They never cease to inspire me, and I hope they’ll do the same for you.
Jenn at …so this is love…
Ann at Doodles and Jots
Larissa at Papa is a Preacher
Winnie at Winnie’s Inky Fingers
Sylvia at Living and Homeschooling With a New Normal
Kathy at Bereaved and Blessed
Margaret Christine at From Maggie’s Farm
Shell at Things I Can’t Say
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 9, 2012
A neat little trick I’ve picked up from other blogs is, when you don’t have much to say, say EVERYTHING. These posts come in the forms of Stream of Consciousness, ABC Characteristics, musings on other people’s writings, and linking up to other blogs to share their topic.
I was inspired by several blogs recently to list 25 fun facts about myself, which you may or may not already know. And since I’ve got a lot on my plate today and don’t have a lot of time to concentrate on a deep, thoughtful, inspired post… you get this instead! Lucky you!
Ready? Here’s the Real Me:
1. I eat peanut-butter-and-pickle sandwiches, and on toast.
2. I love popcorn. I eat it atleast 3 times a week, and for months on end can eat it every day.
3. I’ve only been without a cat for the first seven years of my life, and a short five years when my daughter was first born.
4. My favorite TV shows are “Flashpoint”, “West Wing”, “NCIS” and “Riptide”. From the 80’s. Don’t ask me why. I just love it.
5. I’m a great writer, but I often stumble, stutter, or just talk like an idiot when I open my mouth.
6. When Dot was young, I had her convinced that I had married the Harrison Ford when she was away on a vacation. It helped that an old friend actually had seen him around town, which made my story more plausible.
7. When I get really sick, I absolutely crave mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC.
8. Before I get really sick, I get really emotional.
9. In high school, I really wanted to marry into the Italian Mafia.
10. I have a really hard time keeping houseplants alive. Except cactus. But that’s ‘cuz those are my daughter’s and she cares for them.
11. My favorite color to look at is green.
12. My favorite color to wear is red.
13. I’ve never baked a cake in my life. Cookies, yes. Cupcakes, yes. Treats, candies, chocolates: yes, yes, and yes. But never a cake.
14. I have a poor memory. So much so that I should make notes of things like “Buy milk” and “Brother’s in a meeting today, don’t call.”
15. As much as I love writing, I don’t make memos. So I forget to buy milk, and I often interrupt my brother at work.
16. I never liked dolls.
17. I love stuffed animals. In particular, cats, frogs, bears, otters, and Eeyore.
18. I was published in Highlights Magazine in sixth grade.
19. I like writing and speaking in “Old English” and with great introductions.
20. I buy a lottery ticket every week.
21. If you hold a book up to a mirror, I can read it with little difficulty.
22. I can write backwards – from right to left.
23. I’ve met several famous people just by being in the right place at the right time. I once literally ran into Andre Rieu in Las Vegas, but didn’t know who he was until I saw his televised PBS special a year later. I felt like an idiot for complaining about “that man with the long hair”.
24. I have really good karma/luck most of the time. I win things a lot. Except the lottery. So far.
25. I’ve been in 10 car accidents (never my fault!), and also hit once as a pedestrian while walking home from high school.
And that is my useless list of 25 Friday Fun Facts. How about you?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
