Virgin No More: IWSG Post

12:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 145 Comments


Find out more HERE!
I joined the blogosphere under personal duress. A self-imposed, be professional, and get your butt out there if you ever want to sell books event.

I did not want to blog.

I just wanted to write books.

My gut told me there were very few short cuts to the top, and my freaking muse kept hiding the get lucky map.

So, with the help of my then fourteen-year-old son, Cole, we created my bloggy spot.

I hit publish on my maiden post, From Boas to Reality,  on March 12, 2011.

My misgivings about "going public" only got worse when Cole came home from school and told me a friend asked him, "Who cares what a lady on 6th Street has to say?"

I asked Cole if he thought I should take it down. He said, "I think you should quit worrying about what jerks think."

But still. The insecurity. The beast that dwells deep in our soul and asks us over and over, "Who do you think you are? Trying to chase a dream...scrub the toilet...save this for the smart people with connections to New York. You're just a lady on 6th Street in a tiny hillbilly town."

I'd even pray that God would give me another dream. Maybe a desire to quilt...or run marathons.

Stories still came to me. Characters kept whispering in my ear. The only outlet was to keep writing.

Then one afternoon, author, Anita Baker (AG Howard) sent me a Blog on Fire award and an email telling me she enjoyed my work. She was my first non-family/writer friend follower.

Then I got a follow by Ashley Nixon. I knew nothing of blog courtesy and protocol, but instinct told me to follow the pretty face back to her blog and follow her and start reading her posts. Next thing I knew, I was getting advice from Cassie Mae and hanging with sweethearts like Leigh Covington and Angie Cothran. I bought Cat and the Dreamer by Annalisa Crawford after reading one of her guest posts. Finished the story in a day and then stalked her blog until she became my friend.

While traversing this new network, one could not escape the shadow of Alex Cavanaugh and the IWSG. I wasn't going to join, because honestly, what did I know? But then Alex would stop by my blog and eventually I thought, what the heck...everyone else is doing it.

So, July 5, 2012, I posted my IWSG Virgin post.

And now, almost three years from my first blog post...I get it.

I understand that the blogosphere is way more than a platform builder: it's a sanity saver, a network builder, and a knowledge base. The crazy part wasn't starting the blog. The crazy part was NOT starting sooner.
Happy almost three year blogoversary to me. If you'd told me on March 12, 2011 that I would be co-hosting the IWSG today...I'd have told you to keep dreaming Alice, Wonderland is just around the corner.

But I am. That crazy Alex put his trust in me, so here I am...along with some amazing friends/writers:
Tina Downey, Elsie, and Julie Flanders

Baby steps. And friends to lean on. That's how we get from point A to point Z...speaking of which: 
Are you signed up? 

And Check this out!


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145 comments:

  1. Taking that plunge with a blog is a big deal. My plunge coincided with writing a paranormal column in a local publication here, which drew the ire of some people. It's good to band together as writers and realize we all have the right and obligation to tell our stories, even though we lack the penthouse in Manhattan.

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    1. Yeah! The penthouse in Manhattan can come later...if we ever want one ;)

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  2. Congratulations on your impending blogiversary!
    This is a great post for IWSG day, you've summed up the first forays into the bloggy world perfectly.
    It's a wonderful community to be a part of, and I wouldn't survive without the friendly banter and encouragement that keeps the whole thing going.

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    1. Thank you Heather! I certainly wouldn't be where I am without all my writer buddies!

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  3. I loved following the path of your blogventures. They resonate with my own. The online writing community is awesome and without it, I doubt many of us would be anywhere near sanity! How did folks deal with this without it?

    shahwharton.com

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    1. I remember writing without bloggy support. It was a lonely, miserable time. No one to even wail over rejection with!! Awful, awful place to be.

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  4. A way to keep that bum tight - do squats while scrubbing the toilet!!!

    Seriously. We busy moms have to keep in shape somehow.

    Great post - thanks for the encouragement. I started a blog a few years ago because every other writer I knew had one. Unfortunately, I've gotten away from doing my OWN posts. I have tons of guest posters, promos, & giveaways, but that's about it. I'm thinking it's time to utilize my blog as a way of connecting & finding the support we authors definitely need!!! God knows I don't get enough of that at home.

    Best of luck with the A-Z this year!! I'm too stinkin' busy.

    Terri @ Scribbler's Sojourn

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    1. That is an awesome idea! Toilet scrubbing squats. You're a genius lady!!

      I have quite a few covers and such, but I am trying to do at least one unique post a week. It's tough to find the balance. My plan is to do writerly stuff on Fridays. Whatever I wan on Tuesdays. And will happily support good friends in between those times.

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  5. I am so glad you started blogging or we wouldn't have met. Trust me you are not the only one who worried. I had multiple 'blogs' before I got Queendsheena on blogger. So glad this one hit pay dirt and I now know so many people with a love for reading and writing (and blogging). So congrats on starting this blog Liz and love you.

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    1. Love you too Sheen-kay! Yes, this blog has brought me the greatest friends. For that I am forever grateful!!

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  6. It took me a while to start blogging too and like you I'm glad I finally took the plunge.

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    1. It can be a scary thing. Books you can call fiction...the blog is all us. And that's revealing!

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  7. You and I are sooo much alike, or maybe all writers feel the same. I recently passed my 1 year anniversary of blogging. It was very hard to put it OUT THERE. With time comes experience and this IWSG is wonderful! (I was a nervous wreck to join it, too)

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    1. No, it's just us Cathrina. We're special ;)

      LOL. There actually seems to be a lot of us who were a little scared to take the plunge. But we did and we are better for it!

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  8. Hi Elizabeth, great post. I just had my one year blogiversary about three weeks ago. I've met some extraordinary people who have helped me in so many ways. I was extremely lucky when I found the IWSG and have only missed one posting. I wish I would've started blogging a lot sooner than I did, but it's like they say, better late than never! Thanks so much for co-hosting this month. You guys are doing a fantastic job. Lily

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    1. Thanks Liliy!! And congratulations one your one year anniversary!! Yes, it is always better late than never. The IWSG was a wonderful idea. But what else would we expect from Alex?

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  9. Amen - you get it! I started from the same place - told to get my butt online to build a platform. I discovered so much more, such as wonderful people like yourself.
    Think I'll hang around for a while.

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    1. Me too Alex!! I'm happy here and feel more than blessed by all the wonderful people around me.

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  10. I"m glad you took the plunge and stuck it out. It's always nice to see someone else's story unfold, as well.

    Thanks for co-hosting, this month! :)

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    1. I'm glad too Mark! I even have the opportunity to step outside my genre and that has helped me more than I ever would have guessed!

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  11. Great post, Elizabeth! I haven't done a lot of blogging lately, but I know I wouldn't be nearly as good a writer as I am if I hadn't started. I've met so many awesome people, and learned so much from them!

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    1. Finding the blogging/writing balance is so hard. One day I was trying to stay caught up on comments and I might have complained a little, but then thought...wait...what a wonderful problem to have!! Too many comments and visits to keep up with in my usual hour per day.

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  12. I feel like I had a similar blogging journey, wondering what the point was and if anyone would ever even see my posts. Once you put yourself out there and start to meet new people, it just drives you to do more. It's a really great network of people.

    Thanks for co-hosting!

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    1. You got it Sarah!! Blogs are scary because they are personal. But you're right...get out there and mingle...and you make friends!

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  13. Thanks for hosting this month, Elizabeth. You have a brilliant son! Follow his advice and don't listen to jerks. LOL And you'll meet a lot of them on this journey we call writing. Best wishes.

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    1. Thanks Diane. And yes, I do have a brilliant son. I'll try my best to steer clear of jerks!

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  14. Excellent post! Blogging and all the wonderful connections are truly a "sanity saver" for me, too.

    Oh, and I love what your son said about not caring what jerks think. Smart guy! :)

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    1. We need that sanity saver...and hanging out with writers reminds us that this is tough work. No one knows that until they try.
      My son is a smart guy. I've done pretty well there ;)

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  15. "Sanity saver" - you are so right about that. The blog world means so much to me and I can't imagine life without it now. Have fun co-hosting!

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    1. You too co-host lady :)

      We should all go out for virtual coffee later...unwind a bit.

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  16. "I think you should quit worrying about what jerks think." Truer words have never been spoken.

    Thanks for co-hosting, and congrats on the anniversary!

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    1. Thanks Bob! My kids are way better balanced than their mother!!

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  17. Your son was wise, even at such a young age. Out of the mouths of babes, huh?

    It's funny how well I can remember my first followers on my first blog (shut down now). They meant so much to me, and still do. =)

    Elsie
    AJ's wHooligan in the A-Z Challenge
    co-host IWSG

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    1. I know. Isn't it amazing? Those first people who followed, not because you twisted their arm, but because they wanted to, they are special.

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  18. Awesome post! We're so glad you did take that step. I remember my first followers too. I love the blogging community! :) Thanks for co-hosting today.

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    1. My pleasure. I love the blogging community too. It is very rewarding work!

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  19. This post really resonated with me... well done for hitting the nail squarely on the head! And I love that Robert de Niro quote :-)

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    1. Thanks! I love that quote too. deNiro upped his credit in the writing world in a breath!

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  20. Love this! You just put into words what all of us have gone through. Most excellent.
    Thanks for co-hosting!
    Author of Wilder Mage at Spirit Called
    Facebook Wilder Mage

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    1. Thanks CD. That means a lot coming from a pro like yourself. :)

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  21. Hi, thanks fo co-hosting. I've been thinking about all the people that helped me to where I am today. Lovely to hear your story. It's so important to enjoy the journey. Happy IWSG day!

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    1. Happy IWSG day to you too!! Sounds like we've all shared the same journey. It's good to travel with people who already know the best places to stop and rest.

      Delete
  22. The title of your post scandalized me. I just want you to know that.

    Kidding. :P

    I love this post. It is so true. And good for you for sticking around and refusing to listen to jerks. ;)

    IWSG #268 (until Alex culls the list again or I goof and get myself deleted. :P)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh no!! Don't get yourself deleted!

      I should put sex or virgin in every blog title. Scandalizing people always triples my hits.

      Delete
  23. I had no desire to be involved in anything to do with social media and started my blog under duress as well.
    Fast forward 3 years and my grandkids think I am the coolest because I am everywhere they are:)
    doreenmcgettigan.com

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    1. That is cool!!! My youngest son was really proud that he could go to school and show off his mom being "on the net". Yes, this is a digital age and this is the best way to reach them, huh?

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  24. The blog world does have a huge life of its own indeed, congrats on almost 3 years

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  25. Congratulations on your three years! What great inroads you've made. I enjoyed reading about your blogging journey. And yes, at some point many of us get sucked into the Alex vortex. :-)

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    1. Alex has his own gravitational pull, that's for sure!!

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  26. I think I turned to blogging after the website "Maya's Mom" was sold to Baby Center and the camaraderie of the former site gave way to the commercial aspects of the latter. So I needed another outlet. I used to think about blogging while on the back porch of the house in which we were living at the time, hence the name of my blog. Thanks fo co-hosting #IWSG this month!

    LuAnn #IWSG 323
    AJ's Hooligans @AtoZChallenge
    Back Porchervations

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    1. Thanks! It's been a pleasure. How cool your own journey has been...wonderful title.

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  27. Don't you just love those "good days"! Thanks for co-hosting, Elizabeth.

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    1. Ah yes, the good old days!! Ever notice we don't get over the insecurities, we just replace one insecurity for another?

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  28. Thanks for co-hosting and sticking to it with the blogosphere thing. :)

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    1. It's been my pleasure. And I'm not going anywhere :)

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  29. Yay!!! Love it. I started my blog in 2008 but didn't get serious about it until late 2010, at which point I was fumbling about, posting about whatever was on my mind and not trying to reach anyone in particular. I look back and those posts with between 4 and 30 views, and I chuckle. I've seen so many friends come and go through the years on the blogosphere, and it's wonderful to have these long-time blogging buddies who are more than just fellow writers, but really my ground support system. I love you bloggies!

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    1. I still just spout about whatever I feel like. You are way more professional than me! I've thought about being more pro, but then I think, nah...I like a place to have a little fun.

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  30. Three years? Makes me feel like a newbie.

    Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG!

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    1. Or makes me feel old! Depends on the view point Ken :)

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  31. Elizabeth,
    Thanks for co-hosting. It's scary to think about how alone we'd be if we didn't have so many other writers rallying around us.

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    1. I remember those days. It was awful. Finding writers to yack with was such a gift!!! Especially for a rural living gal like myself. There are no clubs anywhere near by. The blogosphere was the only outlet I had.

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  32. Thanks for helping out this month. And I love your blogging story. Many of my blogging friends have a similar beginning in this crazy blogosphere. It's great to get love and support from the blogging community.

    And thanks again for pimping my book!

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    1. My pleasure. I'll pimp for you whenever you want. I only charge 5%

      Delete
  33. Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month Elizabeth!
    If somebody had said to me that I'd be writing and blogging for 3 years, I would have laughed...
    But here I am... and I'm even thinking of self-publishing... it's a pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming situation...
    HAPPY WORLD READ ALOUD DAY!
    Writer In Transit

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    1. You go girl!! I see self publishing as the new pioneers...brave and awesome people!

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  34. I love your story of blogging. I remember starting out so slow and now I feel so much more comfortable.

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    1. I know. I was so worried over every post...what will people say, will I make people mad? Wow. Glad those days don't come as often as they did.

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  35. I've had my current blog for coming up on three years, and probably waited far too long to move to blogging from my old Angelfire site. Blogging versus writing on an old-fashioned website gives greater opportunities for networking and personal interaction.

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    1. The networking is key. It is way more fun when it's interactive.

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  36. Awesome story, Elizabeth! I started a book writing & review blog this past year...it's both an adventure & challenge! Loved Cole's insight into jerks! LOL

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    1. Book reviewing is such a wonderful labor of love. I really couldn't do it. For one, I read very slowly, so I would be reviewing like one book every quarter!

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  37. Thank you for co-hosting today, Elizabeth. Your comment: "I'd even pray that God would give me another dream. Maybe a desire to quilt..." brings a smile to my lips and tears to my eyes! Oh, how easy it would be to just stop writing and stick to stamp collecting!

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    1. Wouldn't it be nice. Some days. Writing can just be hard.

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  38. I'm glad your son Cole knows his stuff. "Stop worrying about what jerks think." That's some awesome advice for life.

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    1. I guess you pick up an attitude when you're a three hundred pound lineman.

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  39. I had a similar experience when I discovered Alex and instantly got connected to more blog hops, writing shares and other bloggy connections than I could count. My blog had existed for three year prior to that- with all but ten people who even knew it existed. Once I finally got connected I wondered why the heck I hadn't done it three years earlier.

    Glad you're part of this community, glad you're still writing, and grateful to you for co-hosting the IWSG, Bev

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    1. Amazing what stepping out and meeting people does for a person, huh Beverly? It's been my pleasure to help today :)

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  40. Congrats on your third anniversary and just see how you've grown! Go get 'em, grrrrrrrrlll !!! Thanks for co hosting this month.

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  41. Hey Elizabeth,

    Your blog shall soon be three years old! Glad you son, Cole, was involved in you starting up your blog.

    Thank you for co-hosting, IWSG aka "I Was Seeking Gary." My ego is incredibly flattered by it all. Coincidentally, July 5 is my birthday....

    And I would never get involved in the ridiculous A to Z! Make it STOP!

    Gary :)

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    1. I am always seeking Gary...for a smile and thought clarity. I will make note of your birthday :)

      Sooo, not doing your backward posting this year?

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    2. Hi there, it's me, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! Pawhaps I should do the alphabark barkwards....Arf! Arf!

      Pawsitive wishes,

      Penny! :)

      Delete
  42. Encouraging story! I had no idea how to connect with other bloggers when I started, until I did the same thing and started stalking a blogger who visited me. Thanks for your post. It lets me know I'm not alone in that. :D

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    1. Amazing how easy it is once you start! And fun :)

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  43. I fell in love with your post and writing! and you are so right, blogging is a sanity saver.

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    1. Ah why thank you. That means, well, everything!! So glad you stopped by :)

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  44. My gosh, I would never have survived this long without the blogosphere! Knowing that strangers out there not only understand what delicious hell writing is, but also care about my struggles in the process, changed everything for me. And didn't every single one of us sit bolt upright and stare at the screen when Robert DeNiro delivered that line at the Oscars and want to scream, "YES!" New follower!

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    1. Isn't it amazing how well other writers understand? Not that family isn't great, but you other writers just get it...no explaining needed. And I missed deNiro saying it live. I had to catch the tweet. Sad, right? Missed history in the making!

      Thanks for the follow! Hugs :)

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  45. Thank goodness for our writing comrades. Blogging is something I love to do and seek to balance in my life, but I can't walk away! Glad you didn't either. :)

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    1. Nope. Not walking away. I may be slow and haphazard, but I will always be here!

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  46. I remember when I first started my blog. Oh, I thought it was going to get me readers instantly. How wrong I was! It took a lot of time and dedication before I started to get followers and comments. It's still slow going for me. This is my third year of blogging, but my blog is smaller than most no matter what I do.

    I'm happy you kept with blogging. Otherwise I never would've "met" you. :)

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    1. You're getting there Chrys! Just keep at it. I think I got the best results by joining hops. And i try to visit as many blogs as I can in a day. Some days I hit more than others...depend on how fast I can read.

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  47. Happy Blogoversary! So glad you joined us, Elizabeth.

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  48. You are too sweet, Elizabeth! I am sure happy you began blogging, and you're AMAZING at it! Happy blogoversary! <3 <3

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  49. I first blog a wrote was a secret to the world, but since I have a slightly paranoid personality, I posted to it daily just in case someone stumbled upon it. After that initial experience I decided to join the real world of blogging and actually try to connect and interact with people. Insecure doesn't begin to describe how I felt then and still sometimes do. To this day, I realize that I could have saved myself many lonely adventures by being brave enough to join this group sooner. IWSG is amazing!
    Thank you for co-hosting today.

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    1. I can understand your hesitation. What we write is like a shared part of our soul, to have it laughed at or belittled hurts. Glad you got brave!!

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  50. What a great post. Without my blog, I'd be even crazier than I am.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. You're crazy good Janie. The world always needs more crazy good. :)

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  51. Well, I for one am VERY glad you started blogging. Those who find you find a gemstone and are richer for the experience.

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    1. I'm the rich one Jeff! Good friends like yourself are more priceless than gems.

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  52. Thanks for co-hosting and congrats on 3 years of blogging! It is such a great community out here!

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    1. Yes it is! I've met some of the best people via my blog. Wonderful, smart ladies who read and review books for you ;)

      I just love them!!

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  53. You are such a doll! Blogging really is a sanity saver! I love the friendships and support. It really keeps you going! And YOU... are a definite FAVE! <>!

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  54. Congrats on being a new IWSG host! That is really exciting getting this opportunity. You seem to me to be perfectly capable of handling it. ;)

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    1. You just don't know me well enough, Cathy...or you wouldn't be saying things like perfectly capable. LOL. I did manage to hit all my blogs and I am still making my rounds to the others. I won't quit until I am done...it may be June before I finish, but I will finish!!

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  55. Happy blog anniversary! This community totally rocks. Thanks for co-hosting today.

    By the way, your bio is one of the funniest I've read :)

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    1. Thank you Julie! And yes, this is a wonderful community :)

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  56. Love this post!! As a Virgin blogger and IWSG poster, I enjoyed reading about your self-doubt and insecurities when you were a new blogger and writer. So nice to know that you felt the same way at one point. And now look at you! Co-hosting IWSG! You've come a long way! :)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and offering words of encouragement. Your words were truly helpful!! Thank you! I love that you have all boys as well--I knew we were kindred spirits!

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    1. We moms of all boys need to form a club...Mothers without Daughters. I think houses full of men without the buffering of sisters give testosterone a synergistic effect.

      Glad I could be of some helpfulness!!

      Delete
  57. I started blogging more than seven years ago, mostly as a diary. I have found it invaluable for things like finding out exactly when it was the car broke down and cost a fortune to be repaired! I have a small number of readers (family and friends) but few followers. I have recently expanded the blog to include some comment, and added a second blog, which will be following the A-Z challenge. The theme has been decided, but you'll have to wait until 21st March to find out what it is.
    I really appreciate visits and comments, particularly from people who have been in my shoes, as it were, and have come out on top.
    Thank you, and more power to you!

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    Replies
    1. Best of luck with the blogs Keith! Family and friends is the best place to start and the rest will come in time. Be patient, keep working and getting out there. You can have THE most amazing blog, but people won't know it exists unless you move around the blogosphere.

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  58. This community is amazing, isn't it? So glad you joined us. I wrote about others "not getting it", well, yesterday, I'm a bit late...happy almost three years. I'm to five! I started just to practice writing, then met Alex and the rest is history. Boy do I hope by now that he knows what he does for us...
    Tina @ Life is Good
    A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
    Co-hosting the IWSG

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    Replies
    1. I am glad too! I can't believe I feared it so much! You are right, some people don't get it. And as a reader, I can tell when someone is just using me to build a platform and truly connecting. It's a new age for writers. A better age, I think.

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  59. Love the post. Blogging has been a journey of a different kind first starting as a way to vent my job searching after the job I had shuttered and closed. Some how that never went anywhere because I was always searching for a job. It has been good to post the frustration and post when things are happy and funny.
    Happy Three Year Blogoversary!

    http://iknewiwould.blogspot.com/

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    1. It is a good place to vent. And to get encouragement. Glad you stuck with it and stopped by. Hope things fall into place for you!

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  60. Beautiful!

    When I started blogging, it was a hit and miss thing. I also had to learn lots of things. True. Baby steps. And friends. That makes this journey more blissful.

    All the best!

    SittieCates
    The Musings of a Hopeful and Pecunious Wordsmith

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    1. I'm still doing things hit and miss...but I do go at it from a place of love. LOL. I hope that makes up for all my lack of professionalism.

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  61. Nice post. Reflection is good, helps one to understand ones growth! Hope you enjoyed being a co-host.

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    1. I am so busy trying to get it all done, I fail to sometimes stop and see how far I have come. This was a great opportunity to take stock in all I have done. Makes me believe I can keep going farther.

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  62. It is amazing what a wonderful community we belong to. Not being an author, I don't join in with the IWSG but sometimes read the posts. Thanks for dropping by.

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    1. Your comments alone are priceless in the blogosphere. That's why I had to stop by. You always make me smile when I see you out and about (in the comments that is...not stalking...I swear!)

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  63. We are a crazy group of people and it's really amazing how much we support each other. Here, it's okay to hate your characters and kill them. Here, it's okay to be extremely happy and sad at the same time. Here, it's okay to find someone to virtually hug! The writing community is one of my favorite parts of writing. I've gained so many friends who I've never met, but I've given a part of myself to. :)

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    1. You totally get it! We do need that. Our families can support and love us, but truly, only other writers can understand why we can go from being on top of the world after a good review and then sunk to the bottom ten minutes later by a bad one. We are a bit crazy and we need other people like us to help us through.

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  64. if you never joined...we would have never have met and THAT IS A TRAGEDY!!

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    1. That would make my world a dark and unfriendly place :(

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  65. I'm glad you started blogging. I don't talk about my blog too much with people in real life. Only writer friends get it. Other people might construe it as a waste of time or think "who the heck is she to blog?"

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    1. I don't discuss it much either. It's sort of my own pet project.

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  66. Yes, we really do have a great community. Thanks for co-hosting. So glad you find blogging rewarding. Cheers!
    Play off the Page

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  67. It's funny how we can be so scared to try something - or to start something - that ends up becoming a totally important and awesome part of our lives. :) Good on you for taking the plunge - and on your son for helping out and telling you not to care what jerks think. He made a great point! :D

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    1. It is amazing. And I do have wise children. Somehow I raised them up to be way smarter than me.

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  68. It was scary for me the first year too. But it sure is a relief to talk to other writers with the same problems (did you ever find that lucky map?) and learn from them. Lots of us care what an "old lady on 6th street" has to say :)

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    1. Aww Donna, you're a sweetie! I'm glad you care about the lady on 6th street :)

      Nope, never did find the map. Just have to keep spinning the globe on the blogosphere and moving around the world one post at a time!

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  69. Aw, thanks for the mention. I adore your blog, your Facebook posts, your books and your friendship. The blogosphere is so much bigger than you think it is when you make that first leap, but it's a fantastic one to make :-)

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    1. It is a really big part of the equation and yet at the same time, it gets pretty small too. I mean once you get to know people it starts to feel like a real community.

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  70. Happy Blogoversary!!! I know, blogging is weird. I've made several good friends/critique partners, many writer buddies and a few people I just can't stop reading. It really is more of a community than anything. :)

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    1. That is the truth. It is a community...way more than a platform.

      Glad you're back Libby! Missed you :)

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  71. Loved your blog too Chris!! I only wish I was half as handy as you. Too bad I don't live close enough to visit your boutique!

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  72. I'm so glad you've been able to engage and create an entire second life here on this blog. Happy Blogoversary!

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