Last week was such a fun topic! If you didn't get a chance to comment or to read what others wrote go check it out. It was so interesting to hear where people got their user names and blog names from.
This week I was wondering how you decided to start blogging? What was it it that made you decide to create your own blog and how long have you been doing it? Who were some of the people that helped and supported you?
I kind of stumbled into it by accident at the end of last summer. I had been participating in online bookclubs at Barnes & Noble for a few years and gradually joined some other social networks. A very good friend (Kaye of Pudgy Penguin Perusals) mentioned that she had been to LibraryThing and asked if I had been there yet. I visited and I joined that one too and that changed everything! I had joined some of the groups there and I kept reading about ARCs and blogs. I didn't have much experience with either one so I was very curious. When I started visiting and reading all of your lovely blogs I was fascinated! They were wonderful! I couldn't believe you all created them yourself. I also signed up for a couple of contests on your blogs and after a few anonymous posts where I had to write out my name and information each time I decided to get my own account on Blogger. Well, I went to the wrong place or did the wrong thing or something and I ended up with my own blog. Wasn't I surprised! It seemed interesting and I wanted to give it a try. A chance to read more books and talk about them too - yay hooray! Kaye was doing the same thing so I knew I would have someone to go through it all with me. My first post wasn't much of a post. It was a brief hello and three sentences that mentioned I would be back soon with more. I wasn't sure what it would be more of, but I would be back. The next post was more of the same. Eventually I added something with a little bit of content and then I wrote my first review.
Even with that first little post you all welcomed me. I had five people say hello. I wasn't even expecting one! You're all so kind and friendly, I wouldn't have kept going without you. And I learned everything from all of you as well. I didn't know what I was doing or how to do it until I came here. I asked a lot of questions, visited a lot of blogs, asked a lot more questions, followed other people's questions and answers and experimented. A lot. Some things take me a long time to do with this stupid dial up connection that you all know I'm so fond of (grrrr) but it still gets done. I am so very grateful that last year at this time I was welcomed into the world of blogging. Shortly after that on October 11, 2008, I was welcomed again when I joined the community with my own blog. It's almost my one year blogoversary already and I can't believe how much I've accomplished (and how much I have left to do!).
I didn't mean to babble for so long but I appreciate what everyone has helped me with. I hope I will be here at this time next year preparing for another blogoversary. Whatever happens, I'm having a blast!! How about you?
Posts
Interesting discussion!
ReplyDeleteI just went back to look and I started my blog in May 2008. I didn't realize that it's over a year old already! I didn't realize I started that long ago.
I don't even remember why I started it. I remember getting a book through PaperbackSwap and the person who sent the book (I can't remember who) sent me the address of her blog with it. So, I went to check it out and then started browsing other people's blogs.
They looked like so much fun that I wanted to try it too. I used to review books on AOL years ago and stopped. When I saw people were reviewing books they had read (not necessarily reviews requested by an author or publisher), I thought it was something I'd like to do. No pressure to get reviews done by a certain deadline, just my own schedule. Now, I've branched out and started accepting reviews from authors and publishers - therefore, giving myself the pressure of a deadline once again. But, I do that to myself :)
Anyway, I then started to meet some wonderful people online. This has been a great experience.
I started blogging in June of 2008. I used to read a few blogs, and kept thinking, I can do that. That went on for quite a while. Then, my son came home from school last summer and I mentioned it to him and the rest is history! He was like a dog with a bone and wouldn't let go of the idea until I started my blog.
ReplyDeleteI initially was starting a blog as a place where I could update happenings in my life for family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI then stumbled across a contest which lead me to spend a few days bouncing around the book blog world. I was amazed there were so many people like me and the blogs were awesome. I thought I could do this maybe not with all the content & reviews everyone does. I didn't have much faith in my writing skills to pull off reviews yet. But I thought I could put down what I've read and what I'm reading, etc. I started up slowing and have been building ever since. I even stumble my way through reviews now and have branched out to posting them not only on my blog but on a few other sites also.
I found everyone I've come across to be so nice and friendly. A great community I am proud to be partaking in.
Over at Amazon, I was trying to keep a list of all the books I've read using the So You'd Like... to guides. In the guides, you have to write a minimum word count in order for it to be posted, so I'd write mini reviews of some books. I started doing this for each book, but I was at the maximum word count so I couldn't do it anymore. So I thought, "Why not start a blog?" And that's what I did.
ReplyDeleteI've also always had trouble actually writing things, mainly because I do everything last minute. So the blog helps me not procrastinate as much. :p Hopefully, this will carry on once school starts up.
I still keep a list of books I read at Amazon.
~ Popin
Debbie...it is eerie how much my story matches yours...even including our Penguin Pal, Kaye...so when mine comes around in Jan, can I just cut and paste yours to save time....OK, I'll change a few words so it isn't totally stolen! but really, what a lovely, well written post!
ReplyDeleteWell, heck, Bingo - I am going to go right ahead and steal it. Where it says Kaye insert Debbie, where it says Pudgy Penguin Perusals insert Wrighty's Reads. *Grins* Okay, seriously, I don't think I would have survived without Debbie. More times than not I e mailed her frantically how do I do this or how do I do that? Debbie has the patience of a saint and I feel truly blessed and honored to call her friend. Now if I could just meet her in person, it would be perfect! Although I feel I "know" her already.
ReplyDeleteDebbie~ Thanks for always being there for me. You make a wonderful addition to the blogging community.
I hope you keep up this feature because it is really fun. Maybe you could do a poll for future "wonderings".
I am so glad you stumbled into blogging! You have such a warmth about you. You are a peach! And your blogoversary is quickly approaching! Rock on, girl!
ReplyDeleteKelly :)
I started blogging in June 2007. I knew I was mostly going to talk about knitting because I was doing so much of it at the time. And I always read a lot, so I figured I'd throw in some talk about books. But the reason I decided to do this was because I'm writing a novel and I needed to be more disciplined in my writing, so I figured writing about books and knitting could get the creative juices flowing. At least it was some type of writing! I never imagined I'd love blogging so much and "meet" so many cool people.
ReplyDelete--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric