I Blog Like I Mean It

Stuck

2009-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Man, you ever been on a roll, chugging along, growing followers, getting comments, a new PR pitch/giveaway each week, Twitter numbers look good, you're never at a loss of what to post...and then...boom.

Where.did.my.motivation.go?

It's my readers, I tell ya. If my readers don't show, or my comments dip, then I don't feel it. I used to say that I did this for me, but I really do it for my readers, too. I want them to feel like their voices matter in the dialogue and if they don't show...it means I have a rough time finding the motivation to post.

But I will push past this. I have to.

Feels like begging...

2009-03-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

So my stats for my blogs have been good (great, actually) for March. I spend a lot of time replying to comments left on my blog and leaving comments on others' blogs. I figure I've got to give to get, right?

But it still feels so...strange to me. Almost feels like begging. Like, "Please, pretty please. I promise you I'm a great writer and you'll be entertained and I have the site that you have been looking for....everything I write I do with you in mind! Please come! Write comments! Link to me! Please!"

Ugh. And who wants to hear that? No one. So I need to focus on just making my content better and inviting the folks that do come by to kick off their shoes and stay awhile. :)

Still blogging....

2009-03-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely, this blog thing is taking off. I'm posting on an every day schedule now, and getting more and more comments (which I love). I love the dialogue and the psuedo-friendship that arises.

I've also been getting a lot of PR pitches, which surprised me at first. I was like, "Me? My little ol' blog?" But then I realized that my stats aren't half bad and I do have a bit of a "following." So if these pitches result in more giveaways for my readers, then I'm cool with that.

I never started blogging so I could become famous (although I'm open to being rich!). I started because I couldn't find a community that spoke to my needs as a young mother. I had to create it myself. I'd say I'm off to a good start.

Why it's not so easy to be a pseudo-freelancer

2009-03-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

I do consider myself a freelance writer, even though I have a full-time job, because I write outside of work and get paid for it.

But it's rough. Some days I feel like quitting because there are so many obstacles. Lack of time during the day (because I'm working) to write, leaving me the hours between 9 p.m. and midnight to get most of my work done. Feeling stifled with my writing style because I wouldn't want to say anything that reflects poorly upon my company. Lack of flexibility to interview subjects. (I usually interview folks on the West coast, just because the time difference usually works for me.)

But I'm still determined. I don't really believe in only having one source of income. It makes me nervous. I grew up with an uneasy feeling about my family's financial security and I carry that burden with me to this day.

So I work and I write, I work and I write, I work and I write. That's my life in a nutshell. Completely exhausting, but very satisfying.

Keep pushing

2009-01-23T10:38:00.001-08:00

I've been keeping my pledge to publish at least one blog post each day, but it seems like it's getting harder and harder to do. We're buying a house (yay us) and it's getting down to wire, trying to make sure we close on a property and get possession well in advance of our lease expiring so we can make sure we make any necessary changes or upgrades before we have to leave our apartment.

So writing is beginning to take a backseat, no matter how much I don't want it to. I write whever I can, but I still feel like my mind needs to be focused on other things, like our financing for the house, studying the pros and cons of one house versus the other, logistical things like how long it will take me to get to work, etc.

But I'm trying. The greatest writers don't always have gobs of time to just sit and write. They work too. I've just got to keep pushing and make it happen!

Who's holding you accountable?

2009-01-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of the week from hell and I just want to take a break from all this writing. Every free minute I get I am on the computer typing away and I just want to go lie down for a while. Just put my head on the pillow, close my eyes and rest.

But I have this amazing group of writer friends and they keep me going. We have dreams of being the next big thing in publishing and I know if we keep pushing ourselves, we'll go far.

Building my brand...

2009-01-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

You know, I haven't been this energized and excited EVER! I have finally figured out what to do with all this writing talent that has been simmering in my head and slowly seeping its way out my fingers.

I'm building a brand.

Blog by blog, little by little.

The Young Mommy Life is just the start of this brand.

I'm going to branch out into food, fashion, home decor, finance. With a little bit of everything. EBooks, cookbooks, regular books, radio shows, magazine articles, everything. It's time for the young mom to be recognized and respected! Who's with me?

Branching out beyond my own blog...

2008-12-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

I have this crazy burning desire to be an insanely prolific writer. I mean, I want to do books, screenplays, eBooks, articles, newspaper columns, novels, etc. I want to do it all.

I have never wavered from this. Ever. All my life I've wanted to be a writer and that's all I have ever done. People ask what my talent is, and I tell them, "I write." Not as showy as playing the piano, per se, but I think it's just as sexy.

So I've spend the better part of the past two months just trying to get my name out there. Any site I came across that had content I could relate to, I sent an e-mail to the editor saying I wanted in. To my surprise, they've all said yes. It's amazing that all you have to do is ask.

So I have a ton, ton, ton of articles due in the next month and I couldn't be more excited. This is it, y'all! *best Joker (Heath Ledger) voice* And here...we....go.

Leave comments and they will find you...

2008-12-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging on and off (mostly on except for a few breaks after I had my daughter and son) for the past four years. Sometimes I can't believe it's been that long.

When I started blogging, it was just for me to express whatever was on my mind at the moment. I wasn't expecting to make any money at it. I don't even think I knew people could make money at it.

But this summer I started a blog, TheYoungMommyLife (don't ask why they're are no spaces - I just prefer it that way) and am trying to make it profitable. It is a lot of work, but I know if I keep at it, I will be successful.

I'm learning that the more comments you leave, the more visits you get. I'm currently still hovering around 2,000 visits per month, but every now and then I'll have a great day where I'll have 200+ visits. It's not much, but I hope one day to look back through my archives and see how far I've come!

This blog was a long time coming...

2008-12-11T17:22:00.001-08:00

I've been writing for a very long time. There's something about the process, the rhythm of the click-clack of the keyboard that soothes. When I don't write each day, I get cranky. It's as natural to me as breathing air.

So I've decided to try to make a living at it. I've studied journalism in college, I've subscribed to tens of magazines and buy plenty more on the newsstand. I've maintained three blogs over the years, each of which had a decent following before life interrupted and I found my "free time" to be nonexistent.

This is the space where I can air my frustrations, celebrate my successes, and perhaps even share a tip or two as I try to make it big.

Wish me luck!