Blogging Should be Fun!

 

As a beginning writer years ago, I was told I needed a blog. I needed to blog on a regular basis, have great content that speaks to my readers, and fills a need in their lives. In fact, “they” were quite insistent about this. So I started a blog. And remembered why I never managed to keep a diary as a kid. You can find that blog here. I also took part in a multi-writer blog that is closed now but still has awesome posts. There is some good stuff there.

Then, I was told I really should have my blog on WordPress. That all the best blogs were there. So, I came over here and started blogging. Naturally, I couldn’t figure out how to import all the old blog posts into the new blog so now there is the old blog and a new one.

If you look back over the posts you can see when I suck it up, get serious, and blog for a while. Then something happens and I don’t. But not long ago, I figured out the issue. Too much pressure to have a perfect blog post. It’s not fun. And blogging should be fun. It should be something enjoyed.

I still believe a writer needs to have a blog or at least an online presence. And a blog is a great way to do that. It’s a way to let the reader know about you and your writing while peaking into your life without being a crazy stalker.

I believe the content needs to be something of use to the reader.

But, I also believe blogging should be fun. So, as of today, I’ll be blogging but I’m not going to stress over the perfect post with the perfect content that touches every reader.

Here’s to having fun with a blog. 🙂

 

Virginia’s Diary by Suzanne Peyton

Not long ago I had the privilege to meet Suzanne Peyton and hear a bit of her story that inspired this book. It’s an amazing tale and I want to encourage y’all to check it out. The book has been updated and will release on the 4th of this month. And the really cool thing, there is a movie in the works for this. It’s going to be awesome. So, get the book now.

 

What would you do if you went to bed tonight and had a dream that changed your life and your family’s history forever?

January 3, 1958 – An old woman, who had been wrongly committed into a mental hospital, took her own life. I found out later that woman was my great-grandmother, Virginia Avery.

January 3, 1999 – I had a dream that causes me to challenge every story my mother had been told about Virginia, who supposedly abandoned her children in 1904.

As the lies began to unravel, my journey led me to New Orleans, and what I found, rocked me to my core.

 

Use a comma, keep Grandma out of trouble…

Many of you are acquainted with my daughter, Beth. She’s the author of the cutest kid’s book, A Tough Little Squirrel. We’re working on the sequel, Stop That Turtle. It’s going to be even cuter. But that’s not what this post is about.

Our church held VBS today. That would be Vacation Bible School for those not familiar with the terminology. But. late Friday afternoon, after work, Beth and my mom went to the church to do some decorating. And that’s cool. She has her own car and could come home when she was ready. Well, it was almost 9:30 and she still wasn’t home so I had my youngest daughter text her to see what’s going on.She replied that she was painting and stuff.

Now, I admit I’m a bit overprotective. I guess when you lose one child, it naturally happens. I had youngest ask if anyone else was there. Our church is safe, but still, it was getting on to 10 p.m. and I didn’t want her there alone. That overprotective thing.  Beth’s reply was “No other people here.” And this is where Grandma was about to get in trouble. My mom is a bit protective too so I knew, or at least thought I knew, that she’d never leave Beth at church alone. Through youngest, I told her to go ahead and come home and we could finish early this morning.

When she got home, we were talking and she was telling about the other people there. I had to ask her to clarify her message. It should have been, “No, other people are here.” She left out the comma.

Because there was no comma, there was a whole mix-up in the message, and I was about to start looking for a “home” for my mom who was obviously loosing it. (Joking here.)

I still haven’t gotten all the comma rules down. I am working on it though and am better than I was. What about you? Got those commas figured out? Here’s a few links that might help.

Ten Simple Rules for Using Commas

Basic Rules of Commas in Writing

5 Simple Comma Rules to Live By

Comment and be entered to win a free 10 page critique from me. I’ll pick at least one person from all the comments this month as my way of giving back to all those who helped me.