Ending 2011 On A Positive Note (and a publication)

I am excited to end 2011 on a high note.  My article, TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG...That is the Question, was published in the December issue of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Missouri Newsletter.  In the article I mention (without names) a couple of special friends I've met because of blogging and some of the opportunities I've had because of blogging.  I also mention The A-Z Challenge sponsored by Arlee Bird.  ( I know a lot of you did it last year.)  It will be A-Z time soon...

Blogging has really made a huge impact on my writing life and my personal life.  I feel like I have gained so much by having YOU as my friends.  I hope that you have found lots of friends in blogland like I have.

Thank you for being my friend!  (HUG)

I hope that 2012 brings you good health, good friends, true love, happiness and (if you are a writer) an agent & a book contract.  


HUGS TO ALL...Have a fun and safe New Year's Eve.

ARE YOU A RESPONDER?

(I think this is the iguana I touched!)

Are you a responder? Do you respond to every comment on your blog? I’m curious, especially after reading Greg’s post on The Happy Accident.

I try to respond to each commenter. I usually have between five and twenty-five comments a day, so it’s not too hard to be personal. I want you (the reader) to know I appreciate that you enjoyed my words enough to leave a comment.

What happens when you have 700 followers like the ladies over at Shooting Star? Could you respond to all of their comments each day? They amaze me! They still are able to make personal comments. Suzette sent me a facebook message this week about my puppy, and she's a virtual friend...

Can blogging get in the way of writing?

I consider every post a writing exercise. What about you?

Do you like sharing little bits about yourself? (You don’t have to answer that question…) I shared a lot yesterday and it was fun.

I’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS…

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

HMMMM...Isn't that what we all want to know?

What’s Bill going to do about his pregnant ex-girlfriend? Can Jon and Elizabeth’s marriage survive this scandal? Will Katelyn win American Idol? Who is going to the NCAA tournament this year? When will the war be over? Is all the relief money getting to the people of Haiti? We’re all waiting to see what is going to happen next.

Why do you read other people’s blogs? Is it so you can find out what is going to happen next in the blog writer’s life? Do you read blogs to find out about people’s daily lives? I’m sure you don’t care if the dishes are done or not. (done) Or do you read them to see what a writer’s life is truly like? Mine is full of highs and lows. Almosts and not quites… Do the not quites make me doubt myself, no not really. They make me push a little harder. Read a little more. Research more. Write a lot more.

Do you read to try and figure out whether the blog writer is kind, snarky, an introvert, an extrovert, funny, or demure? I wonder what you think of me…I know what I think of my readers. My readers are genuinely caring people. They put thought and effort into their comments, which lets me know something about their character. When they come back again and again it says something else about their character.

MY NEWS: Today was my Fifteen Minutes with Literary Agent Mark McVeigh! I’ll be posting our chat in two segments later this week. Mark is going to email me some photographs to post. He is such a nice guy. If you haven’t joined his blog, please hop over and give it a whirl.

Also, I can’t tell you how cool Skype is. If you have a webcam, download Skype for free and have video phone calls for free. I’m going to harass The WAD until they are all on Skype. It is wonderful to see their faces when you are talking; it makes the miles not seem like it's so many.

TIP FOR THE DAY: Twitter, blog, fb, and Skype (Yes, I’m using it as a verb.)

QUESTION OF THE DAY? What causes you click on a commenter’s name, read their profile, link over to their blog and join then join it?