If You Really Want To

This week, my sister Sophie turned thirteen. Amongst all the excitement about it being her birthday and about the fact that she is now a teenager, one of the things that she excited her most was the fact that she was now old enough to have her own Youtube channel. Sophie wants to be a vlogger as well as a blogger. With all the practice she’s had a making other videos (such as her ‘Show and Tell’ feature on her blog), she’s got all the skills to make the videos. But to me, who’s so camera shy that I won’t even listen to my own recorded voice, this idea sounds crazy. Who would willingly sit in front of a camera and talk to the world? It’s far easier to hide behind the written word.

But Sophie really wants to be a vlogger, and the fact that she has to sit in front of a camera and talk doesn’t seem to worry her. Nothing is going to stop her from having that shiny new Youtube channel she’s been dreaming about for weeks. I can understand that. For a long time I wanted to start a writing blog and talk about characters and plots and writers block and share the things I learnt about the craft of writing. But, for a long time, I held myself back, because after all, who would want to listen to me? It’s not like I’m the most experienced writer in the world and there are so many other writing blogs out there. Who would notice one more?

I’m sure there are a lot of vloggers out there too. Youtube is filled with so many different kinds of channels, from musicians, to Youtube shows, vloggers and those who make videos for businesses. Sophie could easily have said, ‘what’s the point of making that Youtube channel I want when there are so many others out there?’ But she didn’t. She went ahead and started her channel because she really wants it. And after all, what’s to stop her? The only thing that would stop her is herself, just like I was the only thing stopping myself from having a writing blog.

If you really want to do something, then the fact that there are lots of others doing the exact same thing shouldn’t stop you. Sophie has her Youtube channel now, despite the fact that there are other vloggers, and I finally made that writing blog I wanted, even though lots of other people have them. If there’s one thing I’m learning, it’s that, if you really want to do something, then you’ll find a way to do it, no matter what. No one can really stop you, except yourself.

Do you have a vlog channel? Have you ever wanted to start one? Or are you camera shy like me? What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do? 

Camp NaNoWriMo, a Blog, and a Dog

I don’t know about you, but to me, April means Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m never one to let a NaNoWriMo event pass me by. Come April 1st and I was in my virtual Camp Cabin, chatting with my fellow writers and frantically typing away. Camp NaNoWriMo is always a month filled with frenzied writing, bursts of inspiration and unexpected challenges and this April was no exception.

My first challenge came in the form of RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury) in one of my hands, which reduced me to typing with one hand. Of course, being the stubborn writer I am, I refused to admit defeat and strapped my hand up in a wrist brace, bought an ergonomic keyboard, and soldiered on. While it made writing tough for a while, I wasn’t about to let it bring my Camp to an end early.

The next distraction came in the form of a brand new blog, this time about writing. For a long time I’ve wanted to start a blog about writing, but it wasn’t until this April that I actually got around to starting one. And so, Gossiping with Dragons was born. Of course, I started it in one of the busiest months of the whole year, but after all, that is what Camp NaNoWriMo is all about, the challenge.

Finally, we adopted a puppy from the animal shelter. A dog is another thing I've always wanted. So, just after Easter, right at the end of Camp when I needed to be catching up with the word count I got behind on during Easter, I was playing with a six month old puppy with a big nose and masses of curiosity. Nora is a bitzer, a bit of this and a bit of that, all combined to make a puppy that is a bundle of energy and endearingly friendly.

At the end of April, after all the challenges and distractions, what have I got? I have a Camp NaNoWriMo win, a brand new novel (in the form of a terrible first draft), a dog, and a new writing blog. To me, that equals a successful month.

How was your April? Like to come and visit my new blog? Did you take part in Camp NaNoWriMo? Anyone else got a dog with a nose like a vacuum cleaner? Any tips for avoiding RSI?

The Fun of Blogging with Family

Most of my family have blogs. My mum writes on several blogs. My three younger sisters all have their own blogs. Even my older sister Felicity, who lives a long way away, has a blog. But, in all the time we’ve been blogging, we’ve only ever written on our own, personal blogs, except for the occasional guest post on each other’s blogs. Until now.

This year we’ve started a new blog, Mother, Daughters, Sisters, where all us Elvis girls will be blogging together about our lives and the things that interest us. The blog has been going for about a week so far, and already it’s been amazing fun. This past week has been all about introducing ourselves, and it’s interesting to see how each person has introduced themselves in a different way, from Sophie who interviewed herself, to Felicity who wrote a heartfelt post on why she is different and it doesn’t matter.

Yesterday it was my turn to introduce myself on the blog. Somehow I find introductions very difficult to write. How does one manage to write an introduction that tells people about you and at the same time make you sound like an interesting person? Well, I don’t know if I managed to write an interesting post, but my attempt involves Jane Austen’s heroines including a previously unknown one...

There are lots of great things about blogging with my family. There are lots of people to share the posting with. It doesn’t matter if no one reads the blog (though of course we would love it if people did), because we’re sharing our posts with each other. It’s a way to keep connected with Felicity, who lives on the other side of the country. And most importantly, we’re all sharing a passion for writing in a personal way that connects us, no matter how far away we are.

Have you ever shared a blog with friends or family? Would you ever consider being part of a shared blog? What do you think is the best part about blogging with other people?

April Adventures Successes

Before April started, I wrote a post about all the adventurous things I was taking on in April. And honestly, there were a lot. I looked at my list and couldn't believe how many things I was doing. What was I thinking? Well, to tell the truth, I wasn't thinking. Not until it was too late.

Still, I had signed up for all those things, and I wasn't about to give up now. So I went to it with a will, determined not to fall behind in anything. Surely I could manage that? Well, maybe...

April Camp NaNo was the easiest of the challenges. Even aiming for a higher goal than the usual 50 thousand words I found it fairly easy to keep up with the required minimum of words. Writing first drafts of novels is the best part of novel writing to me.

The A-Z challenge was harder. Being me, I wasn't prepared at all. I didn't even sign up until a few days before. I had no idea of what to write. Every evening I sat at my desk and tried to come up with something interesting to say, with varying amounts of success.

And then there were university assignments that had to be written and submitted on time. Music practices to be done. Family to attempt to see more than just at meal times. So many things to do in a day.

And did I manage it? Yes I did. I didn't miss a day with the A-Z challenge. I completed my April Camp NaNo word count. I did my music practices, submitted my assignments, and even managed to remember I had a family every once in a while. April was a huge success.

After all that hard work in April, I took a blogging break for the first two weeks of May to recharge. Which means I'm terribly behind with the lovely comments that people have left me. My apologise, and thank you to everyone who has left a comment. I'm working moderating and answering them all as fast as I can.

Clueless

I sit down at my computer and open a new document. Today I’m going to write a blog post that is completely clever. It’s going to be cunningly composed. It’s going to be able…what? I’m clueless. I don’t have a subject to write about.

Is there a comic conversation I can create a post about? Was there a clever cat moment? Maybe I have a photo on my camera that could spark a creative thought. Can I remember a catastrophe to recount? If all else fails, I could eat some chocolate. It may not spark a post, but it would be delicious anyway, and very comforting.

A clever thought pops into my head. I shall ask my sister Charlotte to come up with a topic for me. Her creative mind teams with ideas that will surely provide me with a catchy title and a great post.  Or maybe I should close the post and think of other things, like characters and chases. Maybe then my mind will catch an amazing idea.

I might be clueless now, but I have my ways of chasing down a subject. My blank post can’t stay contentless forever. It would be a calamity!

Dusting Off the Abandoned Blog

November the 30th and the writing madness that is NaNoWriMo is coming to an end. Around the world writers are finishing up their novels and emerging from their literary worlds to see if that mythical thing called 'real life' still exists.

Me, I'm finished, and suddenly I remember how much I've neglected this poor blog over the past few weeks. While I've been typing madly, this abandoned blog has been sitting here gathering dust and waiting for me to get my head out of the clouds and back into the real world where it belongs.

So, it's time for me to dust off my blog, and remember my patient blog followers, whom I abandoned without a word of warning, and remember how it was that I used to post regularly. And how to write blog posts instead of novels...

Well, at least with Christmas coming up, and so many things happening around then, I'm sure to have plenty to write about. But for now, I am back, and I'm ready to blog once more.

Redesigning and Blog Headers

As part of the organisation I wrote about earlier, I've changed the whole look of my blog. See, for some time I've been wanting to make a collage blog header, like the one Mum made. Except that she used Picnik, and that's gone now.

But the other day, we discovered PicMonkey, which is very nearly the same as Picnik, does collages like Picnik, and is perfect for making blog headers. And, on a side note, you can make collage facebook cover photos too.

So, I have a new header now. And, I've changed the background to match. If I were clever, I'd be able to work out how to make my own backgrounds. But I'm not that clever yet. Maybe in the future.

If you want to find out how to make a collage blog header, visit my Mum's post. And if you want to see how to make a collage facebook banner, see this post.

What do you think of my new header? And how do you think my newly designed blog looks? Are you one of those clever people who can make their own backgrounds?

Blogging Days

Everywhere around the blogosphere I see people who have special 'days' on their blogs. One day might  be a Funny Picture Friday. Another might be a Worst Hairdo Wednesday. And on these days, they write on these certain subjects, like a theme day.

The idea of having certain days for posting on certain subjects is very interesting. By having a theme day, you'd never worry about what topic to write on, and your readers would know what days their favourite kinds of posts were posted on.

But then, what if you didn't want to post on that topic? What if you got to Worst Hairdo Wednesday and suddenly came up with a great post about that crazy paper mache model you made of your favourite book cover but you couldn't post it because it didn't fit with the theme of the day?

 So today I have a question for you: What do you think about having subject days on a blog, and, do you use them?

Changing Over

So, I finally gave in. I switched to the new look blogger. And I have to confess, I was very reluctant to do so. I liked the look of the old blogger, with it's colourful pages, and easy to find buttons. I liked how it was easy to find the settings page at a glance.

But for weeks a little sign had been starting me in the face. "The old blogger dashboard will be removed in coming months. Upgrade now."

Well, I did it. I hit that 'upgrade now' button. And at once I found myself lost in the new, white dashboard with it's multitude of drop down menus and sidebars.

Exploration only made me more confused. I was trying to look at my stats, so how did I end up in the settings? Where did I go now to change the design of my blog? Which button brought me to the 'new post' page? I struggled to figure it out.

Despite my struggles however, and my reluctance to like the new look, I have finally given in and admitted it. There are some good points to the new look and layout.

I like the white, fresh look it has, uncluttered and spacious. I love white space on my screen. I love how much easier it is to put pictures in my posts than it was before, and how I can change the size once the picture's on my screen. I like how you can see your stats without leaving the dashboard.

It's not easy for me, getting use to what amounts to a whole new site. But I'm  managing. And I'm finding that there truly are things to like. Now, if I could only stop getting lost in all the buttons and tabs...

Have you switched to the new Blogger? Do you prefer the old look or the new? What do you like best about the new Blogger look?

Organising the Blog

So, as you've probably noticed by now, I've done a little reorganising round the blog. There is now a lovely neat row of pages across the top of the blog, each one containing blog posts of different subjects. Also, the cloud of labels in my sidebar has shrunk.

The reason for this sudden burst of organisation started with the realisation that I've written over 150 posts. That's a lot of posts for people to wade through, looking for posts on a certain topic. Even my labels wouldn't help people very much.

It was time, I decided, to change that.

Fast forwards a few days, and, with much effort and labour I'd relabelled every single blog post to fit under certain headings. If you look in my sidebar, you'll see that the number of post labels has shrunk dramatically.

Also, a new row of pages had sprung up. There's now a page for my writing posts (page still waiting for me to add the rest of the posts), a page for my art and craft exploits, especially my doodles. There's a page for my blogging posts (anyone want to know how to make a blog button?). And there's a page for my adventures with the NaNoWriMo events.

The NaNoWriMo events page is the page on which I've written all the information about my experiences with those events. There's the projects I worked on, how many words I wrote, and the badges from each event. Plus there's links to the events if anyone wants to join me.

So, that's how my blog stands at the moment. I hope to add new pages soon, with the rest of my blog posts on them. I will definitely update the pages I've already got as I write new posts. And I'm fairly confident that soon people will be able to find all my posts with ease. Reorganising a blog is hard work, but it is worth it.

Have you had to reorganise your blog? Any pages you'd like to see on my blog? Any tips for reorganisation? I'd love to hear from you.

A Brief Blogging Break

I am 'waving' goodbye for now

Much as I love blogging, I am curently forced to take a brief break. If anyone has noticed the lack of posts over the last week or so, it is because I've been working on a couple of large university assignments. While one is finished, I am still hard at work writing the other, which means I haven't the time to write blog posts right now. So I'll say goodbye until next Monday, when I should hopefully be back. In the meantime, I'll still be floating around the blogosphere, just essay writing, not post writing.

Disconnect

Blogging is fun. I love reading blog posts. I love writing them too. And I love the comments people leave on blog posts. Yes, the blogosphere is a nice place to be, and certainly I don't mind spending a while here.

But sometimes there are more important things to do than blog. Sometimes you just have to disconnect from the blogosphere and spend time doing something else.

That's what I've been doing for the past week. With Easter preparations, masses and family time, blogging had to give way. With so much going on, there simply wasn't time to think about blogging.

And to tell the truth, it was good to be away for a while. Once things quietened down I found that instead of blog surfing, I read, and wrote and drew. Instead of thinking up new blog posts to write, I thought about ideas for my script, twists for my novel and subjects for new doodles. I rediscovered things that got pushed to the background thanks to blogging and life.

I'm glad to be back in the blogosphere, catching up on missed blog posts. I missed writing on my blogs. But, thanks to disconnecting for a while, I found that blogging wasn't the only thing worth doing in the world. Sometimes you just have to disconnect for a while and rejoin the rest of the world. If nothing else, it helps to grow an appreciation of the blogging world when you get back.

Have you ever found it useful to disconnect from the blogosphere for a while?

What Makes a Good Blog Post?

When I look at a new blog, ultimately it's the blog posts that are going to draw me in. It makes sense after all, as that's what we go to a blog to read. And I know that I've found a blog to come back to when I really enjoy reading the posts.

What makes a good blog post in my eyes is a post that tells you something about the writer. Whether it's a post on the craft of writing, or a post on the person's life, having that connection is like a magic link, drawing me in.

Obviously I am selective about subject too. There's no point my reading a blog on photography or poetry, as neither of those are things I'm particularly interested in.

And then there's formatting. Paragraphs are essential in my eyes. You can write the best post in the world, but if it's densely packed with no spaces, I'm probably not going to read it, simply because reading block text is so tiring. And good spelling and grammar doesn't hurt either.

Of course, these are only my personal guidelines for good blog posts. Everyone has their own preferences. But to me, this is what makes a good blog post that'll have me coming back again and again.

What makes a good blog post in your opinion? What do you enjoy reading about?

Writing and Receiving Comments

Deep down inside most bloggers, buried next to the wish to have a billion blog followers, the most page views ever and to be able to write instant hit one line posts, is the wish to receive comments. Any comment. Just something to show that there’s someone out there reading your work and liking it enough to tell you so.

I am one of this crowd, often desperate to hear from other bloggers. Was there something wrong with my last post? Is that why no one commented? Have I bored all my readers so much they’ve decided to leave?

Every comment I get is a gift. Precious because someone took the time to stop and say something, someone who only knows me through my blog. I love all my commenters, from the ones who only have time to say, ‘I loved your post,’ to the ones who write huge long comments full of personal stories and life.

I love my commenters so much that I’m dedicated to answering every single comment I receive. I always answer, and always try to say something personal to every comment. Because I appreciate my comments.

Sometimes though, I wonder about other blogger. Especially the ones who receive hundreds of comments on every post. Do they still get a thrill from receiving a comment? Do they read every single one and think, ‘Wow, these people took time to say sometime to me’?

And then, what sort of comments do people like to receive? Do people prefer to have a short one liner? Or a long personal comment showing how the post touched the commenter?

Personally, I love this second sort. It’s good to feel that something I’ve said has touched someone else. These are the best sorts of comments to answer too. You can share so much through these comments.

I suppose that’s why I write these comments too. If I can’t say something about how this post is relevant to me then I just won’t write a comment. I don’t like to leave a comment that anyone could leave. I want it to be personal. I want it to be from me.

Today I thought I’d post some commenting questions for you. I’m interested, what sort of comments do you like to get? What sort of comments do you write? Do you like bloggers to respond to your comments or aren’t you really bothered?

My Artistic Notebook

Recently Mum started a new blog. It was to be a blog for pictures, not words. And on it, she posted photos of whatever was going on in our lives.

I loved the idea, and lived in jealousy of her wonderful blog and blog idea. Until a couple of days ago, when I decided to make my own pictures blog. A blog without words, a blog where the pictures are the most important thing in the post. In fact, the fewer words the better.

I like writing blog posts for this blog. But sometimes I want to do something with pictures, something that wouldn't fit with the rest of this blog. My new blog will do this for me. Already, in the couple of posts I have up, I've really started enjoying playing with the pictures, trying out new, free photo editing programs, thinking of new ways to spice up a picture.

My new blog Imogen's Notebook, is my online diary, a place where I can be artistic, without using my limited art abilities. I'm looking forwards to many posts of awesome pictures, and much fun with editing.

For those who'd like to see my new blog, here is the link: Imogen's Notebook

To Follow or Not To Follow?

I have so many questions about blogging that I haven't yet worked out, even after almost a year of blogging. But the question I wonder about most is: How do you know when to follow a blog?

Most of the blogs I follow are family blogs and blogs of my friendliest followers, generally other Catholic homeschoolers like myself. But I read so many more blogs than these.

When I want to read a blog, I subscribe to a feed, or bookmark the page. That way I always know when there's a new post. Following would make this so much easier. But then, do I actually like these blogs enough to follow them and make myself known?

I am always so pleased to open my blogger dashboard and see a new follower. There's something about having a person like my writing enough to publicly announce it. Should I follow other people and spread the joy? But then, I can't decide when I should follow.

How do you know when to follow a blog? Is it when you first decide you like this blog? Or is it when you've been reading it for a while? Is it when you're regularly commenting? Got any advice for me? I'd love to hear from you!

Blogging Ghosts

It's morning tea time. Time to do the blogging rounds. I check my blog feeds, read new posts, and jump out of the blogosphere leaving no trace behind. No, not even one comment. I'm the blogging ghost.

It's not that I don't like what people have written. It's not that I haven't anything to say. It's merely that I don't bother to take the time to write a few short lines in the comment box. I prefer to stay anonymous.

I wonder how many people like that read my blog. I wonder how many people dance through the blogosphere, silent and unseen. Probably many more than stop and say hello.

I love it when people stop on my blog and leave a comment. Even when it's just one line, it still makes my day to read it. And if it makes my day, it'll make other people's days too. There's no reason for my ghosting, other than laziness. Taking a few moments to write a comment doesn't take much effort. But, if the other person is like me, they'll enjoy receiving the comment.

I'm going to make an effort now. I'm making a resolution. No more blogging ghosting for me. I'm going to become a comment, am already trying now. I'm going to try and make someone's day a little bit brighter, one comment at a time.

Do you ghost through the blogosphere like me? Or are you more social? Do comments make your day, or aren't you bothered?

I am a Stylish Blogger

As I blog hop around the internet, I'm always very interested in the things people put in their sidebars. Some have music players, or lists of blogs, some have quotes, some pictures. But one thing a lot of blogs have, is an award.

I didn't understand awards at first. What made a person a Versatile Blogger? How were they Stylish? What did giving and receiving all these awards mean? They seemed pretty pointless to me.

Then, Sue from Sue Elvis Writes awarded me 'The Stylish Blogger' award. I read her post on blog awards, and suddenly I understood what awards are about. It's not really a matter of someone being versatile or stylish. As Sue says, it's a way to show people that you enjoy reading their blog.

So, I am very honoured to receive this blog award. It's nice to feel that someone out there is enjoying reading my posts.

Before I can show my own appreciation for my fellow bloggers, I must tell you 7 things about myself. So...

1. I love to read. I rarely find a book I can't finish. Once I start to read a book, I can finish it in less than a day.
2. I absolutely refuse to wear high heels or make-up (though I don't object to other people wearing them).
3. I have an excellent memory for movie quotes and have a quote for just about every occasion, much to my sisters' dismay.
4. Despite learning both singing and the piano, I want to study medicine instead of music.
5. I am the first child in our family to finish year 12 advance maths.
6. I am often more comfortable talking to adults and people younger than myself than I am talking to people of my own age.
7. I would never ever want to go to school. Sorry schoolies, but I love homeschooling too much!

And now, to hand the award onto five blogs that I enjoy reading.

1. Charlotte at Charlotte's Web. Her posts are interesting to read without being long, and I love her drawings!
2. Victoria at Raindrop and Moonlight. A fellow booklover and Catholic Homeschooler.
3. JT at JT's Tales. He posts his stories on this blog. I enjoy reading the new instalments to his current tale.
4. Autumn at Storygirl. Another Catholic Homeschooler. I like reading her posts on diverse subjects such as books, music, and snippets of her own life.
5. Jessica at Safirewriter. Lots of posts on writing and reading.

Playing On Picnik

Mum came hurrying out of her room. "Come and see what I've done!"

We followed her back into her room, where she proudly pointed to the computer screen. We looked and saw an amazing blog header made up of photos of us. "What do you think?" she asked us.

"Wow. That's so good. How did you do it?"

"I used Picnik." Mum clicked the mouse and opened the program. "I made a collage. See?"

I was amazed, and at once resolved to try making some collages myself. So, as soon as I left Mum's room, I grabbed my netbook and sat down to work it all out.

Half an hour later, after much downloading of photos, working out how to use things, and general dithering, I had the most amazing collage. It was specially for Charlotte and the theme was pink, of course.

I was hooked, and soon another picture, fully edited and played with, joined the collage in the 'saved' folder. Again it was of Charlotte, and I'd made full use of the softening feature and frames.

I just had time to play with one more collage before it was time to stop. By this time my three sisters were all leaning over my shoulders watching me put it together. A grid, four photos, a frame and several stickers later, and it was finished. A lovely collage of us four girls together.

Now that I've discovered the wonders of Picnik, I'm hooked. Ideas for new collages are buzzing in my head. I want to play more, try out more of the many, varied features. Of course, some of the features on Picnik are only available if you upgrade, but even at the basic level there are enough to make your photos fantastic.

Have you ever used Picnik to jazz up your photos? What do you think of my photos?

Time To Be Brave

Two days ago I sat down at the computer to write a blog post. I thought I was going to write a normal, family story post. Instead what came out was To Blend Or Not To Blend, a post on being myself instead of doing what everyone else does.

It was only after I hit Publish that I started to think, "What if I offend all those nice people out there who happen to like wearing jeans, high heels and make up? I'll have to write an apology note on the end." So I went back and added the apology note, then worried for the rest of the day. I needn't have. The responses were overwhelming. People I'd never met stopped to have their say. Comment after comment showed up on my dashboard from people who wore skirts and those who liked jeans. That was my first brave post.

Ever since I joined the blogosphere I've admired people who can write thought provoking posts with strong opinions. I read the posts, and the comments afterwards and tried to imagine posts like those. But I failed every time. I'm too scared to come out and say what I think. I can wear the clothes I like, be myself wherever I go, but I don't say what I think.

Subjects come up in conversation, subjects I know I have a different opinion on. As they come up I slid away from them, skirting neatly round the danger areas. No sense in getting into a debate. Or so I tell myself. And I never say what I feel about these subjects.

I should say what I think. I should say that I don't think something is right, instead of dodging the point, turning a blind eye. But I'm scared to. What if people think I'm too strange? What if they think I'm judging them? What if they decide not to talk to me again?

But on the other hand, why can't I say what I think? As long as I do it in a way that doesn't offend anyone, or try to force my opinions onto other people. If they can't accept what I think, they don't have to. But I can say what I feel too.

Maybe it's time to break away from 'safe' subjects, like what we did in a day. Maybe it's time for me to air my opinions a little. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be one of those people with the thought provoking posts and one million comments after them. And that would be good, so long as I remember that other people think differently to me, and that they're entitled to have an opinion too

Will you join me as I attempt to be 'brave'?

Do you find it hard to come out and say what you think? Are you afraid of saying the wrong thing? Of people thinking your opinions are strange? Or are you one of those lucky people who always know how to say what they want to say?