First of all I’d like to say thank you to J.J. Azar for nominating me! It always means a lot to hear that someone enjoys my blog and all the random scattered thoughts and emotions that I manage to collect and shape into some semblance of a review. So, thank you very much!

If you haven’t visited his blog then you really must because his writing is just fabulous. It’s witty, intelligent, conversational, and I somehow always feel like I’ve learned something. His latest posts have been filled with writing tips and as an aspiring author myself I find them both entertaining and full of great advice.

Okay, onto this award that somehow little me was given… 

The Blogger Recognition Award

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Write a post to show your award.
• Give a brief story of how your blog started.
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
• Select up to 15 other bloggers for this award.
• Comment on each blog to let them know you nominated them and link to the post you created.

How my blog got started. 

Well, it’s not a very exciting story if I’m honest. I’ve always been a big reader but like with most things as people get older they tend to pair down their hobbies and unfortunately for my friends that included reading. So I found myself with all these glorious stories being crammed into my head and my dreams but with no one to discuss them with. I’d gush over a plot twist, I’d swoon over a handsome hero, I’d beat my fists with rage at a tenacious villain, but all people could do to relieve me of these feelings is pretend to listen and make appropriate grunts in response. Le sigh.

Well, at least university kept me more than busy enough to slow down my reading (if you’re at all familiar with theatre then you know how that steals all of your time and then some). My college years had my “free” time taken up by reading plays and watching plays and studying plays but at least I had classes to discuss them in.

Then I finally graduated. Oh. No.

I didn’t panic but I felt suddenly adrift and lost and had no idea what to do other than to snag a job at Plato’s Closet and read read read. Soon I was reading more than I ever had before but still with no one to discuss with!

Should I? No. You’ll never keep up with it. But maybe I ought to? Nah, don’t bother. No one’ll care anyway. Alright, shush you! I’m gonna do it. And thus my blog was born. I wrote for me. I dearly hoped some fellow book reading stranger-friend would stumble across it and join me but regardless writing gave me a release, a place to channel all my thoughts. Over time I’ve been pleased and utterly over the moon with the response I’ve received. It truly means a lot whenever people stop by 🙂 So thank you all!

So that was my very long story for a very short answer: I had no one to talk books with.

Two pieces of advice for new bloggers.

Hmm…

1. If you’re hoping to create a blog that grows with a massive following then be sure to take advantage of all social media outlets. Keep up with them, post often (but not so often that you flood them with posts), stay current with the happenings in the book world, etc. It’s honestly a lot of work in some ways because not only are you the writer but you’re also your own promoter and editor and director and, well, you’re wearing all the hats.
2. Try to give your blog a focus. It makes it clear, intentional, professional, and inviting. Feel free to post whatever you’d like but if you keep the majority of your blog geared towards a specific topic/theme/audience then you’ll bring more interest than just posting a helter-skelter smattering of random posts that may or may not interest people. With an unfocused blog you might bring in a lot of people who stop by for a single post or two, but with a specific theme you’ll bring in more repeat visitors, loyal followers, and online friends. (If you’re not writing a blog with any care to who stops by then go wild haha 🙂 )
3. (Have fun. Honestly, if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point? Most blogs don’t make much money if any at all so it’s really not worth pushing on if you don’t genuinely enjoy it.)

My nominees.

I’m going to nominate a few people who I’ve followed recently. And if any of you would like to do this post then please feel free to do it! It’s fun to participate and it makes me feel like I get to know you all a bit better when I read your responses so even if I don’t list your name don’t hesitate to play along. I nominate you 🙂

Ryann @ Ryann the Reader
Sage @ Fishing for Books
Elou Carroll
Ally, Laurena, and Melia @ The Immortal Readers
Louise @ Life in the Pages of Books
Eve @ Eve Messenger’s Otherworldly Endeavors 

Thanks again J.J. for thinking of my humble blog when drumming up a group of nominees you thought worth awarding. I hope I continue to create content worthy of it.

Cheers.

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