I would like to share some exciting news with you. My blog turns one-year-old this week!
A year ago, sitting in a hotel room in New York City, I decided to take my first steps on this blogging journey. Although I had written some posts for a personal diary-type blog a few years prior, I felt the weightiness behind this new project. It was going to last much longer and impact many lives – I could feel it.
The week before, I wrestled with writing my first post. What if no one wanted to read my blog? Who would read it and why? What did I have to offer my readers? The list of reasons why I shouldn’t become a blogger kept getting longer and longer. I was scared. Then, I went to my first writing workshop.
On the first night, as I sat in my room at the Downtown Marriott, I faced my fear and wrote a welcome message. My heart pounded as I carefully crafted those first few sentences. I wanted to stop typing, put away my computer, and forget this crazy blog idea, but I couldn’t. The words I spoke following our afternoon meeting kept ringing in my ear, “I am a writer.” So, I quickly finished the post and saved it in my draft folder. I walked away from the computer, only to return the following evening with a vlog from my ferry ride to Staten Island. I posted both entries and prayed that someone would read my blog.
You, my readers, are the answer to that prayer. Thank you!
This has been a fun journey over the last year. I have learned so much about myself and my readers. I thought I would share some of my takeaways from this past year. Would that be alright?
1) You will have nights when you don’t want to write or you don’t know what to write.
You may have many nights when you draw a blank or you don’t feel inspired. Just let whatever is in your heart flow out onto the page, even if it is a surprise to you. Blog readers need to experience your stalled-engine moments because your best work may come out as you fight through those times.
2) Small view stats do not determine your worth as a writer.
You are a writer, whether your audience is a few or hundreds (I have yet to hit a thousand). The people who are meant to read your words will find them, even if it is not today, this week, or even this year. Look at the numbers, but don’t dwell on them. Just like the numbers on your bathroom scale, viewer stats are only a small portion of a larger picture. Keep writing content worth reading, and the rest will take care of itself.
3) There is no substitute for transparency.
Your readers will know when you are being fake, so avoid the urge to put on a facade. Inevitably, snapshots of your soul will find their way onto the page at the times when you least expect it; leave them there. Your best work often comes from your broken, splintered, or scarred heart. People need you to be raw and vulnerable because it gives them permission to be real. You are part of their journey.
4) Be a consistent writer, but leave some room for life to happen.
Deadlines are important, and you need to take them seriously. You made a commitment to write on a certain schedule, so do your best to stick to it. Try to prepare a few backup posts for the times when your schedule gets hectic or you have an emergency. However, if you have to postpone a post occasionally or not post one week, don’t stress over it. Leave some room for life to happen. Your readers will understand.
5) Be brave enough to tell your inner critic to be quiet.
Self analysis can be useful, but it can also stop you from moving forward. You may be scared to write a particular post or may feel that your writing is not worth publishing; don’t let those feelings stop you. Remember, you are probably your worst critic. What is the worst that could happen? At some point in your writing career, you will have a dud post, you will have some major typos, and/or someone may get offended, but the fear of it shouldn’t be what dictates your writing. Just write and clean up the messes when they present themselves.
Again, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you are gaining something valuable from it, and I am excited to see where our journey together will take us in the future. Happy Anniversary crystalkeepes.wordpress.com!
Loved reading this and congratulations Crystal! I could totally relate. There are nights after work when I feel too neutralized to work, henceforth why I don’t have a blogging schedule. At times I worry too much about the stats or if they are even valid. This really helps. Thank you.