So I blog (irregularly!) for my editorial website. Try as I might, I find myself getting a blog posted about twice a month. Hopefully. Sometimes, not so much!
I’ve written an editorial blog for about a zillion years—long before it was even called a blog. LOL. Back then they were called articles on bookish-type websites. I can talk about just about anything regarding what makes a book great, how to get it there, the publishing business, and every other writing topic under the sun. I also currently guest blog monthly for PR By the Book (how could I refuse? I have a novel by that name!).
But a few years ago, I was speaking at the Lexicon Writer’s Conference, and with a smidge of free time, I attended Renee Groskreutz‘s talk about blogging. Thinking I’d pick up an idea or two (and of course, wouldn’t have to actually do anything), I insanely sat to listen and be entertained.
Boy, was I doing about everything wrong! But I learned a lot that first session, and implemented many of her tips. Made a difference too. Who knew!
So then this past year I spoke at the conference again, and also again attended Renee’s session. And something odd happened. Really odd. Ideas lodged in my wee brain (I was born without two parts of it—the understanding of physics and marketing). And behold and lo, her teachings made even more sense. And I took the bit in my mouth and ran with it.
Not on the editorial site, mind you. I’m still posting about twice a month there. But my new author website had germinated, and all the things Renee talked about played into that real well. In other words, she kicked my butt into gear.
So I figured, what the heck? Why not work with her? She’s brilliant, so motivating she got me to the keyboard, and best of all (from my perspective anyway), she’s funnier than the mouse trying to eat my birdseed and falling off the ledge. Which I watch daily, and always laugh.
So in my naivety, I talked to her about it. Bless her heart, she had no clue what a technophobe stood before her. I truly missed my century, and would have been a blissful Neo-Luddite—a sect that believed the Devil lived in technology so they ran around bashing anything techno with a baseball bat. My kinda folks!
Anyhow, Renee was convincing that I could do it. The thing is, in order to work with her, I had to commit to blogging 5 days a week for 6 months.
Gulp. Do what?? She couldn’t be serious? But I was too numb with shock to speak. You know how that goes—when you’re so dumbfounded you nod and the other person thinks you agree? I’m pretty sure I stumbled to the bar and with Cabernet in hand, collapsing into a heap on the barstool.
But I was already toast–already signed up. God save me. What had I just done? Cybermonsters awaited.
I woulda hesitated too, but one of the irascible things about me is that once I commit, well, I’m committed. Even if it’s to the insane asylum.
So with much trepidation on my part, we began.
Thank God for Renee! She made it as painless as is humanly possible. Crazy as it sounds, she made this physics-like world comprehensible, and true to form, fun!
So this is what happened and why I’m here writing. If you don’t like it, blame Renee! And I don’t even need wine to do it. Well, okay, so wine is always appreciated J
Who challenged you to do something insane? And what were the results?
