Ah, the blogosphere. The biggest timesuck known to man. Oh, wait, that's twitter. But seriously, couldn't you blog all day long? Reading, commenting, reading, writing, commenting...
Anyway, I just wanted to throw out a post on the value of blogging too. Some things that I wouldn't have without blogging:
1. WriteOnCon. The organizers, of which I am one, met through blogging.
2. My beta readers. Yup, mostly met on blogs.
3. The Bookanistas. I've never met a single one of them, yet they send me sweet stuff in the mail and are a huge support to me through email. All done through blogging.
4. Sleep deprivation. Okay, so I sometimes miss my bedtime to write/read blogs. I'm cool with that.
5. The reason I check my email and smile. All those comments, and people I can email back? LOVE that.
I was going to try for ten, but man it's been a long week, and my brain is all fried from Sinutab.
What have you gained from your participation in the blogosphere?
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85 comments:
I've met so many great writers in the blogosphere. The writing community is amazing, and blogging allows writers to share what they've learned with others. Even though it's fun, I'd totally consider blogging to be research for the craft.
Just getting started with blogging, and social media in general, and the amount of interesting stuff out there is rather overwhelming--but so is the number of lovely, thoughtful people. Awesome experience so far.
It's soooo good to look at the positive, since it is a huge time suck. Thanks for the great reminder, Elana! :o)
Feel better!
I would have probably written several more books by now if I didn't blog. But then again, I wouldn't have learned some amazing writing tips, found some awesome beta readers and friends, and read all the great books bloggers have been gushing over. The six or less hours a day wouldn't have changed, though. ;)
Simple: confidence. (And major awesome friendships.)
I got my cool crit group...and another great reason to procrastinate instead of writing my next book.
I've found great advice and encouragement from the blogosphere, as well as some great critique partners.
I'm not sure I would be as far in my writing as am I without the encouragement I've received.
I've gained friends, knowledge about writing, landing an agent, and publishing. I've also found critique buddies. I attended an on-line conference. I have had opportunities to communicate with editors and agents. Most of all, whenever I'm down about writing or have a question, you're all here. And how cool is it to learn about and promote a really good book?
I love the time-sucking blogosphere.
I've made a lot of friends through reading and commenting on blogs. And I've learned a lot from it. I spend too much time on it--more than writing. But I try to spend a little time in the morning and taking a break at work doing it and then the majority at night when I'm too tired to write. I just don't watch much TV. Not a great loss.
The people. I've met some awesome friends through blogging. Writer friends and non-writer friends.
I've learned tons through informative blogs on the craft of writing along with blogs dedicated to the road to publication (queries, synopses....)
I love blogging. It's great fun!
FRIENDS. Through my whole ordeal in the past 2 weeks, the blog world reached out more than any real life person.
Oh where do I start?? Critique partners, a writer who invited me to speak at a conference, opportunities to write, friends...support!!
Whole lotta knowledge. More than I expected. Critique partners, friends and the best support in the world.
It is sucking my time this morning, but it's so worth it. :)
I think five is good. And I found my crit partner through blogging. That's pretty cool, huh?
I get so many fresh ideas from my blogging friends. I'm enriched by their perspective which gives me a wide-angle lens through which to see my own life. And I love the discussions and relationships. I'm hungry for real talk, not small talk. And on blogs, I can find it.
I love that I have friends in faraway places. It's kind of like having a lot of pen pals, only better.
Blogging has given me:
• New friends
• Focus
• And a perverse interest in what people find fascinating.
I enjoy it. Three times a week people come back to find out if I lopped off a body part, murdered my dog, or survived another season of zombie chickens.
It's all good.
Support in all areas. I don't know of many blogging writers that wish they weren't blogging. Not if they've been participating. I never regret my decision. :)
I've only been blogging for a couple weeks and already I'm loving the community.
But I was a blog reader (lurker if you prefer) for a while and talk about a wealth of knowledge right there. I've spent many, many hours just reading blogs, probably when I should have been sleeping.
the blogosphere is where I get the first glimpse of all the new books that are coming out!
Love it.
And I appreciate the connections I have made with other writers. Like you.
Shelley
There's a strong potential it will help me secure an agent.
And friends I greatly appreciate, which equates to laughter. Lots and lots of laughter!
~ Wendy
I agree that blogs can take away from my writing, yet I've learned so much from blogs that only enrich my writing.
I've gotten so much from blogging, so many connections, I've won prizes, won phone conversations with agents, so much else but the
Biggest and greatest thing that has come from blogs is the support from my writer bloggy friends (including you).
Blogging has given me so much, but the best thing is the empathy. When no one else understands what going on in my writerly life, the people I've met on blogosphere know because you've all been there. And in turn, I hope I provide a bit of empathizing for those who stop by my blog. =o)
I've gained so many new writer friends through blogging that it is amazing. Plus, I've learned about awesome books I might have missed too. It's definitely worth it to blog.
Honestly, I wouldn't have a damn thing without blogging. Well, at least not anything writing related. I was alone on a dark and scary island when it came to writing before I started blogging. I did not know one single person beside me who was a writer.
I have gained friends and writing experience by participating in the blogosphere. I think I have also gained integrity and dignity too. Ayear ago, I didn't know I could consider myself a writer before I had a book out. I didn't know I wasn't the only one struggling. And then all these awesome and nice peoople started commenting on my blog. It all started with Anita Laydon Miller and Ali Cross.
I love the community that blogging gave me. I wasn't really sure about blogging when I started. Now that I have regular readers that I can interact with, I'm addicted. They've encouraged me so much, and I can really tell how my blogging style and writing have changed--for the better!--since they became a part of my blog.
Info, friends, connections, crit partners, getting my name out a bit...to name a few. It's been really great with so many benefits. Yeah, I guess I need to remember this when I've stayed up too late working on the blog. :)
Happy Wednesday,
Karen
I've gained a network of people who have gone through or are going through the same things I am or will be.
Beyond meeting so many awesome people, blogging got me a client referral to my agent. Without blogging, I wouldn't have "met" Natalie Bahm, she wouldn't have referred me Sara, and who knows where I'd be in the process without that. :) So, I agree, blogging rocks!
The blogging world is so much fun. I've met awesome people through it including you!
Hope, enthusiasm, drive, empowerment, friends, betas, courage, and sometimes myself. :)
Having a place to talk writerly stuff and books with people I've come to know and love ... awesome! :)
I agree!
I've gotten so many great friends through blogging!
i've met a lot of awesome writers and picked up a lot of great information. Yeah, blogging takes a lot of time, and it's one of my main sources of guilt lol but so worth it :)
I love blogging and reading blogs mainly for the positive energy it gives me. Just knowing there are others out there going through this strange writing process with me makes me feel so much better!
YES... I could totally blog all day. Every time I come back from a break, I realize just how much I missed it :)
You're so right... I don't think I would have gotten this far without the support of amazing bloggers and friends whom I've "met" online. Everyone is so encouraging and I've learned so much from each one of them.
Have to admit if I didn't blog, I might have a couple more books under my belt. But I wouldn't have the support of the blogging community and would have given up long ago. I LOVE blogging.
hi miss elana! i just did a post on some of the writing stuff i got out of blogging. its blogging + learning = "blearning" and thats a new word i made up. :) cause of blogging the stuff i write is way way better.
...hugs from lenny
I've learned so much through blogging, and I'm always amazed at the support the blogging world has for everyone. It's great.
Time suck is right. LOL I’ve found lot of people doing the same thing I am. Writing. It’s like a giant support group I can go to everyday.
I've been blogging for almost 8 years and have found nothing but support from everyone in the industry!!
Connections and education. I've met so many inspiring folks and gained a lot of insight from reading their blogs. Many missing pieces in my jigsaw puzzle of better writing have been filled by bloggers, and I've met many wonderful writers who I feel connected to. I always struggled with finding a place in the big picture growing up, and now I feel I have. :)
Have a great day Elana.
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
I feel like I have gained EVERYTHING from blogging: confidence, support, encouragement, CP's, shoulders to lean on, friendships...everything! :-)
LOVE blogging. But time suck it is!! As a matter of fact, right now I'm supposed to be in the shower (12 min ago) getting ready for work but "one more blog" keeps pushing me forward. But...whatever, It isn't a PROBLEM. I don't have and ADDICTION or anything...
So right! I love the comments winking at me in my inbox, the people I have grown to love that make time to read my silly words...and everything I LEARN from reading other blogs. LOVE it all.
Blogging is all the above, but I think sometimes writers also procrastinate. Its the jitters before settling into that calm area of solitude to write.
Jacqueline Howett
http://jacquelinehowett.blogspot.com/
Comments make my day. Seriously, I love comments. I enjoy blog hopping and reading and commenting on blogs, although I don't always leave a comment.
What do I love most about blogging? The sense of community and friendship. Love it!
The friends I've made; the support and excitement that people I've only met through blogs can completely brighten my day. When people comment on my blog and tell me how much a post I wrote meant to them... wow. It's just incredible.
Blogging has done all of the things you said, and everything eveyrone else said. Plus for me, it helps me focus on writing. Now that I read blogs everyday, my mind is on my writing everyday. Before blogging, I might let all the other million things in life edge writing out. Now even though I might spend time blogging, it's not really time that I would be able to spend writing anyway, and I never have a day where I'm not doing something that's making me a better writer. Even if it's just reading blogs that educate or encourage me.
It's all of the wonderful people I have met. People like you!
Yes, blogging takes up time, but it is so time well spent.
I have never laughed and learned so much from fellow bloggers. Not to mention all the support.
And with that said I should go back to finishing the last 5 thousand or so words of my ms....
Michael
Lots of good from blogging, for sure. But wow, time-sucker is right! If I didn't enjoy it so much . . .
Although it does take up a lot of time, I've met some wonderful people through blogging, you among them. People who inspire, teach, provide information...mentor. That's been very valuable to me.
I have gained friends through blogging. And crit partners. And a sense of community. It's pretty lonely writing without connections with people.
Also, blogging gives me a place to put down what I've learned about the craft. The things I don't want to forget. The things that make a difference in my writing currently.
I'll second everyone who said friends :) I didn't know many (well, any) writers in Real Life, and finding kindred writing spirits online was, and still is, so amazing.
My list is pretty much the same. Except I'm adding my head cold, because I SWEAR you sent yours to me via email. No one else I know has been sick. *eyes Elana suspiciously* :)
I only got back into blogging in December, but so far blogging has been awesome, even if it is a time suck. The sense of community is my favorite part so far. I've been able to interact with some great people/writers, including you!
I think starting a blog was the best decision I EVER made! I met my 2 beta readers through my blog, and one actually lives nearby! It's definitely a time suck for me, but I learn so much from everyone, plus, I've discovered some ridiculously awesome books this way. Interacting with other writers is something I don't get to do in real life, so this has been an amazing experience for me.
It's got to be the friends and the support! Don't know what I'd do without my bloggy buddies to keep me going!
I'll admit it, I don't like being alone, and writing is a solitary occupation. Blogging relieves a bit of that isolation for me. I've received some great advice through blogging as well.
I love blogging for most of the same reasons! Bloggers are amazing and generous! I'm so proud of my bloggy buddies when something exciting happens. Okay I don't want to get to sappy. We'll save sappy for one of Mr. Schuester's songs.
Friendships and knowledge. :D
I've gotten to know so many cool people who have the same interests as me (books! writing!). Definitely don't regret getting into this. :)
I've made so many great friends since blogging! Just that has made the whole experience worth it. :)
Blogging can be a major time suck, but I still love it.
I've only been blogging since September but I feel I've made some life-long friends already, best friends even. I found my crit partner and shes wonderful! Everyone can relate to each other- it's such a great and tight community!
You are SO right--time-consuming, but productive. So be it. I've just gotten a great critique partner (who shreds mss like I do, YEAH!) from the blogosphere, so I'm quite delighted. Who said being a writer was a solitary profession? It doesn't have to be.
Having said that, I have been refusing to do Twitter, because blogging is time-consuming enough!
Friends for sure, and a new sort of stamina I didn't have before. I'm writing faster than ever and, more importantly, it's the best quality I've ever written. :) I love the blogging world!
I have definitely made many friends through blogging. Even if I never get publish, the experiences and friendships are worth it.
Blogging has taught me much of what I know about writing and has given me a sense of community. I <3 blogging :)
More support than I could've ever imagined.
I've gained so much from my blogging experience that I'm not quite sure where to start. I guess I'd have to start with the fantastic people and support. They, you, all have been amazing!
Knowledge, support, friendship, understanding, answers, questions... all for the win!:D
By the time I'm done with work and am able to post out here, you always have so many comments. I feel bad about adding more to your "to visit" list so I don't often comment.
But yeah - I have gained so much from blogging. I think the biggest thing is the awesome awareness that I am not alone. Until I started blogging, I never thought of myself as a writer - I was just the quirky girl in my group of friends. It was so refreshing to finally find my brethren.
I've learned so much about writing & publishing and I've met the BEST people! I do miss sleep though :)
Information overload (in a good way)
Loads of inspiration
Write on Con!!!!
:)
Love bloggyland
Community - I feel like part of one, even when I'm sitting alone at my computer staring at the blinking cursor in Word. (I never thought about it, but I think naming it "cursor" must have been an in-joke.)
WriteOnCon, and all the knowledge and people I "met" through it.
You, and Shannon, and Jamie, and Casey, and the other fabulous ladies who organized WOC. I wouldn't be as far along as I am without all of your blogs to keep me going.
Really valuable (free!) feedback on my work, from really amazing people I met through blogging.
The opportunity to give (free!) feedback on some amazing work written by people I met through blogging.
My CP Kristen, who knocks my freaking socks off every week with her talent and her insight.
My Betas.
Encouragement, any time I need it, 24/7.
Yeah. Blogging pretty much rocks. :-)
So, so much. Confidence. Self-discovery. Hope. Encouragement. I could go on and on.
Love your list, E.
I absolutely agree with you, Elana. Sometimes I just get so caught up in reading/writing blogposts that I lose hours of sleep lol. But it's all worth it. Most of my closest writing friends I have met because of the wonderful blogging community I have become a part of.
Always,
Lindsey
I met my awesome agent through the bloggosphere, as well as two of my amazing critique partners. Yay blogger!
I met my awesome agent through the bloggosphere, as well as two of my amazing critique partners. Yay blogger!
I met my awesome agent through the bloggosphere, as well as two of my amazing critique partners. Yay blogger!
I met my awesome agent through the bloggosphere, as well as two of my amazing critique partners. Yay blogger!
I met my awesome agent through the bloggosphere, as well as two of my amazing critique partners. Yay blogger!
I cannot imagine my life without the blogosphere! I have met so many amazing people, been inspired to write, gained a crit partner, written flash fiction and so many other things that wouldn't have been possible!
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