Saturday 16 March 2013

A blogger looking to the future ...

I received a tweet today from the lovely Actually Mummy who was asking how long I had been blogging. It may seem ridiculous, but I had to sit down and work it out. It seems as though I have always blogged!! But of course I haven't. I have been blogging since New Year's Eve 2006, which makes my blogging career six and a bit years. The other thing she asked was "Why haven't I come across you before?" and I really had no answer. I was just glad that she had found me now!

I suppose the truth is that I am an amateur. I write because I need to write to keep myself sane. My blog doesn't have a particular niche - I can't say that I am a Parent blog or a Sports blog or a Craft blog ... I am just a Me blog. And when you just write about your own life, with no real particular focus, you don't draw the attention of advertisers/sponsors. You have to rely on people being interested in ... you ....  and the things you do. Which is not always a given when you are a little old housewife from the South of England!!

me with my Comic Relief hair


I decided a while ago to write because I loved writing and any followers or readers I gained would be an added bonus. Over the years I have built up a very loyal following of readers and I love that they enjoy reading my scribblings. I know that if I am down they will appear like knights in shining armour, angels from the ether to support me or tell me to get over myself!! People like Inkling and Urban Cynic are women I would love to meet and share a glass of vino with!

 Actually Mummy's blog is amazing. I don't think, in fact I know, that I don't have the skills to achieve such a professional site, but I love that she found me and, I hope, liked my writing. And I love the fact that there are so many of us out there, mainly women, who write and share and support each other. We are all so different, but we are linked by our love of writing and our interest in other writers and bloggers.

There is nobody I know in my real life (other than my lovely uncle) who blogs. None of my friends are into it at all, although more and more are starting to read mine. I have found my way through trial and error and still get a thrill when people leave comments or follow me! Last year I went to BritMums Live - a blogging conference and was a bit overwhelmed by it all, but in retrospect it was a fantastic experience. For the first time I had the chance to meet other bloggers, hear how other people managed their writing and I saw, first hand, the burgeoning community of bloggers.

Someone asked me, when I was there, how long I had been blogging and seemed amazed when I told them. I hadn't realised that I was an old hand!! This year I am going again and this time I really hope I can meet up with some of the people whose blogs I read and with whom I tweet ... people like Selena and Kat .

I know some people ... professional writers ... think that we bloggers are an odd lot, rambling on about our children, our fears and our joys, but we are not odd ... Most of us are women who have busy lives, careers, but we also enjoy writing. We don't profess to be journalists and we don't expect to make money from writing, but together we are beginning to be a force for good and a strong community, aware of each other and the realities of every day life. I know, from my membership of BritMums, that there are bloggers out there who have climbed Snowdon to raise money for Comic Relief - others who have joined together to help clean, paint and decorate the house of a struggling mum, and others like the amazing Kate who inspires and works tirelessly for charity.

I am rather ashamed to say that I am a bit of a back seat blogger. I like reading and listening to what others have to say, but I am not as involved as I should be. I think I am going to try and find something that really inspires me and try to do something good through my blogging. What I really love is teaching children to read and to enjoy books so I am going to try and find a way to get more involved with that ... we'll see.

What is certain is that I am going to keep on writing and I hope that people, like Actually Mummy, find me and enjoy what I have to say. Thanks for reading! x

7 comments:

joy said...

I'm very similar to you, I dont have a specific theme, just blog about whatever happens or comes into my head, but mostly I blog to show my photos. I have several followers, but am always chuffed when the number increases. Keep up the good work.
Joy xx

Urban Cynic said...

oooh thanks for the mention - chuffed! I've been blogging since just before I went freelance which was around 3 years ago now & you were one of the first bloggers I got to 'know'. Some others have fallen by the wayside (remember the brilliantly smutty Kerry & filthmonger Ro?) but us 2 just keep on rolling.

I like that we both get something different from the experience; I don't have any children (WOOO HOOO!)so my posts are rants, and about work, shoes, and cats whereas some of the blogs you follow are definitely more family focused. I like that we get glimpses into each others lives that enrich our own and, like you said, we come to each others rescue even though we've never met.

Although if you're ever down Brighton way then let me know as it would be a pleasure to give you the grand tour and share stories over wine and cake... always cake my friend.

Actually Mummy... said...

Ooooh! Ooooh! I'm so glad I asked now! How lovely you are, and yes, I am glad I found your blog! We are so having a glass of wine together at Britmums! Anyone who says such lovely things about my blog is owed a drink!

Inkling said...

One of these days, I'm determined to fly across that pond of ours and come for a tour of your world.

Just this week, I took my Canadian citizenship test. As Queen Elizabeth II is our official Head of State, I think it would be grand if the government would decide to sponsor a trip for me to visit the homeland of their roots should I actually pass the test and get the chance to take my oath of allegiance to her and Canada. I figure Kate can take me clothes shopping and help me escape my rut of jeans or yoga pants with a boring t-shirt, and then I can spend the rest of my trip hanging out with you. ;)

sarah at secret housewife said...

Hello lovely ladies!! So ... here's the plan ... we all meet up for a/several glasses of vino
.. and probably cake too!! I knew you all would hear my call and come over!! Thank you for your support - you are fabulicious!! Sarah xxx

Urban Cynic said...

Thought you might like to know about this app I've found. It allows you to get stats on your instagram profile as well as create widgets for your blogs. I've just added it to my blog so you can see what it looks like. I chose the slideshow option rather than fixed pics.

sarah at secret housewife said...

Hi White Space! OMG but I love the Statigram app!!!I have added the slide show like you but the best thing is all the stats ... I am a woman lost!!! Thanks hon xxx