Tag: writers

My One Year Blogiversary

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Many of you have probably noticed an extreme increase in the amount of re-posts from this blog, or re-spins. I have been doing this to lead up to this day or rather, yesterday: My One Year Blogiversary! I remember the exact date I published my first post here on The PBS Blog. It was August 18, 2014.

I have learned so much about the blogging experience and writing in general from this blog. Primarily, I believe I was capable of being progressive with this blog  in particular because I set out to devote more time to it. I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. I subscribed to other blogs, commented on other blogs, shared other people’s material that I found interesting, and participated in writing Challenges and Blog Awards. I also publish very frequently, at least 2-3 times or more every day for at least 5 and sometimes 6 days a week and I have done this since the beginning. I don’t exactly consider myself a power blogger but I do believe that the quantity of my posting has played a big part in the growth of my blog. If I could at all help it, I tried not to miss more than a day without publishing something to my blog. A poem, an article, current events / news, etc., whatever I found to be of quality material or funny material or thought provoking, I shared. I set time aside specifically to blog. I treated this like a part time job and it has paid off. That is because I believe in consistency. I am a very dedicated and loyal individual and I transferred this over to my blog. I try to make sure that my blog is not one stale compilation of regurgitated ignorance and conscientious stupidity. I believe this draws people in and helps build solid supporters. All of these components together assists me in reaching my blogging goals which I must say, were not very clear in the beginning. I had a purpose, but I was not sure how I wanted to navigate the online world. In fact, I remember my first few posts, which got no likes, no comments, and no views for the first few months of blogging.

I hope that the future of this blog will continue to hold the same versatility in which I now strive for. It was not this way initially, but over time as I gained more understanding on how to blog, I unintentionally created a place where all people could get something out of it, despite where they were in their lives. In short, I hope that the contents of this blog will always be thought provoking and inspirational for positive change and growth.

In honor of my first year completion, I have decided to change my blogs theme up a bit. I’m still working on putting everything back since the new theme did away with the sidebar and pages (now located at the bottom).  I appreciate your patience as I rearrange everything.

But how does everything look so far? I’m going for a neat, clean feel. Yay or Nay? Keep it or Trade it?

Pen to Paper

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Recently, I’ve started handwriting again. After the wave of technology, which covered my writing like thick smoke, I’ve stopped for awhile. But I remember a time where I would write whole books in notebooks. Carrying them around like an extra limb, and holding pencil to pad close to my chest like a scarlet letter. Now that I’ve started drafting posts on paper again, I’ve noticed a slight boost in the creative juices, racing easily from my brain and spilling black ink on the page. I forgot how fun this was, scribbling my heart into tangible form, and counting words by hand. Makes me wonder about the difference between the written and typed word. Why do I feel more accomplished having written this down first? Even if but a sentence? I like this and I think I’ll make it a habit again. Alas! The rebirth of pen to paper.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Aldous Huxley

For this week’s segment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, as hosted by the lovely Colleen of Silver Threading, I take inspiration from Aldous Huxley:

Aldous Huxley“Every man’s memory is his private literature.” ~Aldous Huxley

The influence of memory in our lives is thought-provoking. Even if it’s just the name of a character or birthplace, memory plays a part in what we write and often even how we write, which is what makes this quote so interesting. A lot of the stories in my books, for instance, take place in Chicago because I know Chicago. This is where I am from, where I was raised, and it is the city that I know. I do not have to make up the names of streets and towns and shops because I know them. I’ve been to Ford City, shopped at the Food & Liquor on 63rd and Western (it’s closed now), and lived on 47th Street. I’ve rode the Red Line through the loop, touched the people, smelled the food and heard the voices. As long as I have memory of Chicago, I’ll always have some story to tell.

About the Author:

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What I enjoy about this weekly prompt, in addition to the inspiring voices of authors who compel us to keep writing, is the search and discovery of new authors to explore. Sometimes it’s best to understand more about the quotes you use. I discovered for instance, that Aldous grandfather, Thomas Henry Huxley, was known as a controversial naturalist in his time, nicknamed as “Darwin’s Bulldog”, which made me think twice about whether or not to use this quote since I don’t believe in anything with the words Darwin in the same sentence. But anyway, I decided to play nice though and let Aldous hang around a bit longer, so here’s his background according to The European Graduate School website:

“Aldous Huxley, was a British writer. He was born on July 26, 1894 and died on November 22, 1963. He would become most specifically known to the public for his novels, and especially his fifth one, Brave New World, written in 1931 and published in 1932.

Aldous Huxley would come to be known mostly as a novelist and essayist but he would also write some short stories, poetry, travelogues and even film scripts. In his novels and essays Aldous Huxley would always play the role of a critical observer of accepted traditions, customs, social norms and ideals. Importantly, he would be concerned in his writings with the potentially harmful applications of so-called scientific progress to mankind” 

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That’s it for this week’s segment. Be sure to check out the other #WQW posts from other  bloggers this week. Just look for “Writer’s Quote Wednesday” in your readers :).

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http://silverthreading.com/2015/08/12/writers-quote-wednesday-roald-dahl/

…if yeez LUV yer books… it’s okay to LUV yer Authors, too… let them know it!…

Seumas Gallacher's avatarSeumas Gallacher

…I’m an unashamed user of the SOSYAL NETWURKS in pursuit of my ‘business of writing’… in reflective self-honesty, I try to steer clear of SPAMMING, which I find as abhorrent and annoying as most of yeez Lads and Lassies of Blog Land… that does not preclude from time to time an acceptable amount of inclusion  in my posts, elements of my own WURK… there’s a proper way to do that… I like to think, in balance, the majority of my posts are aimed at entertaining, p’raps even educating, and certainly empathising with my fellow scribblers in support of their wee masterpieces… that balance is generally about 90% for others, 10% for my stuff… and I’m comfortable with that… when occasions arrive, such as this present period, running up to and including the launch of my latest Jack Calder  crime thriller, KILLER CITY, there will inevitably be a…

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Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Invest in Your Best

Good Morning Lovelies,

For today’s segment of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, hosted by Colleen of Silver Threading,  I draw inspiration from Brooke Griffin:

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Sometimes we try to get everything done in one sitting when it was never meant to be that way. My Writer’s Quote Wednesday this week is to encourage every writer to take it one day at a time. I don’t know anything about the author of this quote (when I goggled the name it was about fitness or something idk) but I used it anyway because when I read it I knew Brooke’s words were meant for this week, as it is on one accord with my thoughts. Each day presents its own opportunity for improvement. It can be something as simple as getting out of bed or writing a journal entry. It can be something as great as finishing a book or as simple as cleaning the house today. Every day is a learning experience and because the days change so dramatically from day to day there’s always room to improve or to learn more about a particular thing or skill. This is not to say to chase after fruitless knowledge, but personal growth is always continuous. So this is to encourage each writer to invest in his or her best. When you invest in your best you can’t go wrong, you’ve done all that you can do. Today your best may be writing for 15 minutes, and tomorrow it may be 20 minutes. Whatever the case, give it your all. And always seek more.

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That’s it this week. Don’t forget to check out all of the other awesome quotes from other bloggers. For some reason I can’t link to the picture today so Follow This Link instead to join the fun. 🙂

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