The hard thing about blogging.

Blogging!

You see, the thing about blogging is...



That so many of us try it. Some grow to love it while others just can't get the hang of it. The latter was the case for me for the longest time.

Here is my funny little story about how I learned about Blogs/Blogging.

(Random Side Confession: I ADORE Doctor Who! Huge Whovian here!)

It was about 8 or 9 years ago. WAY before I even even thought that I'd write a book, let alone be a published author.

My eldest daughter had gotten home from school and was telling me about a school project that she needed to do. At one point or another the conversation changed drastically--I'd be lying if I told you that I remember how it happened. But somewhere along the line, Amanda (my daughter) mentioned Blogs.

The conversation went a little something like this...

Me: Blog? What the hell is that? :o It sounds like the noise the you make when you feel like puking. >:(

Amanda: It's this thing that you use for writing stuff. :)

Me: What? Isn't that what a notebook is for--a computer even? :o

Amanda: No, Mah! It's this thing online that you start and you write down your thoughts. :/

Me: A diary? Why in the hell would I want the whole world to see my diary? >:(

Amanda: No, Mah! It's this thing that you use online and it's not a dairy, and you just write down your thoughts and people read it. :/

<By this point Amanda was exasperate with trying to explain, and I was just plain angry. These things happen when a very young teen is trying to explain technology.>

Me: You know what? There shall be NO BLOGGING for me! Whatever the heck that is! Stupid blog! Blah, blog! >:(  (* insert raspberry and eye rolling here *)

<Some angry Latina, Spanish bickering followed, then me stomping away because I was angry at the fact that I had no idea what a blog was, and I hated the stupid name.>

Needles to say, here I am.

Looking back I can't help to get a giggle out of it.

It actually took me writing my first book and becoming published for me to truly learn what a blog was. But then came the biggest dilemma...

WHAT TO WRITE?

Not knowing what to write on the blog that I'd created, I reached out for some advise. I asked around for peoples opinions on what I should talk about.

After all, my personal life was too boring. If I wrote about my books it seemed like boasting, and I'm not really the boastful type. Current events? #NOPE! Shoot, I didn't even like them!

So the question was...

WHAT?!?

Let me tell you folks; IT AIN'T EASY!

So, for a while I just set my own thought and needs aside and started reaching out to other authors and inviting them to be featured on my blog. That's how the All Authors Blog was born.

But still, what could I say about myself? What was a good route? I'd been told that blogging was a great marketing medium, but how would one actually use it to market? How could I go about blogging without saying too much about my personal life, or boring the hell out of others?

You have got to be kidding me.

It was a thing I battled with for a LONG TIME, until my good friend Queen of Spades gave me some advise. She said "Jazz, just write about anything that's on your mind. People will read it. They'll relate, they'll eventually follow. You can even talk about how the premises of your books came to be. Or about anything that is weighing heavily on your mind. Just... be you!"

EPIPHANY MOMENT!

Of course! JUST BE ME...! Why didn't I think of that before?



So...

Here I am!

Moral of the story...?

JUST BE YOU!