If this is Saturday--and Lord willing, it is--I'm speaking today at a women's event for LIVING HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH in my local area. Looking forward to sharing with those ladies. :-) And prayers appreciated, of course.
Some online friends of mine were discussing writer blogs, what works and what doesn't. Since new blogs spring up every day--and die just as quickly--I thought I'd ask you for your opinion.
Why do you read your favorite blogs? If it's a writer's blog, what keeps you coming back? What do you like to read in those blogs? What could you do without? Feel free to mention any outstanding blogs by name. :-)
I've love to hear your responses. So fire away!
~~Angie
8 comments:
One blog I especially like to read (besides yours, of course!) is "Girls Write Out." Not only do they talk about their writing but about what life is like as a writer. In other words, they are normal women who happen to write for a living...when they can. The group of 5 women are close friends and they share their friendship in their blog. It's good reading.
I also read several blogs that have to do with fiber arts, especially knitting, crocheting and spinning. I get ideas, patterns, advice, etc. Here again, these women are real people with real problems and real families. It's interesting to see how the fiber arts intertwine (sorry for the pun!) with every day living.
I guess what keeps me coming back to the blogs that I read is the reality in them. I get encouraged because I find I'm not alone, that I'm actually "normal" (whatever that means! LOL).
Since I'm a book blogger, I read A LOT of blogs, therefore I have been able to see a whole range of author blogs in my Google Reader. Two of my absolute favorite author blogs are are Jenny B. Jones's blog and Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt's blog. They don't just write about their books or their writing process. They write about EVERYTHING. Their blogs are both absolutely hilarious and can get quite serious. They interact with readers who leave comments (as well as also communicate on Twitter which makes them even more able to connect). They both write YA so maybe that might be how they find it easier to connect with their audience. They have no cut and paste blogs.
That's actually one of my biggest pet peeves, are author blogs who just do blog tours AND nothing else. There's no point to even have a blog if you're not going to put original content on it. I think the key to having a blog, if you're an author, is blog on a regular basis, actually write original blog content, interact with your readers, and have fun. If it becomes a chore, then stop. You're not helping anyone.
oh duh. forgot to mention Brandilyn Collin's blog. hers is SO informative! and entertaining
Well, there's this one blog that I visit every single day that I love. It's called A Life in Pages. :-) I enjoy several other author blogs as well - Tamera Alexander, Susan Meissner, Mary DeMuth, Deb Raney, Girls Write Out, Harry Kraus, and Nancy Rue, among others. I just wish Harry and Nancy posted more often, but I know they have busy lives.
The thing that keeps me coming back is the sense of connection. I've actually had the privilege of meeting some of the authors whose blogs I enjoy (more than just a sign-the-book moment, an actual conversation/interview). I'm not delusional enough (okay, sometimes I am!) to think that I'm a "friend" rather than one of the masses, but it's fun to discover a commonality or be able to encourage the author (such as when Tamera was going through the stuff with her mom). The author blogs I'm less likely to read are the ones that are just listings of their appearances or that continually point to reviews of their books. I love seeing what the author thinks about life. I'm not as interested in just reading about what other people think about them!
Argghh! I hate listing things because I'm likely to leave something out! How could I omit Suzanne Woods Fisher, Erynn Mangum, and Lysa TerKeurst?! Mary Connealy frequently gives me a smile.
I like blogs where I get to know the writer as a person.
I read some blogs that focus on craft alone, but I don't usually visit those daily.
I don't like book reviews on blogs. I usually skip those posts.
I don't like blogs where all they talk about is their own writing, their own books, marketing type blogs.
I don't like blogs that focus on give-aways.
I love Nancy Rue's blog when she has the time to post. Athol Dickson's is one of my favorites, but he also doesn't post much. And yours is a daily visit.
For craft stuff I'll read Chip MacGregor or Rachelle Gardner or Novel Journey.
One of the reason I read blogs is because my son has a personal blog and he is also participating in a vlog called a year of questions http://ayearofquestions.blogspot.com/ and he is Thursday. He and 6 of his friends are asking questions for a year and each has a day of the week. Occasionally, they will have a guest asking a question. It is a way for me to read or listen to some things that he is thinking about and gives me a little bit of a window into his soul. I am delighted and blessed to be his mother.
Some other blogs I read inspire me to keep writing. I would love to be a daily blogger and hopefully, I will discipline myself to do just that. In spite of my inconsistency, I keep writing.
Other blogs are spiritually minded and point me to Christ. I need a daily reminder or two to turn to the LORD. How easy it is to get caught up in the cares of this world and forget about the One who loves me more than anyone in my life.
Angie you have a pretty good variety of stuff on your blog and I appreciate it.
I like blogs that include stories about the blogger's life. I like The Pioneer Woman, because of her wit and variety of topics. I like EPBOT, because of the unique content.
I like to to be challenged when reading a blog, but more than that, I like to laugh. I like to read humor and encouragement - to feel happy enough to come back again and again.
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