Fear of falling, failing and flying

Towards the end of 2012 my role of novice blogger changed.  Instead of feeling like an observer of the blogging community, looking from the outside in, I became a more active participant, engaging with and commenting on other blogs, and meeting virtually (and actually) with some wonderful people.   It’s taken me a year to achieve this.  What was I scared of? 

When I started my blog just over a year ago, I didn’t really know what I was doing with it.  It lacked focus and became a random collection of opinion pieces, advice I hoped was helpful to other writers, some diverse guest posts and the occasional ramble and rant.  A bit messy and untidy in structure.  More like the cluttered room than The Beautiful Room.

I started 2013 with the aim of being more focussed and structured, with specific days for themed posts.  That never really happened and my blog continues to be like my mind – overcrowded and haphazard. The only difference is that I am trying to be a bit braver about my inner thoughts. Previously, I’ve tended to shy away from revealing myself through my blog posts, yet most of the posts that I admire are the ones in which the writer isn’t afraid to do that, where what they write is personal and brave and authentic.  We all want to connect with other people.  It’s what life is all about.  It’s why we love to read, because we want to engage with realistic characters that resonate with us, that we can identify with. To show us that we are not alone in the world.

I recently read an excellent post from The Book Designer about blogging and I especially loved this phrase, which is so true and apt:

Before you’ve created your own blog, you don’t realize how much a blog is like a garden. In both you need to put in work up front, maybe a couple of years of it, before you start to get the benefits of a bountiful harvest.

Check out the post here

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/03/author-blogging-101-whats-stopping-you/

Writing a blog is definitely a long term process.  You have to work to get results, to nurture it, to learn, and to be patient.  Gradually, if you do the groundwork, it will grow. And so will you.

Related post: 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-sense-of-community.html