Posts Tagged ‘wordcount blogathon’

The end of the blogathon

So here we are. May 31st. The last day of the WordCount Blogathon. And judging by this post, I’ve succeeded. Yay me!

When I first started this, I said I wanted to get more organized this year and make more connections. The first is an absolute! I kept a Google doc (I’m a tad bit obsessed with Google docs) planning out all of my posts for the month and highlighting them as they were written and posted. I wrote most of my posts a day or two or three or ten in advance and scheduled them. (It was my first time with scheduling posts. I have to say I pretty much loved it.)

As for the connecting bit, I didn’t manage to do that as much as I’d have liked. I have a folder in my email account (I’m a tad bit obsessed with folders) with a list a blogs I’d like to check out when I have a few minutes.

I did start following two new blogs from the blogathon – Cathy’s Voice Now and HEARTing Handmade. I also have two blogging friends who participated in the blogathon – Teachable Scotts Tots Homeschool and Recovering Church Lady. I also would like to mention another blogging friend who did not officially participate in the blogathon because she found out about it too late, but she still did an awesome job – The Passionate Eclectic.

There’s supposed to be a Twitter party to wrap up all of this up, but I’m painfully clueless about Twitter (and really not incredibly interested in understanding it better . . . at least not right now), so I figured I’d answer the questions that are meant for the Twitter party in this post. Here they are:

What was your favorite part of the blogathon?

I really enjoyed getting a little taste of blogging organization. As I mentioned in this post, I’m sure I’ll go right back to the chaos, but it was nice to let my neurotic side take over here for a little bit!

I also really enjoyed the theme posts. I took some creative liberties with this one, but it’s probably one of my favorite posts from the month. Haiku Day and Wordle Day were also a lot of fun!

What did you learn?

I learned that it’s a lot easier to get organized than I thought it would be . . . and that I still wouldn’t want to do this on a regular basis! Once a year, as a challenge, is a lot of fun and I look forward to do continuing with this tradition, but I’m going to really enjoy a few days of not posting too!

I’ve also learned how to reignite the poet inside of me. I’ve written poetry so sporadically over the last several years, so it was really awesome to get back into it this month. That I will continue!

What would you do differently next time?

I’d figure out how to join the Google group earlier and then actually participate with it. I’d also like to figure out the Twitter thing for next too. Oh, I’d like to participate in the guest post exchange, which I didn’t do this year because I never got around to checking out the Google group. And, again, I’d like to connect with more bloggers!

What would you change about the blogathon for next year?

I’d love to see more theme posts. And it would be great if it was easier to find the Google group (there was probably a link somewhere, but I checked a few emails where the group was mentioned and I couldn’t find a link). Otherwise, I pretty much enjoy everything as it is :)

And that sums it up! I have a few posts I planned out that I never got around to writing for the blogathon, so I’ll work on them throughout the next week or so. But for the next few days, I’m taking a break!

Wordle Day

Today is Wordle Day and below is my Wordle! One of the purposes of Wordle Day (which I have now written as “World Day” twice :p ) is to make it an easy blogging day. We post our Wordles and then go about our business and that’s it. But I couldn’t leave it at that. So I used the words from my Wordle kind of like magnetic poetry and underneath is what I came up with!

blame the moments of perfection
for the loneliness that follows –
the beautifully inspired days are brief
and leave a longing
for tomorrow to hold the affection of yesterday –
is it better to have a small taste
or to never know that which will be missed?
the dangers of love are still relevant
and enough to make me wish away the past –
but my skin’s been infected
and there’s no escape

WordCount Blogathon Theme Post Day #2

Today is theme day #2 for the Blogathon and we’re supposed to write on the prompt, “If I started blogging today, I would . . .” I’ve been thinking about this for the past few weeks and I’ve thought, “Well, maybe I’d have some kind of schedule and I’d write about certain things on certain days or I’d organize my blog more so that I posted at the same time every day or I’d make sure to have pictures with every post” and so on and so forth.

The truth is, I wouldn’t do any of those things because they’re all things I keep saying I’m going to start doing now and well, I don’t do them. The truth is, if I started blogging today, I would do everything the same way I’ve already been doing it.

That’s not to say I’m doing it perfectly. There lots of things I would love to do differently. I would really love to get more organized. I’ve been really proud of how I’ve been able to stay ahead with my posts this month, but I know I’m going to get right back to my beloved chaos when it’s over.

I love blogging and I love the whole blogging world. Ideally, I would be much more involved with it. But that’s not so much a matter of what I would do differently now knowing what I know – it’s a matter of not having the time.

So, instead I’ll write this –

If I didn’t have to work or take care of my kid or pay bills or make meals or clean a house or go to doctor’s appointments or go grocery shopping or wash and dry and fold and put away clothes, I would write a blog post every day. I would schedule them in advance and they’d all post at the same time of day. I’d always include a picture with my post (even if I had to spend an hour searching for the perfect picture). And there would be a theme so maybe on Mondays I would write about politics and Tuesdays I’d write about family and Wednesdays I’d write poetry and so on and so forth.

I’d respond to all of my comments the same day. I’d read the blogs I follow every day and comment on all of their posts and I’d organize a blogging conference where I could meet all of my fellow bloggers and we’d talk about what to write and why we write and how to use social media and why we use social media.

Then we’d relax after a day of conferencing by going to the bar and I’d get drunk on Long Island iced teas and we’d all have a blast and then I’d go home and blog about it.

That’s what I’d do.

Haiku Day

Today is Haiku Day for the WordCount Blogathon. I’ve been a bit worried about this one. I don’t typically write structured poetry. I usually prefer the chaos of free verse. But I took this picture on my way to my daughter’s baseball game a few weeks ago and it seemed rather suited for a haiku.

 

cascade of pink left
one lonely cherry blossom
clinging for dear life

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