creative juices – YA Chit Chat

The week ended, or rather began on another glorious note. The lovely Katrina bestowed upon my blog two awards: The Versatile Blog award and the Beautiful Blog Award. Thank you so much, Katrina! I will have to go through my extensive list and decide who to nominate.

While this is not the first time a fellow blogger has nominated me for these awards, it is the first time I really sat back and thought about the versatility and beauty of my blog and why I even have one.

Why did I start a blog?

Honestly, I was told I needed to develop a platform. I had to brand myself; make my name synonymous to what I could bring to the world.

But what did that mean? I didn’t have anything to bring to the world. I had nothing that was published. I certainly had no expertise in the matter. All I wanted was to bring writers and readers together, to give them a place to unwind and talk about successes and failures. I also wanted to impart some of my wisdom I’d learned over the years about writing, but after a year and amassing only 500 views and 21 followers, I knew I was doing something wrong. Terribly wrong.

How did I fix it?

Floundering, I asked a successful blogger what I should do. She gave me some great advice:

– Write from the heart. Stop trying figure out what you think everyone wants you to write about and write what you want to write about. Stay focused. Stay disciplined and let the creative juices flow. You’re a writer. Be creative.

– Connect with other writers. Get out of your shell. Visit other blogs. Talk. Connect. Don’t limit yourself to only writers. Discover your passions and find blogs that cater to those desires. Expand your world.

– Find your voice. The more you write, the more your inner voice will emerge. Listen to it. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Be honest. No one likes a fake and if you’re lying, people will see through it. The façade won’t last. Be natural. Be you.

– Find your niche. It is important to identify your interests, your passions. Write about them, no matter how obscure they may seem. There are others who share the same interests. Write with passion and authority, and others will think of you as the one to turn to in times of need.

– Write on your blog a lot, several times a day if you want. Learn about tags and how to use them effectively in your posts. This will increase your accessibility. It will also help your page to climb in the Google Page ratings. Like it or not, Google is the ‘find it’ browser, and the higher your page is ranked, the better for you, the blogger.

Did her advice work?

Yes, I have to admit it did. In the last 1 ½ years, my blog has gone from 500 views to almost 25,000. Not huge in the blogosphere (there are people who hit that in 6 months), but it’s huge to me. Followers are slowly on the upward climb which is all good, and my Google page rank is 3/10. That’s the average page ranking for blogs. (If you want to find out your Google page rank, click here). Redfusion also has an article here about what the Google ranks all mean, if you’re interested.

I’m still trying to find my ‘brand’. As a YA fantasy author, I’ve decided to take my blog more in that direction, especially since I have such a passion for mythical characters and the creation of brave new worlds.

Nowhere is that reflected more on my blog than on the front page. Quite by accident, I stumbled upon the amazing artist, Josephine Wall, and found one of her pieces that personifies my tagline. With her permission, that piece now graces my blog. It’s as if I’ve found a part of me that was missing. I can now say to myself my blog is beautiful, and it’s here to stay.

I intend to remain versatile as a writer and a reader, and I’m always open to new ideas for blog posts, conducting and giving interviews, blog hops, giveaways, etc. Thank you all for taking the journey with me and I hope you visit and comment often. Next time, feel free to bring a friend or two. There’s plenty of room, and I certainly love having you.

Google PageRank Explained (epiphanysolutions.co.uk)

Up until a couple of weeks ago, my writing was on fire. I couldn’t get enough. It was during this time I stumbled upon a publisher’s shout out for short stories for their upcoming anthology. The story had to be based on a picture prompt they provided. I had one story in the slush pile beneath my bed I thought would work, but after playing with it, I decided to chuck it and write a new one.

I pondered the picture for a couple of months (yes, I said months), not sure of where I wanted to go with it or how I wanted to get there. I couldn’t think of anything to write. The story had to be adult fiction. I write YA. The publisher is known to publish books filled with romance. I don’t do romance (not well anyway). I also knew the planned release date of the anthology and nothing I came up with coincided with the nearby holiday.

Three weeks before the submission deadline, the story came to me and I wrote like a fiend. After tons of beta reads, revisions, more beta reads, more revisions, I finally had something presentable. I submitted.

And now I wait. In the meantime, my motivation to write has all but up and gone. I don’t understand. I have three manuscripts looking at me, begging me to revisit them, and I don’t have the umph to do it. I needed a quick kick in the rump.

I tried taking a walk, bicycling. I ate, but nothing worked, so I headed over to Script Frenzy to get a five-minute writing exercise prompt. Oh heavens. Do I have some weird things to write about today. Thanks, Script Frenzy, for stimulating my creative juices. Check out these whackadoodles:

In a world where mustaches are illegal, a cartographer from the future begins training for a lifetime of piratehood. (this has soooo many possibilities)

Where reality and fantasy intersect, a talking flute tries to break into pro Sumo wrestling.

En route to a llama resort, a disgruntled Yeti is mistaken for Elton John and goes with it. (love this one!)

In a world ruled by chickens, a hooker with a heart of gold discovers a shocking use for spray cheese. (intriguing)

While at a Super Bowl party, a feuding polka band plans a camp-out in a haunted bayou. (this one made me chuckle)

Now you tell me…if I can’t find something to write about with these, there’s something seriously wrong with me. That Yeti and Elton John prompt has me going all over the place. I’m getting visuals of the Yeti jamming to Crocodile Rock when he meets a Rocket Man and says to Good-bye Yellow Brick Road. One day, he meets a Tiny Dancer who is in love with a Pinball Wizard who is filled with Madness….

Gotta go guys. I’ve got Elton on the brain. I don’t know how this will all end up, but I will say this…this prompt Ain’t Gonna Be Easy, and Madness May Take Over, but I’m sure by the end, I’ll be singing Someone Saved My Life Tonight.

Oh, and this has given me an idea for a contest. Stay tuned. Friday I’ll bring on all the details!!