Bloggity Blog #2: The Blogging Effect.

So, it's Friday and I've finally got around to sitting down in bed whilst listening to Boyfriend snoring and getting on with my planned blogging schedule that I have oh-so-craftily put into my phone and set reminders every time I forget/am busy/lazy ect. Long story short, I will be uploading a lot more content to this site now. When I set out on this experience, I made a commitment to myself and anyone reading this, that I'll put my heart and soul into it.

But anyway moving on.

I've been ghosting around a fair bit on various blogging sites in various industries, topics and hobbies - hoping for a little bit of inspiration. As you may have noticed (or not, sad face) I have been making quite a few improvements to the site and ensuring it's a little more reader-friendly and easier to see in terms of colour and readability. Of course every author has their own ideas in terms of what they want and how they want to portray their work across to their target audience. I also saw a lot of fantastic blogs that go hideously under-advertised and lay forgotten, whilst their owners either frown and lose hope or continue doing what they love, simply because they love doing it. (I'll be showcasing talent such as this in my 'Sunday Showcase section!)

My point being that I class myself as the latter - I could have absolutely zero reader base but yet I will continue to churn out what I love doing, simply for the fact that I love doing it. This should definitely be a trait that everyone should learn to adapt in whatever they feel their passion is, and put everything they have into it. Imagine it.

Self-illumination and perspective aside, life has been changing pretty rapidly for the past few months or so, with a variety of changes occuring. Not that change is a bad thing, it's the ability to be able to learn and grasp new knowledge, skills, whatever.

For those of your who keep up to date with me on Twitter, I've decided to make a major career change and move from Recruitment to Financial Services. I feel that I should point out here though, that I have about as much skill with numbers as I do with hardcore welding and plumbing - absolutely zero. So here I am, totally out of my comfort zone and no clue of what I'm doing, stumbling day to day through numbers desperately trying to looks over my notes daily.

However not letting this beat me down, I decided that taking on a completely new industry and job, will teach me a lot more about the business world itself and hopefully a variety of new skills that I can apply to my own. Admittedly, I miss Recruitment a lot more than I thought I would but again remembering the reasons why I decided to take a different route, I am choosing the 'new' things that I like now and focussing on them wholeheartedly. I know in myself roughly what I would like to change and what I'd like to improve on - which could be compared to writing as well in this aspect, I know what I want to do.

As to where this whole adventure for me at the moment - who knows where it will end? It's exciting, it's adventurous and most of all, I'm doing what I want to do.

Why don't you do the same?

Happy Friday!

- H

Jumping on the social bandwagon.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up one day, finish the your novel, get it edited and out to the public and generate thousands of sales as soon as you could?

Okay so confession time; when I was a young girl with my chubby hands clasped around my pens and notebooks, dreaming about a future where I could make lots of money and do the thing I love doing for a definitive career - I had no idea of the long hard slogging, back breaking, brow sweating, tear jerking journey it would actually take to ascertain this status. It was only up until very recently that this horrendous fact seriously sunk into the dark depths of my stomach, where it sat festering.

Admittedly, I had to question myself on my life choice. Weigh it up with the pros and cons - did I really want to put myself through so much stress for a small chance of sales in such a big pond? The answer of course hit me like a baton - why yes, yes I did. But somewhere long the way, my focus changed and less did it concern money. Nowadays I write because I want to. Yes of course I would love to be a published world renowned Steven King , Darren Shan or JK Rowling - who honestly wouldn't? But I write because I love it and it excites me. And I don't want to blow my own trumpet here, but this is what I believe sets writers apart.

Having the drive, imagination and goals are only the first step however. A massive social network backed behind you, a vast interspace and a reliable wifi connection will be your next best friend. Now you can't generate many sales unless you have the desired audience and fanbase to pitch to. Like any self respecting organisation, no one will buy unless they are promised a good interesting read that appeals to them.

This is where networking comes in - with the interspace at your fingertips, join as many social networking sites and you feel necessary - and more. Build your blog/profile/network/friends - let people know who you are and what you stand for. You won't be globally renowned in five minutes, but congratulations, you have taken that first step to becoming a social bandwagon driver.

Why Failure should be spelled with a capital 'F'.

Failure or failure?

Which has more of an impact on you - either good or bad. Of course this word could have both positive and negative connotations entirely dependent upon the situation it's used.

You fail on a test for serious neurological disease - congratulations! You succeed in catching man flu, though. But tell me which you're thinking about most?

Failure is not a bad, dirty word that writers and poets alike should shy away from, like its contagious. It's a learning opportunity that has the ability to kick you back into focus, or swallow you whole and completely undermine your confidence. But this is not how it should be!

Take a brand new writer and stick them head first into their first novel - bear in mind they know nothing about the industry nor about the wider publishing word. They submit their first work to the first publisher or literary agent they come across and receive a big fat 'no' after all of the effort. Should they be suddenly flushed into a world of doubt and question their career choice?

Negative, they shouldn't. Frankly, every writer knows exactly how much rejection this line of work comes with - failure and literature practically sit hand in hand. In welcoming Failure, see every rejection as a physical result and a promise, that you have created something bespoke and original - you are the grand creator of your work, the God of your own world.

Do not feel disheartened - I cannot stress this enough. JK Rowling experienced many rejections for Harry Potter and on the verge of giving up, Bloomsbury picked her up in a sheer stroke of luck, that they were opening a children's division - thus her story in itself began. I would encourage you all to save these letters/emails/calls and keep them close, let them remind you of your contributions and work that you've battled to finish.

- H x