Today marks the conclusion of the WordCount Blogathon – the annual blogging fest where participants agree to post every day in May. I made it — and it feels great!
Smarter Blogging
It was my second year and I believe I blogged smarter this time around for two key reasons:
- Organization — I developed an editorial calendar and stuck to it, and because of the calendar I could work ahead (often two posts ahead of schedule).
- Variety — I tripled the number of guest posts this year and every Thursday, I showcased experts on topics ranging from ways to build a blog following, to factors to consider before self-publishing.
I am proud of the rich content this month on The Writing Well — I profiled a book charity for soldiers, and featured both a documentary filmmaker and authors in two of the hottest literary genres –YA and fantasy. I also shared my own experiences writing a family memoir and current writing projects in children’s memoir and historical fiction.
Thanks, Michelle!
Thanks to Michelle Rafter, an independent business editor, reporter and blogger, for pulling this event together for the last five years — you’re an inspiration! Every year, we see familiar names and new ones and it definitely feels like a community. This year the blogathon attracted a record 250 bloggers, and many came from outside the U.S.
I especially want to call out the daily Google Groups postings…They provided invaluable guidance and support, and gave all the bloggers a chance to meet and learn from one another. If you are a writer or blogger, I strongly recommend you subscribe to Michelle’s blog, WordCount: Freelancing in the Digital Age.
To wrap-up this year’s blogathon, here are my top 10 blogs from The Writing Well for May and the words or quotes that stuck with me.
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Memorable Quotes from My Top 10 Blog Posts
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#1 “When I interviewed Elon Musk for ‘Orphans of Apollo,’ very few people on the planet would have imagined that SpaceX would have the chance to become the centerpiece of the U.S. manned space program.” — Filmmaker Behind ‘Orphans of Apollo’ Shares Significance of SpaceX’s Historic Flight
#2 “Mom knows how to reach me, and I now know how to listen. It has taken me a long time, but I am writing regularly. My memoir, Finding My Peace of Faith, is my medicine. I understand my mother and my Father:
Just write.
And your heart will be healed.
She is with me. God is with me. That’s quite a gift.”
— Guest Blog: Betty June’s Gift
#3 “I can almost see Mom and her sisters in my mind’s eye…sitting around that porch with the eastern Tennessee mountains over their shoulders, laughing — their eyes crinkled in merriment. Their spirit still lingers — built over a lifetime bonding as sisters, mothers and friends.”
— The Bond of Sisters and Moms
#4 “I do remember being in the car one day as I was out running errands and suddenly thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if the thunder god Thor had to get a job as a photocopier repairman?'”
—Writing YA Fantasy: One Author’s Journey
— 5 Things to Remember Before You Self-Publish
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#7 “A blog has to be about something other than you. An issue, a topic, a cause. Something interesting.”
— 5 Ways to Build a Blog Following
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#9 “On the bus ride home on Monday he has drawn a ‘secret’ map; later that day he lists what he will sell his collection of bottle caps for at a garage sale. With the same attention to detail and mathematical process of his math-teaching dad, my son includes type, quantity and a ‘bulk’ price.” — The Joy of Journaling |
#10 “When I’m stressed out, I pick up a book and I go somewhere else. Soldiers’ stress is far beyond anything I’ve ever dealt with. They’re going through things most people just cannot fathom, and to be able to open a book and go someplace else for whatever period of time, is hugely beneficial.” |
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Anne, I absolutely love this idea of sharing the memorable quotes. Brilliant and fun!
I originally was going to just liist the posts but this was more interesting. Thanks!
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nne: Thanks so much for joining us again this year, and for this post. I am constantly amazed by the power that’s created each year when people come together to participate in this community challenge. It’s grown way beyond one person. There really is something magical that happens when everyone’s in it together, cheering each other on.
Thanks again.
Michelle
Thank you, Michelle, for all you did for us this year. What a great opportunity to be part of this community of bloggers.
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