The Juggling Writer has made it to year three. 375 posts…125 a year. Not quite my goal of 3 posts/week, but still close. If the blog were a tequila, it would be certified Extra Añejo. Were it a child, the terrible twos would be a thing of the past, and all kinds of cool things would be on the way. That’s what I’m hoping for…cool things.
I’d babble about my thoughts about hitting three years, but the video really says it all. (I apologize for the shoddy juggling…it’s been…a good half a year (maybe even longer) since I really got out and juggled, so I’m quite rusty. I need to change that once the weather cools down in Texas.)
Thanks to everybody who checks out the blog — it really means a lot to me!
Happy Birthday to the Juggling Writer! I really enjoyed this video. I also enjoyed getting out and juggling with you.
I always wonder what I should do with my own blog. I think we all go through that, thinking about what changes we should make… this or that… I think it’s always a good think to consider every once in a while.
Cynthia: I’m not sure the 20 mph breezes were conducive to juggling, but it was a beautiful morning! I know it will be back to hot, but going from 105 yesterday to the upper 50s/lower 60s this morning…I’ll take wind, even if it means no club juggling!
Your blog is great. I think it’s cool how there are those days you hit numbers I’d love to see. At the same time, it’s nice having regular visitors to The Juggling Writer. As I get older, I get a bit more, “I have a decent job — I’ll write what I want, not caring if it does well or not!” That’s the biggest trend this year: that view of writing.
And I can’t say I regret it, or have changed my stance. It’s liberating, and I am doing the best writing I’ve ever done, in part, because I don’t care about “platform” and all those other trendy buzzwords I hate.
More than anything, good writing matters. Maybe the best it gets not just in my third year, but forever, is doing the best writing I’ve ever done for a handful of readers. I’ll take that over writing what I don’t want, that appeals to a current trend, any day…
Happy B-Day TJW!
What a fun video. I think the videos and the conversation keep me coming back to this blog. And the general writing lifestyle advice. And the occasional food and drink references. And the fact that it’s a kick-ass blog.
Don’t worry about not having an exacting plan for your blog. I prefer blogs that are more open-ended – they don’t seem forced, like some of the other strictly themed and scheduled blogs. With open-ended blogs, more *genuine* personality shows through. Of course, my own blog has dissociative identity disorder, so I’m biased.
CMS: What I like about your blog, and most other blogs I follow, is that they’re not the same ol’ blog that seems to be written with a purpose (i.e., make money). I’m glad you feel The Juggling Writer is kickass.
At first, I really did try to be informative, sharing what little bit of experience I have. After that…it seemed if I kept at it that I’d seem like other blogs that just churn out content for the sake of churning out content. The writing blogs I follow…they’re all people who aren’t really known, like me. I prefer that kind of thing. I’d rather read your flash fiction (http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/), what Paul Lamb is up to (http://paullamb.wordpress.com/), what’s going on in Shawn Kupfer’s head (http://47echo.wordpress.com/), what Lisa Eckstein is reading (http://www.lisaeckstein.com/), or insights from a young writer just starting out (http://the-blank-page.blogspot.com/)…things like that vs. another “writing” blog talking about blog headlines to increase search engine optimization.
If you put SEO before story, you’re doing it wrong!
If I have to predict what will be different in the next year on The Juggling Writer, it might be a bit more anti-establishment in ways. I’ve reached a point where I still have the same goals I always had when I started writing, but…it’s more important for me to write what I want and not chase things. It’s why I haven’t written an article in awhile. I like travel stuff, but some of the other stuff I’ve written…it really was to have credits. Because, to some/many, credits matter more than what’s on the page. I don’t care about that as much as I did: I’d rather 10 people read the best thing I’ve written than thousands reading something I just wrote fast for the money. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not for me.
Bonus list of blogs to check in the comments. Thanks!
I’m all for anti-establishment. But you probably already knew that.
Congratulations on three years! I really enjoyed this video. Good luck figuring out what you want to do with your blog (I still haven’t really figured it out for my own, after two years), and I’ll be happy to keep following along with whatever you post!