A few weeks ago I celebrated my 60th birthday. My sisters were here and made it so special. They gave me a wonderful gift- a two volume compilation of all of my Katherine’s Daughter blog posts! The second book arrived today and it’s beautiful.
Six years of blogging? Could it really be? Two hundred and fifty nine posts. What have I learned? A whole lot about myself and blogging.
Initially I began a blog because I had a desire to write a book. Not a fiction book but a non fiction book about grace. As I explored this more, the research I found said if you have a blog and develop a following, your book will have an audience. As if the universe conspired to help me, I then began a full time job that was very busy but not very imaginative. I loved my boss and co worker but I had come from an events planning environment where every day was something different.
Enter my blogging journey. I started Katherine’s Daughter six years ago today on December 11, 2011. I remember being a bit scared of the technical side of a blog, and inspired by the sheer excitement of it. Blogging is fun! I met lots of other wonderful writers too numerous here to name. They showed me the way and taught me many things.
Are you thinking of blogging or writing? Here’s a few awesome things I’ve learned:
- Don’t strive for perfection. If you think every post has to come out like a Vanity Fair or New York Times article, think again. Anyone with a desire and basic knowledge of their language can write. My way of writing is to think about what I want to say for a few days then sit at the keyboard. Usually my posts will tumble out and I edit them a couple of times. I resist the temptation to revise over and over again. That drives me insane.
- Practice makes it easier. When I look at my first post and look at my last post, I’m kind of proud. I think my writing is a little better since the beginning and I will tell you that each time I post I worry a bit less. I just let it happen.
- Writing a blog is a creative outlet. Do you have something to say? Photography to showcase? A zillion recipes to share? A family life that is outrageously humorous? Blogging is a chance to share your magic with the world. I like to tell stories that show ordinary life as extraordinary. It does help to have a central theme in mind.
- If you have a business, blogging will broadcast it. I have an events blog tied to my wedding business. I do very little paid advertising. But I do wedding posts on a regular basis and I can’t tell you how many brides have found those posts and hired me as their coordinator.
- Be yourself. You can be a swearing, outrageous blogger that showcases your daily struggle with mental illness or a major momma in the kitchen with amazing recipe magic. Either way, be respectful to yourself and others and have a good time with it.
What’s yet to come? My sister Mary wrote me a beautiful letter when she gave me volume one. I want to share it with you.
Happy 60th Jo!
I’m writing this note three days after your 60th birthday. The Fed Ex package due to arrive on your birthday arrived instead at 10:38am this morning. I suppose that means your birthday is meant to live on at least a few more days, if not more.
I’ve thought about this present for you for quite some time. Cally initially rejected the idea of creating a book/s of all your posts. But I knew this would be the perfect gift for you. Mostly for selfish reasons—because my hope is that this year you’ll think about creating a compilation book of the best of your blog posts. It’s not my place to decide which ones are the best. But I knew what I could do was print every blog post you’ve written (or at least those on the katherine’s daughter site) as a book and also as pdfs to make it easier for you to read and select your version of Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies orGrace (Eventually) or Hallelujah Anyway.
Sometimes I wonder if you realize what a gifted writer you really are. Your blog will always be something I can return to again and again to remind me of mom, of what it was like to grow up in our family, to remember how sweet life can be, and to be grateful for the big and little things that happen in our lives.
So my hope is that when I turn 60, your present to me is a published copy of your “best of katherine’s daughter.”
Happy 60th big sister.
Love you Jo.
Mary
Ok Mary, I accept your challenge! I will do my best to have the Best of Katherine’s Daughter published by December of 2019!
To all of my supporters and faithful readers- Thank you so much for all of your love and encouragement. Your comments, likes, and shares of my posts lift me up on my writing journey. Here’s to many more years!!
