Tortillas on The Computer and Why Do I Blog?

I'm trying to sit down at my computer, at the kitchen table, to write my post and there's an open bag of tortillas sitting on top of it. Perfect example of why my house is a mess. The Transporter and SoccerBoy, who just spent the night, just finished making burritos for breakfast. There “was no counter space” because OYT was also making breakfast. That's his reason for putting them there. Um, what about the whole rest of the kitchen table? There was yesterday's mail he could have put it on top of. Or how about the newspaper The Engineer didn't finish reading and left scattered about. Or best of all, on top of the packaging for the car part that arrived FOR THE TRANSPORTER yesterday, and still is sitting ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. No, tortillas on the computer.

I can't win this clutter battle with no help. And I can't even complain about it on my blog until I get reluctant, sullen teenager out of his room to put them away. You'd think I'd asked him to paint the house so enormous was his complaining. Then he tried, “Why couldn't you just put them away? It's just a bag of freakin' tortillas?” My point exactly, but why couldn't YOU put them away. His argument proves my point. He's now sulking in his room because, “All you do is yell at me!” and I'm fuming at the computer because of all the clutter – and what I described is just a small portion, but a perfect example of what happens everywhere.

But that's not what I was going to talk about today...that was accidentally the “vent” portion of my tagline: wanna be writer seeks place to vent, practice, and share. I was going to talk about why I blog, because I read some great blogging rules over at Alex J. Cavanaugh's yesterday. It got me thinking about all the different sorts of blogs I've come across on the Post A-Z Road Trip this summer, and the different types of bloggers, and what motivates us all to go on this crazy ride and join this supportive community.

I blog to practice writing. That's why I'll put up a stupid, gory story when I have “writer's block” (which is a whole 'nother post – does it really exist) because my blog is what holds me accountable to myself (and my readers!) to KEEP WRITING even when it's not flowing, even when I have no good ideas, even when it's late in the day and probably not as many will read it. It's the JUST DO IT thing. Just write. Just throw it up there. Don't let life circumstances, how you're feeling, or what else you have to do stop you. JUST WRITE.

That's why I started my blog. What I didn't know was that I was joining a symbiotic, living, breathing, shifting, evolving community. I didn't know I'd make friends. I didn't know I'd find blogs that I HAVE to read, even if it means that when I get there, I read a whole week's worth of work in one shot. (You know who you are...smiles.) I didn't know about bloghops to meet new people, and I didn't know about challenging myself. I've learned so much.

On my facebook page, my occupation is listed as blogger. It's not that I'm getting paid, but THIS IS WHAT I DO. When I don't do it, I feel like I'm missing out on something good. That good being your post that will teach me something new, show me a great picture, share your artistic talent, make me think, make me argue, and make me smile. The other good would be the interaction through comments and emails that fly all around the world, just because I'm practicing my craft.

Why do you blog?

Sign-Up For the Blogging From A-Z Challenge, April 2013

READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SIGNING UP.  THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES MADE DUE TO YOUR FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR AND YOU HAVE ONE SHOT TO FOLLOW THE NEW DIRECTIONS.  THE LIST WILL SIMPLY BE TOO LONG FOR US TO FIX THE MISTAKES THAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T READ ABOUT THE CODES.  DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?  SORRY FOR SHOUTING, JUST IT'S BEEN A ZOO...AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT.

Are you a blogger? Do you want to build your blog audience, find new blogs to follow? This opportunity is your best chance!

Today we begin the sign-ups for the Blogging From A-Z  Challenge April 2013!

As a quick summary in case you've been offline for four years... this challenge was started by Arlee Bird of Tossing it Out. He was celebrating a milestone on his blog, and thought that this challenge might be a fun way to do so. This is the fourth year, and the hundred or so participant list from 2010 grows by leaps and bound each year. Last year over 1700 participated!


Rules are simple. On April 1^st, post about something that starts with the letter A. On the 2^nd, something on B, and so on. You get Sundays off^t. Whatever style blog you have, this is a challenge you can do! Some freestyle it (like I did my first year) some go with a theme (a lot of folks did that, and I tried that last year - much easier, so I'm theme-ing it again this year). Whatever your style, you'll fit in fine. So sign-up on the linky below, grab the badge from my side-bar, check out the other co-hosts and follow them (also in sidebar) and start planning! April will be here before you know it!

One more thing, don't freak out about having to visit everyone. All we ask is that you visit five new blogs a day, starting with the one after yours on the list. Five! That's totally doable, and by the end of the month, you'll have met at least 150 new blogs!  Of course, the more you visit, the more traffic you'll get, so challenge yourself.  Set a goal of what you can reasonably do and then go for it!

I'm not going to go into more details here, because The Challenge has its own blog chock-full of info. Lots of tabs. Answers to all your questions. It's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you follow Blogging From A-Z Challenge April 2013! and read all the posts. Following by email is a sure way not to miss a thing!

Between now and April we will have tips and hints, introductions to your co-hosts, and lots of other good stuff to get you ready for the marathon in April! 

Due to feed back from previous years' participants, this year you have the OPTION of adding a category to your blog from the following list.  LET ME STRESS OPTION.  For example, I'm a writer, but I don't write about writing, I just write.  At Life is Good you'll find poems, embarrassing stories, Swedish lessons (that was last year's challenge), memoirs, fiction, fictional poetry..it's me practicing writing.  You never know what you're going to get...

That's also how I like to approach visiting new blogs.  Where in the world will I land?  However, that's me, not you.  This challenge is all about you doing your thing on your blog.  we offer guidelines.  The only hard and fast rule is that if your blog contains adult content code (AC) then you are REQUIRED to categorize yourself as such.

IF you're going to pick a category, choose wisely.  Once it's up there, there's no changing it.  Put it in CAPITAL LETTERS, IN PARENTHESES just like in this list. Or go nude, like a good Swede.  No category.  See who shows up...

1. WRITING :(WR)
2. BOOKS:(BO)
3. FILM :(FM)
4. PHOTOGRAPHY:(PH)
5. GARDENING:(GR)
6. CRAFT:(CR)
7. ART:(AR)
8. MUSIC:(MU)
9. CULINARY :(CU)

10. LIFESTYLE:(LI)
11. FASHION:(FA)

12. PERSONAL:(PR)
13. SOCIAL MEDIA:(SO)
14. GAMING:(GA)
15. EDUCATION :(ED)
16. POLITICS:(PO)
17. HISTORY:(HI)

18. SCIENCE :(SC)

19. HUMOR:(HU)

20. TRAVEL:(TR)
21. MISCELLANEOUS: (MI)

22. ADULT CONTENT:(AC)

So without further ado, I give you the sign-up list!  wHICH IS NOW FOUND UNDER THE TAB ABOVE LABELED AS SUCH.

And The Survey Says...

I was a big fan of Family Feud growing up...and I've been formulating a bit of a survey in the back of my head as I read the wonderful guest posts here (referring to the A-Z Blog, where this post also resides today) and observe the interactions between bloggers and readers and writers and others who drop by. We thank you ALL for visiting. The A-Z is NOT just for writers. There just happen to be a lot of us who joined. However, it is an event for BLOGGERS.

So to all you BLOGGERS out there...here's your chance to participate in the behind the scenes survey that they revealed the results of on the show. Of course, the answers will be public, but if necessary, I will do a follow up post tallying the answer should there be (gasp!) so many comments (I hope..) that you can't possibly read them all.

Please read each question carefully. Some will sound a bit alike. Are you ready?By the way, no right or wrong answers, just hoping to start a dialogue, or perhaps if I get lucky, a knock-down, drag out DEBATE! I love those comment chains...so lay it on us, total truth please:

1. AS A BLOGGER, how do you interact with your commenters?
   
   
2. AS A COMMENTER, what is your preferred method of being noticed for taking the time to leave a comment?
   
   
3. Now here's the rub: are those answers the same? Why or why not?
   
   
4. Do you tend to read blogs that are similar to yours, say a writer learning from another how to market well, or to get tips, etc?
   
   
5. Do you read a variety of blogs, and if so why?
   
   
6. How do you decide who goes in your blog roll in your side-bar? Is it ALL the blogs you follow?
   
   
7. Do you return follow just based on unspoken etiquette principle, or is there more to your decision?
   
   
8. To you have link back signature? If not, why? If yes, why?

Also, please feel free to only answer the ones you're interested in, but for survey tallying, please number your answers for this math nerd. I do love long, rambly comments, but for the sake of my purpose here...please play along according to my admittedly, totally, control-freak bossy tendencies.

As Brenda (The Closer) would say, “Thank you, thank you so much!” Or something. I've only watched one episode and am hooked. In my netflix queue. Feel free to correct my quote...

If you'd like to learn more about this control freak, math nerd, chatty to a fault writer, check out my "About Me" tab.  I add to it fairly regularly.

If you missed my April 2012 A-Z Challenge "Postcards from Sweden", it's not too late to read those either ;-)

Tina

P.S Of course I'll answer all of these myself. But at the end of the day so as to not influence the totally truthful results. Snork.

P.P.S This is my post at the A-Z Blog today, so if you'd rather answer there, go ahead.  I know that comment chain will be really interesting because we've already had several debates about some of these isssues...Not that my commenters aren't interesting...oh, just shut up Tina.  Just read this SOMEWHERE.  Please?  Sigh.  I really do need to join Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Group.