A personal first!

For some reason, I find the thought of blogging intimidating. Right from the first moment that ‘social media’ came onto my personal radar, and I read in Kristen Lamb’s book, We Are Not Alone, that she advised blogging in order for an author to build precious social platform, I’ve stubbornly refused to jump in the game. The thought of writing a blog scared me. Who was I to talk? Why would people listen? What would I say? I told my cohorts over on Writing for Children, that I couldn’t imagine I’d ever start my own. Privately, I was also afraid that if I took a leap of faith into the world of blogging, that no one would be there to catch me.

However, a few years have gone by now. I feel that I’m part of a happy thriving online writer’s community. I’m managing to work on my own middle grade fiction, and participate in my critique group, the Magnificent Five, and raise my kids, and renovate the interior of my house myself, as well as to put out a newsletter to my mailing list twice a month. I feel that now, I could try to add a blog to that list. So I asked folks on the mailing list, to blog or not to blog in last week’s newsletter, and the ‘yay’ vote was nearly unanimous. I said to my mates on Writing for Children, ‘I may actually start a blog - the rock of Gibraltar is slowly moving!!!’

They say that the reason social networking works is because people love to show off pictures and videos. On my blog will there be pictures?

Yes, there will be pictures! My two youngest boys watch a movie on their I-pad last week.

Youngest son with new puppy, Bolt, a two-month old Fox Terrier, a ball of energy!

They say that social media works because we all love to tell stories, and it provides proof of our social value. Will there be stories?

Yes, there will be stories!

Like the one about how my family says ‘you shouldn’t be on Facebook, Aunty,’ because I always put my foot in it. This week, I commented on a friend’s Easter pictures of her family, to say, I thought her father had a great smile. She messaged me later to say that he was her husband. Aunty struck again. Don’t tell my family, or I’ll never hear the end of it!

They say another thing we love about social media is the chance to share jokes. Will there be jokes?

Yes, by jingoes, there will!

Q   Why did the elephant paint his nails red?

A   I don't know, why?

Q   So he could hide in a cherry tree. Have you ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree?

A    No. 

Q   See how good they hide! 

That’s a joke I borrowed off my pal, Lynn Kelley. And I’ll also borrow one of her send-offs  too because I love it. See ya’ in the funny papers!

 
Yvette Carol :-)

p.s. Thanks so much for reading my first ever blog post.