R is for Russia

I have many Russian blog followers.  In fact, Russia is my second largest group of supporters, with the UK, France and Australia following, in that order.  Why, I've asked myself?  I do not know the answer.  I do know I'm delighted to have them.



The Kremlin
Moscow

Although I've not been to Russia, my son, Colin Stewart, has.  He still speaks of the beauty of the Kremlin in Moscow, the treasures of the Hermitage in St.Petersburg and the friendliness of the people everywhere.  I would love to see it for myself.

While living in London, we had (and still have) good friends from Moscow.  It was always fun to hear their tales of living in the capital and their trips throughout the vast country.  Hearing them always made us want to visit, and someday we will. 

The Hermitage
St. Petersburg

Until then, I'll check my blog stats that show, among other things, the number of visitors from each country.  I'll continuing wondering, as I do now, what brings them to my blog.  (It is translated into Russian, and that may make a difference.)

Please, some of you followers from Russia, let me know why you visit.  Do know that I am so happy you're here.  And, please, keeping visiting!

N is for Narcissism? Let Me Check My Blog Stats…

I’ve been thinking lots about narcissism and blogging and attention to one’s web site. Is that the very definition of narcissism?  Maybe.

Children's books are a passion of mine, and I’ve been writing them for seven years. My first one in a series of four, including One Pelican at a Time.  All were  published by Guardian Angel Publishing. All four of them took much time, thought, critiquing from my writer’s group and self-doubt right up to the end.

Never, though, during that process, did I run to the computer after having been away for an hour to look for comments or pour over stats. This realization may say something to, or perhaps, about me. Oops. There goes that narcissism word again…

The shift from creative writing to blogging/web site production may carry with it the need to be more personal, more introspective, more in tune with one’s own psyche to convey who we are to our readers and, perhaps, to define our own worthiness to ourselves. And with that may come some narcissism by task default. I certainly hope that’s what it is.

In the meantime, I’ll continue writing kids' books, consult with my publisher, speak at conferences, meet with my writing group, revise, edit, use my Thesaurus endlessly and only occasionally be deeply introspective. That is, until it’s time to write another entry for my blog. Oh, yes.

And even when it’s posted, I’ll pour over it from every angle, perhaps move a photo a centimeter or two, recheck links to be sure they’re working, read my witty words for the zillionth time and be, well, narcissistic.

Please excuse me now. I have to check my stats.

  http://www.amazon.com/One-Pelican-Time-Story-Spill/dp/1616331399/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1334417949&sr=1-1

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge (April, 2012)

 Hello, Dear Reader,

The month of April will be slightly different this year on my blog.  I've picked up the gauntlet thrown down by The Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Each day I will have a different entry, each represented by an alphabetical letter.  Tomorrow, then, will begin with A.  All the other Sundays in April are a free day.

  
I hope you join me on this challenge and are entertained as well as perhaps learn something new.  Or just come on over out of curiosity.

Hope to see you here!

Bah Humbug to Blogging? Not So Fast

I wasn’t going to do it.  Nobody was going to make me do it.  What was “it?”  Blogging, that’s what.  I absolutely railed against it.  Well, you get the picture. 

The Future World Order
Or is it Here?

But, because many people, including my publisher, said I must, I began the blog.  No, actually, the truth is, I began learning about blogging.  My poor husband sat next to me many evenings trying to give as much help as he could, which turned out to be quite a bit.

A vocabulary had to be unlearned and a new one learned with words such as, widget, gadget and attribution.  I had to trust that one could move pieces around the site as if I were putting together a puzzle, and they would stay.  I have to admit it, but one evening I sat far too long a time trying to figure how to embed (another new’ish term for me then) a video into my lily-livered blog.

Bit by bit, though, like a creeping vine, I was taken in by technology.  First I hated it.  Then it was okay.  Then it was bearable.  Then I couldn’t live without it!  How’s that for being seduced by a new world order.

Now it is a part of my everyday life, and I can talk widgets with the best of them, and I do.  Have to admit, though, it did take me longer than I thought it would to feel comfortable with tech talk.
 

And what about today?  Even after an entry is posted, I’ll pour over it from every angle, perhaps move a photo a centimeter or two, recheck links to be sure they’re working, read my witty words for the zillionth time and be, well, blogging addicted. 

 

This post, then, is a cautionary tale of what can happen to one if s/he lets the guard down concerning blogging.  It’s habit forming and quite impossible to give up.  Take it from me, a used to be, non-wanna be, habit formed, blogger.

Blogging About Blogging

It's difficult to determine what topics interest our blog followers and what will make people want to read them. For instance, people cannot seem to get enough of the Gulf oil spill.  Yet, I feel as if I'm overloading everyone with the topic.  On the other hand, when I move to another subject, readership falls off a bit.  What's a blogger to do? 

An interest in the oil spill is particularly high in the rest of the world, judging from the stats coming in from other countries.  When I blog about the spill, I hear from many people in countries such as  Russia, the UK, Germany, Hungary and the Philippines, just to mention a few.

Another topic of high interest is anything about marine animals, most notably Winter, the tailless dolphin who now wears a prosthetic tail and lives at the Clearwater Beach Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida.   Of course, she's a great interest of mine, too! 

Certainly both of these topics are germane to my series of Bella and Britt books relating the girls' adventures while living at the beach.  But there should be something more as well. There should be a common human bond between blogger and reader.  There should be that spark of, "Aha, we're on the same page."  Or, "I don't agree, but I understand where she's coming from with this."

If we are able to reach a modicum of understanding with each other, we've both accomplished something pretty special.  Of that, I am convinced.

So, Dear Reader, please send me your serious suggestions for a worthwhile blog within the parameters of children's books, conservation and other worthy and timely topics.  I'll even mention your name if you'd like, no matter where in the world you are.  

Blogging with a view to making our planet a better place is a tall order, indeed, but such a worthy one.  To that end, I'll keep in mind readers' interests and concerns.  Oh, and I'll try to have a little fun with it, too.