The Blog Reclamation Project

Reclamation - the act of returning something to a former, better state.

I started this blog in 2009, basically on a whim. At the time I was writing a book where the main character was a semi-successful blogger, so I decided to create one for myself. I wanted to see what the experience was like. What a decision that was. I've since written 748 posts (not including this one) and seen just shy of 600,000 page views over the course of seven years.

Looking back over that time I must say I've hosted some pretty memorable events. The Blog Blitz, WRiTE CLUB, and Blogging Buddies Around the Globe to name a few. My breakout moment came when I encouraged readers to send their query letters to me during the time of year when agents were typically going dormant for the holidays (All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go). That became so popular that well-known agents were tweeting about my post.

Then there were the blogfests. The Origins blogfest, the Deja Vu blogfest, the Significant Other blogfest, the WIP it Good blogfest, the High Drama blogfest.

I participated in the A-Z Challenge three times and won more awards than I can count back when blog awards were the rage. In my heyday, I averaged 40-50 comments per post. I interacted regularly with hundreds of fellow bloggers/writers and felt part of a community -- which I can honestly say was a first for me. Can you tell that I've been reminiscing? How ironic is it that I ended up becoming the character from my book.

I really miss those days. Unfortunately, I've drifted away from many of the people I knew back then, and some have moved on. But the reality is that those days are long gone. And here's why. As I've moved closer towards realizing my publishing dream, I've had to focus my energy on more writing-related activities. That takes time, which we all know is scarce. And if you didn't know it, let me tell you, turning a blog into a destination where lots of readers visit regularly...although very rewarding...is a time drain. A key component is being able to visit as many blogs as you can to create that personal connection, and that is what encourages reciprocation.

But just because I'll probably never see that kind of interest again doesn't mean I intend to shutter my blog. WRiTE CLUB, Blog Blitz, and the Deja Vu blogfest are all still going strong and are more popular than ever. But what I do want to do is get back to is my roots.  I recently took time to read some of my posts from those early years, and they were surprisingly entertaining. And that's what I want to do...at least until the time comes when I get that first book deal...is entertain. I'm one of those people who are uncomfortable giving writing advice until I have the "chops" to back it up, and for me that means being published. So, until I have the chops and can feel confident in passing along writing/publishing advice, my aim will be to entertain.

So going forward I'll be mixing in re-vamped posts from this blogs infancy with new posts that I hope will touch on a wide range of emotions. That's the plan, anyway.

I hope you stick around for it.