Happy 19th Birthday SlingWords

I should have published this last week on April 12, the 19th anniversary of my first SlingWords post.

However, I've been fully engaged in completing my backyard landscaping  project for the year. Of course, I also had some things to do in the front yard.

I wanted to get everything transplanted and new plantings completed so they'd have time to acclimate before the heat of summer hits. I'm still not finished, but I've been away from the writing desk too long.

BACK IN THE OFFICE

Nineteen years and a million or so words ago, I wrote and published the first post for SlingWords. Writing and publishing this blog has been fulfilling, frustrating, and a source of inspiration because it helps keep the flow of words going.

Many times I think writing is like turning on a garden hose. When you first turn on the water, it takes a few minutes fot the water to flow out of the hose, but once the water is running, it keeps flowing.

When you write every day, the words always flow. If you stop writing for a few days, it's more difficult to get the flowing when you return to write. So, yes, writing SlingWords is a way to keep the flow going even though I'm not writing a book but blogging.

To continue the garden hose metaphor, sometimes it feels as if I've got a fire hose spewing words instead of a garden hose.

FREQUENCY OF BLOGGING

Once I blogged every day, but the last few years have been difficult.

I've blogged sporadically, but I keep SlingWords going because of the reason cited above and because it's a way to communicate with the world.

Like most writers, I spend my writing days alone in my office with only the thoughts in my head and the music playing in the background for company.

I'm at the age where I feel I have a lot of life wisdom and writing wisdom to share with others. That's what I'd like to do—help other achieve their dreams, help them avoid the mistakes I've made, and help them to find more joy than frustration in this competitive business of writing for profit.


I like blogging. I think it's a worthwhile way to spend one's time, and I've certainly learned a lot since I began in 2005. I blogged for others, blogged for profit, kept 2 personal blogs for about 10 years then let one go. I've been involved in group blogs for several years.

I condensed most of what I learned into a book I wrote on blogging, If you'd like a ton of tips on how to blog successfully and pages of resources, grab a copy of my book, Blog Ops. which is only 99¢ but worth far more than that.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

A big thanks to all of those who read my posts. I'll keep blogging, bringing you helpful information and entertainment as often as I can. Drop by and visit any time.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

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