Is not really easy if you do not join any forums, blogger groups or blogging platform. You seen, to drive traffic to your blog, you need to put in a lot of work.
Firstly, you need to write really good, interesting content. By this, I mean content that people want to read and not only meant for search engines. Also make sure your content is posted on a regular basis so that your readers won't feel as if you had abandoned your blog or something.
Once you get your content in place, next in line is a lot more work than producing content. It is marketing your blog.
Now, marketing and promotion is the most important factor in driving traffic to your blog. Because, without spreading the word about your blog and what type of content you have in it, then it is not easy for readers to find your blog.
So, how do you market your blog?
There are several ways to do it. Let me list it out in point form:
- you tell your friends, family and anyone who'd listen to you brag about your blog. Make sure you repeat your website address often enough to get them to go into your site.
- you submit your blog to search engines and then submit to all high ranking blog directories
- you join some blogging platform like BlogRush and social networking and start blog hopping and making new blogger friends. Soon, they'd come visiting your blog often too.
- you join forums to offer expert advise and remember to add the link to your blog!
- you can also submit expertise articles to article directories for some link love.
Try these out and tell me how it turns out.
Happy blogging!
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday
Sunday
SEO tips
Any blogger or webmaster worth his salt knows all about SEO and its importance to get his website or blog high up in the search engines. After all, without being highly visible to the public, it is not that easy to get random traffic without the search engines ranking.
So, I am sharing with you some of my SEO tips. I may not be an expert but I've learnt quite a bit about it and just providing tips that I personally use:
1. When you write the blog post or article, do always choose with a keyword you plan to optimize. Say, you want to optimize the word 'SEO tips' like this blog post.
2. You start your post with the keyword within the title.
3. You also insert the keyword into the post, preferably once in the first paragraph, once in the middle and last one in the final paragraph.
4. It is important to remember not to overdo it and use the keyword for every sentence because the search engines may think this is not a real post but one to cheat them.
5. Even the tags for you post must have the keyword
6. Finally, remember to keep the post real, logical and something a real person would appreciate reading and not full of gibberish to 'cheat' the search engines because traffic are real people and if you want them to keep coming back, offer them something they like and chances are they will keep coming back if they really like it!
I hope my SEO tips is useful to you. Since I am far from a pro-blogger and still learning the tricks of the trade, it is just something I learned as I blog along.
So, I am sharing with you some of my SEO tips. I may not be an expert but I've learnt quite a bit about it and just providing tips that I personally use:
1. When you write the blog post or article, do always choose with a keyword you plan to optimize. Say, you want to optimize the word 'SEO tips' like this blog post.
2. You start your post with the keyword within the title.
3. You also insert the keyword into the post, preferably once in the first paragraph, once in the middle and last one in the final paragraph.
4. It is important to remember not to overdo it and use the keyword for every sentence because the search engines may think this is not a real post but one to cheat them.
5. Even the tags for you post must have the keyword
6. Finally, remember to keep the post real, logical and something a real person would appreciate reading and not full of gibberish to 'cheat' the search engines because traffic are real people and if you want them to keep coming back, offer them something they like and chances are they will keep coming back if they really like it!
I hope my SEO tips is useful to you. Since I am far from a pro-blogger and still learning the tricks of the trade, it is just something I learned as I blog along.
Saturday
Make money blogging
Make money blogging is now a common term that every blogger knows and many do strive to earn something through blogging.
I, for one, am doing the same thing. No, not making a LOT of money from blogging, just enough to pay for some of my blogs. I know this blog is a free blog so this blog's cost is pretty much zero except for the time I need to put in to promote this and keep it updated.
Well, I do have several other domains and I use Wordpress as a blogging tool. However, recently, I started on a membership blogging site.
This site has been promoting itself as a platform for bloggers to make money blogging. The catch? Each blogger needs to pay monthly membership fees and their fees will go to the bloggers that they read. Similarly, they will be paid by the visits by other bloggers to their blog.
Or something like that. I don't know how to explain the full math of it but to put it simply, your membership fees will go to the bloggers whose blogs you visit and vice versa. It seems a pretty fair plan. Your fees are distributed fairly to the blogs you visit and like while you will get a share of the fees from those who read your blog.
I kinda like the thought of that. So, I joined. After a few days, I have earned a grand total of $0.01!!! LOL. Shocking, huh? Oh well, I went back to read the FAQ and realised that total earnings are counted differently as in it will be counted at the end of the other blogger's 'fee cycle' or something like that. It seems like we will only know our true earnings from blogging there after several months.
Which I think is reasonable. After all, it takes several months to build up traffic too. And it also takes several months before we could register for those paid post programmes.
So, what do I blog about over there? Well, I've started two blogs there, one on dieting and losing weight and another one is a general one on my life experience. I truly believe we could make money blogging and this site is one of it!
Do check it out here:
I, for one, am doing the same thing. No, not making a LOT of money from blogging, just enough to pay for some of my blogs. I know this blog is a free blog so this blog's cost is pretty much zero except for the time I need to put in to promote this and keep it updated.
Well, I do have several other domains and I use Wordpress as a blogging tool. However, recently, I started on a membership blogging site.
This site has been promoting itself as a platform for bloggers to make money blogging. The catch? Each blogger needs to pay monthly membership fees and their fees will go to the bloggers that they read. Similarly, they will be paid by the visits by other bloggers to their blog.
Or something like that. I don't know how to explain the full math of it but to put it simply, your membership fees will go to the bloggers whose blogs you visit and vice versa. It seems a pretty fair plan. Your fees are distributed fairly to the blogs you visit and like while you will get a share of the fees from those who read your blog.
I kinda like the thought of that. So, I joined. After a few days, I have earned a grand total of $0.01!!! LOL. Shocking, huh? Oh well, I went back to read the FAQ and realised that total earnings are counted differently as in it will be counted at the end of the other blogger's 'fee cycle' or something like that. It seems like we will only know our true earnings from blogging there after several months.
Which I think is reasonable. After all, it takes several months to build up traffic too. And it also takes several months before we could register for those paid post programmes.
So, what do I blog about over there? Well, I've started two blogs there, one on dieting and losing weight and another one is a general one on my life experience. I truly believe we could make money blogging and this site is one of it!
Do check it out here:
Friday
Where to get inspiration to blog
I blog on a daily basis on my various blogs (although not as often as I'd like in this blog) and sometimes, I do go blank and don't know what to blog about. It is not because I am really out of ideas but more like I had 'forgotten' most of what I planned to blog earlier.
It happens a lot. This could be due to having to keep track with so many blogs and since I write in different styles in those blogs, sometimes, my writing styles sorta gets mixed up. And sometimes, I get so overwhelmed that I don't know what I wanted to blog about. Yep, bloggers also get writers block.
One thing about blogging, we have to be consistent. I noticed that ever since I lagged behind in this blog (four months to be exact!!), traffic has slowed to almost non-existent. That is really not good.
What good is a blog if no one wants to read it, right?
So, what do I do to get started?
Here are some tips on how I get about plunking out five to six blog posts each day:
1. Browse and read other blogs for ideas but DO NOT COPY because that's plagiarism.
2. Read the news for funny ideas you can blog about
3. Draw on your own recent experience which you think is great to share with your readers
4. Check out social networking sites like stumble upon, digg, etc for the current 'hot' topics
5. Get a writing buddy / blogging buddy to help out by exchanging some ideas
6. Worse comes to worse, take part in one of those memes which is fun and also a great way to meet tonnes of other bloggers (and add traffic to your site!)
Best of luck getting some inspiration to blog and happy blogging!
It happens a lot. This could be due to having to keep track with so many blogs and since I write in different styles in those blogs, sometimes, my writing styles sorta gets mixed up. And sometimes, I get so overwhelmed that I don't know what I wanted to blog about. Yep, bloggers also get writers block.
One thing about blogging, we have to be consistent. I noticed that ever since I lagged behind in this blog (four months to be exact!!), traffic has slowed to almost non-existent. That is really not good.
What good is a blog if no one wants to read it, right?
So, what do I do to get started?
Here are some tips on how I get about plunking out five to six blog posts each day:
1. Browse and read other blogs for ideas but DO NOT COPY because that's plagiarism.
2. Read the news for funny ideas you can blog about
3. Draw on your own recent experience which you think is great to share with your readers
4. Check out social networking sites like stumble upon, digg, etc for the current 'hot' topics
5. Get a writing buddy / blogging buddy to help out by exchanging some ideas
6. Worse comes to worse, take part in one of those memes which is fun and also a great way to meet tonnes of other bloggers (and add traffic to your site!)
Best of luck getting some inspiration to blog and happy blogging!
Tuesday
Missing in action for four months..
I feel so darn guilty about neglecting this blog for so many months...it is almost as if I had quite forgotten all about it.
Of course, it is always in the back of my mind, nagging me, reminding me that this is my first ever consistent blog, that is until I became quite inconsistent in recent months, this year to be exact.
The reasons for that is simple. I have started several other new blogs. I now have a food blog and another socio-political, bitchy, rant-filled blog and a more localised blog on where I stay. You can check out my food blog at The Food Site. It is a blog reviewing places to eat and also with recipes and sometimes, some trivia on foods we eat each day.
I had half a mind to get rid of this blog and realised that I did not have the heart to do it. It has been around for me for quite a long while already so it is very much like a good friend to me. I can't possibly cast this aside just because I have, er, feelings (??) and good memories with this blog.
So, yep. I am keeping this blog and I will try to post at least an entry a week just to keep things going. This blog will be all about my writing projects, the finished and unfinished ones...
So, till then!
Of course, it is always in the back of my mind, nagging me, reminding me that this is my first ever consistent blog, that is until I became quite inconsistent in recent months, this year to be exact.
The reasons for that is simple. I have started several other new blogs. I now have a food blog and another socio-political, bitchy, rant-filled blog and a more localised blog on where I stay. You can check out my food blog at The Food Site. It is a blog reviewing places to eat and also with recipes and sometimes, some trivia on foods we eat each day.
I had half a mind to get rid of this blog and realised that I did not have the heart to do it. It has been around for me for quite a long while already so it is very much like a good friend to me. I can't possibly cast this aside just because I have, er, feelings (??) and good memories with this blog.
So, yep. I am keeping this blog and I will try to post at least an entry a week just to keep things going. This blog will be all about my writing projects, the finished and unfinished ones...
So, till then!
Saturday
Paid to blog!
It is indeed a wonderful way to end the year. PayPerPost just paid me $20 for by blog post last month.
I know, I know, it is not much and I have not been active in my blogging recently but hey, $20 can buy me lunch and even part of my dinner. That's not bad at all!
Other than that, I found that I do not qualify for most of the open opportunities there. Sigh...it has something to do with my rating or ranking, I think. Must be all the slow inactivity of recent times. And of course, my lack of links with other bloggers. I should really start linking with more blogs and leaving more comments and make myself known.
Err...that is if I ever find the time.
With the year drawing to an end and everyone around me pledging to a whole new list of new year's resolutions, I refuse to jump onto the bandwagon to make a resolution to read other blogs, leave comments and make more links.
I think it utterly pointless to make a list which we may not keep. Also, why a list for a year? Why not a lifetime list of things to do?
Seriously, if we have a goal or dream to achieve, is one year really enough? What about the goals of achieving true happiness, contentment and peace? Will one year be enough? Sure, short term goals such as losing the final ten pounds or getting a new haircut or giving your wardrobe a makeover could take one year.
But then, these short term goals often don't mean much. More often than not, most people who made their resolutions find themselves breaking it. So, what's the point?
Sigh. I will endeavor to visit more fellow bloggers' blogs, leave comments and link more. If only to get more traffic to my blog so that I will be able to take up more of the PPP opportunities. Considering I have Hubpages to update, job boards to check, projects to complete, a hyperactive toddler to care for and a day job to pay the bills, I'm gonna need the time travel watch Hermione Granger used in order to attend more classes...Perhaps, she won't mind lending it to me now that the whole series ended already. :-)
I know, I know, it is not much and I have not been active in my blogging recently but hey, $20 can buy me lunch and even part of my dinner. That's not bad at all!
Other than that, I found that I do not qualify for most of the open opportunities there. Sigh...it has something to do with my rating or ranking, I think. Must be all the slow inactivity of recent times. And of course, my lack of links with other bloggers. I should really start linking with more blogs and leaving more comments and make myself known.
Err...that is if I ever find the time.
With the year drawing to an end and everyone around me pledging to a whole new list of new year's resolutions, I refuse to jump onto the bandwagon to make a resolution to read other blogs, leave comments and make more links.
I think it utterly pointless to make a list which we may not keep. Also, why a list for a year? Why not a lifetime list of things to do?
Seriously, if we have a goal or dream to achieve, is one year really enough? What about the goals of achieving true happiness, contentment and peace? Will one year be enough? Sure, short term goals such as losing the final ten pounds or getting a new haircut or giving your wardrobe a makeover could take one year.
But then, these short term goals often don't mean much. More often than not, most people who made their resolutions find themselves breaking it. So, what's the point?
Sigh. I will endeavor to visit more fellow bloggers' blogs, leave comments and link more. If only to get more traffic to my blog so that I will be able to take up more of the PPP opportunities. Considering I have Hubpages to update, job boards to check, projects to complete, a hyperactive toddler to care for and a day job to pay the bills, I'm gonna need the time travel watch Hermione Granger used in order to attend more classes...Perhaps, she won't mind lending it to me now that the whole series ended already. :-)
Wednesday
Blogging for money through PPP
I discovered another great way to make money online and though it may not be much but it is good enough to generate a little income.
I am talking about PayPerPost. It is a marketplace where bloggers or posties are paid to write about a product or service by an advertiser in their blogs.
It is in fact a win-win situation for advertisers and bloggers. Advertisers will get the exposure needed for their business while bloggers get paid doing what they do best, blog!
I actually joined PPP quite a while back but my blog was not approved as my blog did not meet the minimum blog entries requirements. I signed up to try it out because I read about it in another blog and thought, hey, why not. It is free to sign-up and I have nothing to lose.
Though I have yet to earn anything from it yet considering my blog was only recently approved, I am sure, if I check out the PPP marketplace and blog more often, I may earn some side income.
It may not amount to much but a few extra bucks is better than nothing, huh? Hopefully, it would pay for, at the very least, lunch and dinner. Of course, if I am able to earn more than lunch money, it would be great way for me to save up enough savings to quit my job and fully immerse myself into working from home.
An example of how it works is this very post. I am actually paid to write about PPP. Isn't it wonderful? All I need to do to get some side income is to blog!
If you want to earn some side income (there is no promises of earning millions here!!), go on over to PPP and check it out by clicking blog reviews.
I am talking about PayPerPost. It is a marketplace where bloggers or posties are paid to write about a product or service by an advertiser in their blogs.
It is in fact a win-win situation for advertisers and bloggers. Advertisers will get the exposure needed for their business while bloggers get paid doing what they do best, blog!
I actually joined PPP quite a while back but my blog was not approved as my blog did not meet the minimum blog entries requirements. I signed up to try it out because I read about it in another blog and thought, hey, why not. It is free to sign-up and I have nothing to lose.
Though I have yet to earn anything from it yet considering my blog was only recently approved, I am sure, if I check out the PPP marketplace and blog more often, I may earn some side income.
It may not amount to much but a few extra bucks is better than nothing, huh? Hopefully, it would pay for, at the very least, lunch and dinner. Of course, if I am able to earn more than lunch money, it would be great way for me to save up enough savings to quit my job and fully immerse myself into working from home.
An example of how it works is this very post. I am actually paid to write about PPP. Isn't it wonderful? All I need to do to get some side income is to blog!
If you want to earn some side income (there is no promises of earning millions here!!), go on over to PPP and check it out by clicking blog reviews.
Thursday
About Blogrush
I joined Blogrush a few weeks ago with just a vague idea of what it actually was for. Supposedly, the widget will flash recently updated blogs of similar topics with my blog which I could visit while my blog will be similarly flashed elsewhere. Or something like that.
Trust me when I wrote in my previous blog (titled 'I have an admission to make..') that despite using the internet and computers on a daily basis for my work, I am practically clueless when it comes to the nitty gritty details of blogging and URLs and all the alien sounding initials. So it is the same when I sign up for things like Blogrush, Technorati and PayPerPost.
Maybe it's because I am too lazy to read through all the explanations and whatnots - not to mention short of time since I am mostly doing this at work... but I am beginning to wonder what's the point?
It is not as if I need to generate an income from my blog (though it would be an added bonus if I do get any) . So, does Blogrush actually drive traffic to my blog? Your guess is as good as mine. Sure I can check the figures with Blogrush but figures are just that, numbers and stats. Does it really reflect the actual readers instead of those flitting past on their way to find something interesting?
Oh well, if you really want to try it out, you can click here.
Alternatively, you can just Google blogrush and you will find it.
Trust me when I wrote in my previous blog (titled 'I have an admission to make..') that despite using the internet and computers on a daily basis for my work, I am practically clueless when it comes to the nitty gritty details of blogging and URLs and all the alien sounding initials. So it is the same when I sign up for things like Blogrush, Technorati and PayPerPost.
Maybe it's because I am too lazy to read through all the explanations and whatnots - not to mention short of time since I am mostly doing this at work... but I am beginning to wonder what's the point?
It is not as if I need to generate an income from my blog (though it would be an added bonus if I do get any) . So, does Blogrush actually drive traffic to my blog? Your guess is as good as mine. Sure I can check the figures with Blogrush but figures are just that, numbers and stats. Does it really reflect the actual readers instead of those flitting past on their way to find something interesting?
Oh well, if you really want to try it out, you can click here.
Alternatively, you can just Google blogrush and you will find it.
I have an admission to make...
*Head hanging, feet shuffling, eyes downcast*
Ok, ok, I admit it. I am a farce.
I know nothing about blogging and the hows and whats and wheres of blogging. Nothing. Nada. Zilch!
I do not even know what the heck is a feed, how to use html and whatever applications with strange looking initials. It is a struggle for me to do something simple such as customising my own blog. It took me weeks to finally get the hang of it and that is just to do minor changes. I wanted to create my own template but obviously that is much too advance for me!
Then there is the html, javascript, css and whatnots. These are nothing short of foreign language to me. Oh gawd...it is back to surfing the net to find out how to do this or that!
However, thanks to some really savvy bloggers with even one of them giving step by step tips on how to do this or that, I have learned quite a few tricks but some things are just way too complicated for me to understand!
To think I am on the web every day to do research (and blog) but I do not know simple things such as feed url and widgets and such.
Better get back to the drawing board...I am still trying to figure out some things. So look out for really weird changes to this blog over time, that is if I ever get the hang of all those foreign initials.
Ok, ok, I admit it. I am a farce.
I know nothing about blogging and the hows and whats and wheres of blogging. Nothing. Nada. Zilch!
I do not even know what the heck is a feed, how to use html and whatever applications with strange looking initials. It is a struggle for me to do something simple such as customising my own blog. It took me weeks to finally get the hang of it and that is just to do minor changes. I wanted to create my own template but obviously that is much too advance for me!
Then there is the html, javascript, css and whatnots. These are nothing short of foreign language to me. Oh gawd...it is back to surfing the net to find out how to do this or that!
However, thanks to some really savvy bloggers with even one of them giving step by step tips on how to do this or that, I have learned quite a few tricks but some things are just way too complicated for me to understand!
To think I am on the web every day to do research (and blog) but I do not know simple things such as feed url and widgets and such.
Better get back to the drawing board...I am still trying to figure out some things. So look out for really weird changes to this blog over time, that is if I ever get the hang of all those foreign initials.
Monday
Amusing, confusing Blogland
I have been a lurker in quite a few author and reader blogs (particularly of the romance genre) for quite a while and mostly I refrain from commenting except for one or two blogs.
Recently, reading blogs have become much like watching a drama series what with all the smearing and swearing going on! It is highly amusing and sometimes even had me laughing out loud.
Somehow, it is also quite sad. I mean, to me, blogging is just a way to express my opinions, so whoever who chanced upon my blog could just go away if they don't like my opinions and never come back. The end of story right?
Nope. Wrong. Apparently, in Blogland, some bloggers seemed to take offense over opinions by other bloggers and go all out to attack the bloggers who offended them.
I have tried to imagine how I would react if I am one of those who felt offended and still I could not understand their defensive over-reactions.
If some blogger had written something not so pleasant about me, I would have taken it in my stride to either ignore it (if it is baseless) or respond with the intention of finding out the reason behind the negative post entry about me.
As a professional journalist trained to always be careful of what I write, I would never launch into a huge diatribe against another blogger over some negative remarks about me.
It is unprofessional, distasteful and it will only serve to make me look bad in the end.
Reading these unprofessional attacks left a really bad taste in my mouth and it greatly reminded me of the world of politics.
All I ask is that what do they get out of this in the end? Politicians do it because they want to win the coveted seat / position they are after. But bloggers? What do they get?
I don't get anything from blogging except to relieve some of my working stress so even if someone do write bad stuffs about me in their blogs, so be it. Why should I bother anyway? So what if that blogger has a million readers and it may tarnish my name? If I am true to myself and confident with what I do, why should I bother about it at all?
Oh well, I guess bitchiness exists everywhere, even in Blogland. I am not really affected by it all but darn, it really makes for some entertaining read!
Recently, reading blogs have become much like watching a drama series what with all the smearing and swearing going on! It is highly amusing and sometimes even had me laughing out loud.
Somehow, it is also quite sad. I mean, to me, blogging is just a way to express my opinions, so whoever who chanced upon my blog could just go away if they don't like my opinions and never come back. The end of story right?
Nope. Wrong. Apparently, in Blogland, some bloggers seemed to take offense over opinions by other bloggers and go all out to attack the bloggers who offended them.
I have tried to imagine how I would react if I am one of those who felt offended and still I could not understand their defensive over-reactions.
If some blogger had written something not so pleasant about me, I would have taken it in my stride to either ignore it (if it is baseless) or respond with the intention of finding out the reason behind the negative post entry about me.
As a professional journalist trained to always be careful of what I write, I would never launch into a huge diatribe against another blogger over some negative remarks about me.
It is unprofessional, distasteful and it will only serve to make me look bad in the end.
Reading these unprofessional attacks left a really bad taste in my mouth and it greatly reminded me of the world of politics.
All I ask is that what do they get out of this in the end? Politicians do it because they want to win the coveted seat / position they are after. But bloggers? What do they get?
I don't get anything from blogging except to relieve some of my working stress so even if someone do write bad stuffs about me in their blogs, so be it. Why should I bother anyway? So what if that blogger has a million readers and it may tarnish my name? If I am true to myself and confident with what I do, why should I bother about it at all?
Oh well, I guess bitchiness exists everywhere, even in Blogland. I am not really affected by it all but darn, it really makes for some entertaining read!
Friday
Salute to fellow diligent bloggers
After only a mere few months of maintaining this blog (and two others elsewhere), I am already feeling the strain of ensuring I continue posting entries at least once a week. As is obvious, I have been slacking! So much so, there were hardly any entertaining or twisted ramblings to be found in the past two months or so.
Much as I want to blame Harry Potter for that, I feel that it would not be fair since it only took me a few days to finish delving into that thick fantasy world after its worldwide release last month.
Then there is the infection from that bug...seriously. I was truly, really, ill. Well, for the whole of two days. ;-)
So, it is with the utmost respect and much admiration that I extend my salute to all diligent bloggers who kept at it daily, weekly, frequently, all the time. I just do not know how you all do it! Some of you probably has less time than me but still managed to continue blogging at a regular pace, it is absolutely admirable!
What can I say? I am a total absolute slacker!
But that is because I have this annoying, irritating, insistent little voice in my head that hound me on end to work on my novel-in-progress and stop wasting time in cyberworld. Then there is that motherly voice insisting that I must spend more time with my son since I only get to spend evenings with him as I work full-time. Let's not forget the other wifely voice who stridently reminded me that I had neglected my darling husband so much so that he may soon forget what I looked like. Of course, let's not forget the teeny, wee, little voice of conscience tsk-tsking at my stealing working time to blog, lurk at other blogs and surreptitiously work on my novel-in-progress.
Then there is the very real voice of my human bosses demanding for more news articles and pronto! That's the problem with news reporting. The deadlines are horrific as it starts anew everyday and with the paper printing earlier these days, the deadlines are even earlier. So much so, I find myself munching sandwiches over my workstation for lunch instead of going out for a one-hour break from all the madness of frantic news deadlines.
So, honestly, how do other mothers who worked full-time outside the home ever do it all; keep an updated blog, keep the house sparkling clean, visit other blogs and comment appropriately and yet still have energy and time left to spend time with family and indulge in her own hobbies or interests (from gardening to writing to studying for the third Masters degree).
I am already scrambling for more time to squeeze in my novel-writing when every night after tucking my son into bed, all I want to do is collapse onto the bed and sleep.
Sigh. Can anyone find me the time-travel watch Hermione (in Harry Potter) was using to attend all the classes she took at Hogwarts?
Much as I want to blame Harry Potter for that, I feel that it would not be fair since it only took me a few days to finish delving into that thick fantasy world after its worldwide release last month.
Then there is the infection from that bug...seriously. I was truly, really, ill. Well, for the whole of two days. ;-)
So, it is with the utmost respect and much admiration that I extend my salute to all diligent bloggers who kept at it daily, weekly, frequently, all the time. I just do not know how you all do it! Some of you probably has less time than me but still managed to continue blogging at a regular pace, it is absolutely admirable!
What can I say? I am a total absolute slacker!
But that is because I have this annoying, irritating, insistent little voice in my head that hound me on end to work on my novel-in-progress and stop wasting time in cyberworld. Then there is that motherly voice insisting that I must spend more time with my son since I only get to spend evenings with him as I work full-time. Let's not forget the other wifely voice who stridently reminded me that I had neglected my darling husband so much so that he may soon forget what I looked like. Of course, let's not forget the teeny, wee, little voice of conscience tsk-tsking at my stealing working time to blog, lurk at other blogs and surreptitiously work on my novel-in-progress.
Then there is the very real voice of my human bosses demanding for more news articles and pronto! That's the problem with news reporting. The deadlines are horrific as it starts anew everyday and with the paper printing earlier these days, the deadlines are even earlier. So much so, I find myself munching sandwiches over my workstation for lunch instead of going out for a one-hour break from all the madness of frantic news deadlines.
So, honestly, how do other mothers who worked full-time outside the home ever do it all; keep an updated blog, keep the house sparkling clean, visit other blogs and comment appropriately and yet still have energy and time left to spend time with family and indulge in her own hobbies or interests (from gardening to writing to studying for the third Masters degree).
I am already scrambling for more time to squeeze in my novel-writing when every night after tucking my son into bed, all I want to do is collapse onto the bed and sleep.
Sigh. Can anyone find me the time-travel watch Hermione (in Harry Potter) was using to attend all the classes she took at Hogwarts?
Wednesday
Lethargic and busy and Pottermania
I have been lagging behind in my blogging and my private pet projects. Due to an onslaught of work in the office, I have been unable to steal some time to enter a post or work on my manuscripts. I was not even able to take a breather!
Anyway, I have been kind of lethargic too as I do not know what should I post anymore. I have so many topics banging around my head, I don't know which one to do first. Time is another factor as I have to find some time to do it!
Also, I am all excited over the upcoming release of the final book of the Harry Potter series. I may read a lot of romances and thrillers but I am also a Potter fan. I became hooked to the series due to all the hype over Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone some years back. There were numerous reviews on the book. It really piqued my interest so I went and got a copy to read for myself what all that hype was about. The rest is history because after that first book, I was hooked. Addicted. I immediately went out to grab the second and third book. I was like a Potter junkie and impatient for the next book.
Finally, Rowling has completed the last most anticipated and awaited book to round up the whole series. I hope all this wait is worth it because frankly, the fifth and sixth book did not leave much of an impression in me. Neither did the fourth book. Sure, the plot thickens and things were explained, people die and Voldemort makes his appearance but still....it didn't hold the same spell. At least, not for me. But the books are still well written, the plots interesting and the story progresses. I guess, as a whole set, all of it are good but individually, it's a different matter.
Oddly enough, or not so odd after all, it reminded me of my fascination with the Narnia series. It also comes in a set of seven books and some of it, as an individual book, is not very remarkable while some left a lasting impression in me.
Well, in a few more days, I shall know how Rowling is going to wrap it all up nicely. Judging from how her books became darker with each new release, I would not be surprised that the seventh book do not have a happy ending.
We shall see.
Anyway, I have been kind of lethargic too as I do not know what should I post anymore. I have so many topics banging around my head, I don't know which one to do first. Time is another factor as I have to find some time to do it!
Also, I am all excited over the upcoming release of the final book of the Harry Potter series. I may read a lot of romances and thrillers but I am also a Potter fan. I became hooked to the series due to all the hype over Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone some years back. There were numerous reviews on the book. It really piqued my interest so I went and got a copy to read for myself what all that hype was about. The rest is history because after that first book, I was hooked. Addicted. I immediately went out to grab the second and third book. I was like a Potter junkie and impatient for the next book.
Finally, Rowling has completed the last most anticipated and awaited book to round up the whole series. I hope all this wait is worth it because frankly, the fifth and sixth book did not leave much of an impression in me. Neither did the fourth book. Sure, the plot thickens and things were explained, people die and Voldemort makes his appearance but still....it didn't hold the same spell. At least, not for me. But the books are still well written, the plots interesting and the story progresses. I guess, as a whole set, all of it are good but individually, it's a different matter.
Oddly enough, or not so odd after all, it reminded me of my fascination with the Narnia series. It also comes in a set of seven books and some of it, as an individual book, is not very remarkable while some left a lasting impression in me.
Well, in a few more days, I shall know how Rowling is going to wrap it all up nicely. Judging from how her books became darker with each new release, I would not be surprised that the seventh book do not have a happy ending.
We shall see.
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