This post marks my one-hundredth blog. Granted, that’s not very remarkable after almost five years, as many of you pros probably hit this mark within a year, at least. Given my limitations and hesitant leap into blogging, though, I deem it an accomplishment of sorts.
In truth, I never aspired to start a blog. I don’t like to step into controversy at all, and early on in the blogging era, the conflict a blog could brew was the primary thing I heard about the subject. More than that, I don’t consider myself an expert on anything and am uncomfortable taking a platform about any matter. Plus, I wouldn’t term my life as interesting enough for a regular blog. I’m just a disabled girl with a lively imagination in a smaller-than-small-town community. What could my perspective offer to the vast blogosphere?
After my debut novel came out, I tiptoed into blogging, writing a few articles on my website, which wasn’t hooked into a blogging network. I just wanted to keep my site somewhat fresh for any regular visitors. I decided to focus on how I sculpted my work, keeping it as benign as possible. That’s when I chose the name “Behind the Pages,” obviously a play on the Hollywood expression, “Behind the Scenes.”
During those first couple of years, I only wrote about a subject when it came to mind. Because of my doubts about my own qualifications as a new author, I ended up with just four—“Setting the Scene”, “What’s in a Name?”, “The Menacing Blank Page”, and “Getting to Know You”— which I eventually transferred to WordPress. When I signed my second book deal with Vinspire Publishing, however, I realized that wasn’t enough. I followed their recommendation to establish an actual blogging site and try to have a more active presence.
Still, I struggled with what I’d discuss. I contended with the qualms I mentioned earlier, besides the fact that I can only type with one hand and have to use it wisely. I also preferred to devote my time to fiction, which takes me out of this crazy world. Even in elementary school, I hated to journal and reflect on my day because for starters, I didn’t find myself interesting back then, either, and I often didn’t have a day I wanted to remember. I’d always rather dream up stories, maybe with a dusting of reality, instead of craft a narrative around reality.
It took me a while to settle in, but I gradually grew more comfortable with it. For the first few months, I strictly centered my posts around aspects of writing, before some personal matters crept in. I’m still not one to share my everyday routine, but I’ve come to appreciate the outlet it’s given me to express some of my views on life and the lessons I’ve learned…or more often than not, am trying to learn. I’ve enjoyed seeing how, despite our many differences, we all experience much of the same challenges, and I always hope something I say can benefit even one person.
In the case of this particular post, I hope my behind-the-blogger story shows how stepping out of your comfort zone has its perks. Five years ago, blogging was not a pleasant concept to me. I pouted and dragged my feet initially, but I figured out how to fit it to me. It even led to my latest novel! (See The Book the Blog Wrote) Hence, if you ever feel like you’re being thrown into a sea of unknown depth, it’s understandable to brace yourself and doggy paddle on the surface for a bit. Once you get your bearings, though, muster up the courage to dip down and discover the wonders that lay beneath.
KarinaBartow.com 