Yesterday's Pet Blogger Challenge turned out to be an awesome party. I made it to reading 55 blogs only to return to my own blog and finding 30+ comments of the same bloggers I was reading about. It was like you were all sitting in the room with me. What an energy. Could you feel it too? I am still shaking. And there is more, entries are still coming in!
I don't want to dwell, but I cannot help myself wanting to have a "the day after" chat. It is that passion thing again. If I would have had a schedule my next blog post would already have been shining out there. But now you know me, so why hide?
Thanks to all that participated. I found so much inspiration, advice and kind words. It has helped me tremendously to sort my own thoughts on how to "un-bully" this blog and how to move it forward. Key in it all was the schedule, suffocating the passion from which I write. I cannot point to one particular post, but all of you together convinced me to forget the schedule and continue to write from passion. And, important lesson learned 2, not mistake writing with the "publish" button. So the publishing is getting a schedule treatment. Not the writing, that will still come when it comes.
Now we are talking schedule or not-scheduled, did you read the entries from two of the most professional bloggers around, Roxanne Hawn's Pet Blogger Challenge Q&A, and Kim Clune's Pet Blogger Challenge. Both successful and established writers, yet a total different approach. A perfect example that personality and background define how you write. There is no right or wrong. The right style is the one that fits you best.
I am looking forward to next years Pet Blogger Challenge. Whats wrong with a yearly virtual group hug? Maybe we should call it mini-Blogpaws. Talking about Blogpaws, I would love to visit and meet all of you in real life. But as you know I take Viva and Kenzo with me everywhere, and having them on an intercontinental plain-trip is a nut I haven't cracked yet. Blogpaws Europe maybe? Does that exist? Nah, we would get lost in translation.
A huge thank you to Edie from Will my dog hate me and Amy from Gopetfriendly.com for hosting and organizing this challenge. You guys just rock.
Nice post. I have to agree with you. The Challenge was so much fun. I'm still working my way through all the blogs and learning a lot.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you participated.
Hope you find your blogging schedule/not-schedule too. Either way I am reading what you are writing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for participating so actively in this event, and thanks so much for this retrospective. I'm still working my way through the blogs -- there are now about 90 of them. I'm skipping the few written in Spanish but otherwise I'm trying.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Maybe next year you'd like to put it on...
Well said Kenzo!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words. The challenge turned out better than I dreamed with so many people taking the time to write such thoughtful posts. You hit it right on the head - it was like a group hug! I'm still working my way through the posts (I'm up to #71!) and have added a bunch to my Google Reader. It's so nice to understand why people are blogging and what their aspirations are. I think this should definitely be an annual event!
ReplyDelete@Edie
ReplyDeleteYou mean like in plan. ahead. in. a. schedule?
Freeze :)
@Allison
Thx!
@Amy
Who could have thought that when you wrote your post about the bullying blog it could evolve to this. And maybe even as a returning event. Your first blog outside of the schedule sort of payed off. Bigtime :)
We had a great time doing the challenge too!
ReplyDeleteWe are still going through the list:)
I had a great time, too!!It took me two days to get through all the posts, but it did it!! After reading the comments on my blog, I have decided to run a little Q&A next week regarding some of the frequent topics that came up like traffic, daily posting etc..
ReplyDeleteWhile I was writing my post about the blog challenge, I saw you had done the same thing. Serendipity!
ReplyDeleteAs for BlogPaws, why don't you contact the organizers about a computer link up for international visitors? There's no reason you couldn't participate in something virtually. Maybe you'd even like to present something on tracking or nose work?
Of course, I have no idea how to organize such a thing but didn't you say you enjoyed a technical challenge?
Dear kenzo, first of all, I just learnt on something wagging that you are Dutch :) it's great the stuff you can learn from a petblogging challenge!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you said...the publishing may be scheduled but the writing happens when it happens. And my 2 fave bits ...the virtual group hug and lost in translation..Haha. Now I know you're pretty funny as well.
Have a lovely day :)
I also met a lot new bloggers out there during the challenge. And if you ever decide to visit Europe, don't worry so much, most of us around here learn English in school.
ReplyDeleteI've also noticed many people saying that trying to keep to a schedule sometimes affects the content quality. I guess it's a matter of inspiration.
I loved reading your response to the challenge and agree that the experience was like one big cyber hug! LOL
ReplyDelete"not mistake writing with the "publish" button"
LOVE THIS. I am new to blogging and have been very guilty of this. I've never been one for deadlines and schedules, so this challenge really helped put things in perspective for me.
We'll be following your blog and hope you'll visit us again soon! :)
I fear I've become the tough-nut in the pet blogger crowd for my rant about consistency and schedules. :o)
ReplyDeleteAh, well ... I am who I am. Thanks for the mention.
I loved reading the different perspectives and found Roxanne's exact opposite approach to mine most interesting too, Kenzo.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between Roxanne's daily content provision and my 3 weekly posts is that Roxanne's blog, Champion of My Heart, is a means to directly produce and sell a product. She has to run her blog like a business to achieve her goals.
This One Wild Life, for the time being, is merely my creative outlet, one in which I prefer to relax and enjoy my time writing without the pressure of what could easily feel like a second job. For me, writing best when passion strikes is combined with a bit of scheduling to meet both needs. For that, you and @BoulderDog are absolutely right. The time you write and the dates you publish do not have to coincide.
To clarify about scheduling in general, I strictly adhere to Roxanne's standards in the professional arena. The majority of my time these days is spent not on my blog, but pouring my heart into supporting a humanitarian aid organization using social media marketing. If you think your blog is bullying you, you have no idea the pressure of entire villages in 5 countries depending upon multiple successes. But, of course, the questionnaire wasn't about that.
For you pet bloggers without the desire to sell (which, from what I read, many of you don't care to), find a happy balance between keeping your readers interested and continuing to enjoy what you do. There is nothing more rewarding than that.
@Jen
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, I don't think anybody is finished with the list. It is only getting longer :)
@Karen
Wow, two days ! Interesting with a additional Q&A series, looking forward to that!
@Pamela
Great minds ... ? Ha!
Blogpaws does a lot of streaming already wonder if they would be interested in more. I give it some thought what could be in it for them.
Like your creative thinking :)
@georgia
Thanks, you always make me smile :)
@Lavi
I am from Europe too :) To be exact, a Dutch national, living in Denmark.
@Angel
Thanks, loved your blog too and will for sure visit soon!
@Roxanne
Ha! since when is dedication and discipline a tough-nut. Cheer up, you were the only pro blogger that explained WHY a schedule is necessary. You get mentioned when you write awesome posts :)
@Kim Clune
Thank you for clarifying this. Everybody on the Challenge that was blogging for a living or a business did run on a strict schedule. No exceptions.
I am so so so behind on my blog reading it is embarrassing! There has been a lot going on here these days and I'm having to put the things I'd rather do aside for my real life. Which majorly blows.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your recap of the Challenge. While I don't write on a specific schedule, I do find that if I give myself some sort of deadline to hit that "publish" button, it helps keep me focussed. But not everybody needs or wants that kind of self-pressure. One day I can see this being a problem and I may have to start bullying my blog into submission, but so far so good.
I am all for some sort of virtual BlogPaws for us who can't make it. Great idea!
Great recap! I agree - it's been really fun and interesting to check out all of these posts, and I've found some great new reads! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your recap! I've been having so much fun this week going through the posts in the Challenge. One of my New Year's resolutions was to stop being so shy and to comment on more blogs instead of just lurking. This was the perfect opportunity to make me stick to that resolution!
ReplyDeleteLove your recap and am so glad I found your blog. Consider this a virtual squeeze right back at ya!
ReplyDeleteP.S. So glad to hear that Vivia's acupuncture went well!
@Kristine
ReplyDeleteAh real life. sigh :)
Nothing wrong with a little self-pressure and deadlines, otherwise we would never stop editing!
@Pup fan
Thanks. I added a lot of the blogs to my reader and the good stories keep un comin' :)
@Paris
Wow how cool is that! Good for you! Who would have thought that. Writing blogs must be different than commenting. Glad you are blogging AND commenting now.
@Lori
Ha! Thanks for your kind words and the virtual sqeeuze back :)
Viva says thanks for thinking about her and is ready for hug too now the needles are out. I give her one from you.
Mini-Blogpaws Hugathon 2012! I am so there! This was such a fun project. Thanks for the great summary! It is so good to get to know so many of you fellow pet-crazy bloggers better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the summary Leo. I think you and Pamela did a great job for all of us! I am still working my way through the blogs, but I have to agree, this has been awesome!
ReplyDeleteI also like your idea about a schedule for the publishing part of blogging, but not for the writing. Like you and Kim - I have to "feel it" and write when I do "feel it".
My only problem will be not hitting the "publish" button by accident! That will definitely ruin my schedule (believe me I have done it too many times to count!).
I am so glad I met you!
@Shawn
ReplyDeleteHa! the Mini-Blogpaws Hugathon 2012: guess we found the name!
@Mel
Loved Pamela's organized approach a lot, it was a great recap of all the entries. Fight that piblish button ! :)