Wow, somehow it is 2016.
There’s been… stuff. I’m working on a rant post about the drama of layoffs and unemployment bureaucracy that will probably go up this weekend. Mr. Loper’s feeling a bit depressed and frustrated about not working, and I’m trying not to be panicked about the lack of money that is imminent, but so far there’s only about one major kerfuffle a day, so that’s pretty good, right? I hope…
In other news, I’m being ambitious this year.
On the blogging front and the writing front. I might be attempt to be too ambitious, but we’ll see. I need to be a little more disciplined with this anyway.
This past year, I’ve tried a few different things on the blog-front. Some of them I’m very happy with, some of them I’m still not sure about, but overall, I feel a bit lost.
It’s been so long since I started blogging that I feel like I’ve ended up in a rut, and have just been doing a few things over and over again because it was habit, and not necessarily what was best.
On that note, I have a few announcements:
First, I’m doing WordPress.com’s Blogging 101 course this month. This post will turn into the first and second assignments shortly. I need a ‘blogging basics’ refresher, and this came around at just the right time.
Second, Worldbuilding Wednesdays is going on hiatus for a while. I’ll put up a little bit more info about that decision on Wednesday, when a Worldbuilding Wednesday post would have been going up anyway. So if you’ve been interested in it, or have been a participant in the past, watch for that.
Third, I’m attempting Bryn Donovan’s Blank Page to Final Draft year-long challenge. Considering it usually takes me 1-2 years just to outline and worldbuild, we’ll see how this goes! Either way, progress is progress, and I desperately need that right now. The first weekly assignment just went up today, so if you want to join in, there’s definitely still time!
And moving on…
The assignment for Day 1 of Blogging 101 is to introduce yourself to the world, and tell a bit about why you blog.
Well… I have a pretty okay grasp on the ‘me’ part of this.
I’m thirty years old, I’ve been married for eight years as of tomorrow. I’m a writer with a passion for fantasy, worldbuilding, and National Novel Writing Month.
I’m also an urban farmer (sort of – it’s all a work in progress), animal lover, and a seamstress who hasn’t sewn in a couple of years and misses it dreadfully.
My other career choices besides ‘writer’ would have been ‘costume designer’ and/or ‘zookeeper.’
I’m a Christian. I want to talk about my faith more, especially here on my blog, but I struggle between potentially alienating readers (and Some People have said that writers building a platform should stay away from religion and politics, but I feel like I’ve stifled half of myself trying to do so, and so I’m debating… sigh) and also struggling about opening up about myself that much. Faith, and a relationship with God, is a very intimate thing. Opening up means becoming vulnerable, and I have issues with vulnerability because of some things that have happened to me.
As for why I blog… I’m still getting a handle on that. I actually just had to write another ‘why I blog’ post last month, and you can read it here. In addition to what I said there, though, while I might have started blogging because it was the Thing for writers to do, every time I contemplate not blogging, it’s the thoughts of the connections I’ve made with other people who I never would have met otherwise that keeps me around.
The assignment for Day Two of Blogging 101 is to edit your blog title and tagline.
Basically… I’m skipping that one. I just did that back in September, and I’m pleased with it. I don’t know that I can get the feel of me and my life down anymore perfectly.
Thanks for stopping by! Questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome, even on the blog title/tagline assignment.
Seriously, if those throw you off, please let me know!
nerdsakhi
January 4, 2016 - 10:43 pm ·Your title and tagline both are very creatively thought out! Great work!
hariatahema
January 4, 2016 - 10:50 pm ·If your faith is very important to you, why not include it in your blog? Your writing must make your heart sing. Be yourself, and in time, your audience will settle into those who find value in what you write. Struggling with how to apply your faith in daily life is what intelligent people do. Go for it! Best of luck. (I’m not even a church going person, but blessed is she who finds God, wherever she finds God, I say).
Rebekah Loper
January 7, 2016 - 4:07 pm ·Thank you for your encouragement! It means a lot.
heylookawriterfellow
January 5, 2016 - 9:37 am ·Hey, your faith and your blog are yours. Write about whatever you want.
Rebekah Loper
January 7, 2016 - 4:09 pm ·I’m working on that! I still have the echoing voice of my parents in my head, though, from when I was a child, repeatedly telling me I had no tact and needed to think before I said things.
The problem was that I’ve always been very honest, and so I often find myself saying nothing instead of speaking up. It’s a difficult habit to break.
Patricia Lynne (@plynne_writes)
January 5, 2016 - 12:54 pm ·I think you should talk about your faith if you want to. I’m not overly religious, but it wouldn’t alienate me. Honestly, if people don’t want to read those posts they can easily skip them and read only ones that interest them and the people who enjoy them will read and hopefully comment. What rule said a person must read every blog post ever written?
Jean Marie Bauhaus
January 5, 2016 - 2:05 pm ·*hugs* Matt and I sat down and prayed about you guys’ employment situation this morning.
On writing about faith, I struggled with that very question last year, and you already know that my solution was to spin off a second blog to focus on faith. That’s worked out really well. Knowing that that’s the reason people show up has really freed me to be open and honest, and knowing that I’ve got a space specifically for that is helping to give my author blog more focus as I get ready to step that up a notch.
Rebekah Loper
January 7, 2016 - 4:12 pm ·I went back and re-read the opening post I had written for my previous blog (the black and dark night one), and I’d forgotten that one of the main things I’d mentioned was that I wanted to bring faith and speculative fiction to more of a forefront. And while some priorities have changed (99% of the time, I’d rather blog about my animals and gardening than my writing, especially since the Ferret blog is a good outlet for the writing side of things now, in addition to Fantasy-Faction), I’ve not talked about a lot of things I could have on here because I was just… too worried about offending people. But maybe if I’m not speaking up, I’m not going to attract the audience I want. So, I need to have courage, obviously!
And thank you both for your prayers. *hugs*
K.M. Guerin
January 7, 2016 - 3:46 am ·Everyone else has given you wonderful advice in regards to writing about your faith, so I have one, simple thing to say:
Happy belated anniversary!! 😀 😀
On a more serious note, I do hope things get better, and I will definitely be thinking positive thoughts for and about you. 😀
Rebekah Loper
January 7, 2016 - 4:16 pm ·Thank you! We had bought movie tickets before Mr. Loper was laid off, and thanks to a gift card for a local Mexican restaurant from a friend for Christmas, we were actually able to enjoy an evening out!
I just can’t believe it’s been 8 years.