7 Blogging Essentials for the Beautiful Blog Award

Yeah! I’ve  recently been awarded two blog awards! Today I'm celebrating the Beautiful Blogger Award by talking about Blogging Basics. Thanks SO much to Bridget Whelan  for nominating me. Bridget's creative writing class (my first), was a real catalyst for my writing career. She currently teaches Creative Writing Classes in Brighton and London. A Good Confession, her first novel, is a cracking good read and check out  her website http://bridgetwhelan.com/ Muse, News and Views - it's packed with writing tips exercises, updates on  competitions, all peppered with a good dose of Irish anecdote and humor. The Beautiful Blogger Award allows you to write either 7 things about yourself or 7 things you know. Bridget wrote about 7 books that influenced her.  http://bridgetwhelan.com/2012/11/20/beautiful-blogger-thats-me-seven-things-you-didnt-know-you-wanted-to-know/I've decided to write 7 blogging basics I've learned of the past year. A big thanks to everyone from the Bloggers Helping Bloggers Group on LinkedIn who have been so supportive, particularly Sherryl Perry who manages the blog sharing section.

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7 Blogging Basics for the Beautiful Blogger Award

1. Quality Content.  Content is King. Kick-ass content. You’ve heard them both a million times. Whatever your style of writing, you need to grab the readers attention in the first couple of sentences. Once you have it, whatever your style, be creative rather than formulaic. Add some heart, and make it personal. Your readers want to now a little bit about who you are and what makes you tick. Most of all they need a reason to return. Rich content will  bring your readers back to your blog time and again, whatever the subject. Make every word count. Check out Leora Wenger's resource filled post on creativity.2. Relevance. Your blog is a reflection of who you are, your brand, company or platform. Keep your content relevant for your readers.  If someone’s coming to your blog for writing tips, they don’t want to read how to change a spark plug unless it’s part of a yarn. Some bloggers have a variety of blogs under one heading. But they need to be relevant. e.g. Jeri Walker-Bickett has a great blog mix: Indie Interviews, book reviews and writing tips. They're distinctly different posts, but all relevant to her subject matter. Treat your taste buds at Susan Cooper's blog - different subjects with a common thread. If you’re all over the map, people won’t have a clue who you are or what you’re about.3. Reply to Comments. Always reply to comments. If a reader's taken the time to read your blog and make a comment,  reply to that person. Its simply good manners.4. Write, then write again. Do you always feel inspired? No, neither do I.  Freewriting is the best way to limber up your writing muscles, whatever the purpose. Pick up a pencil or a keyboard and write non-stop for 5-10 minutes without thinking. Your subconscious will take over. At the very least you’ll end up knowing what subject you want to write about.Unless you sit down and write, nothing will ever come up on that screen.5. Look Under the Hood.  Learn about SEO, keywords and plug-ins. Unless you have a webmaster, you need at least a basic understanding of tools that help your blog to run smoothly and increase it's ranking. I've learned so much from Leora , Sherryl and Patricia in this area over the past year. There’s lots of resources out there. Learn from the best. A great website design is an important way to catch people's eye, so make sure it's the image you want to project. Will it make up for not having quality content? You know the answer to that one.6. Choose your Social Media. Using social media is essential to get your work out there, but keep it simple. Choose one or two. Unless you do nothing in life but market your blog and sleep a few hours a night,  you’ll be spread yourself too thin, and your efforts will be ineffective.7. Share the Wealth, Share the Love. The internet is all about sharing information right? So think collaboration not competition. Think Guest Posts. Bloggers need support from other bloggers as well as readers. Make connections. Share information and goodwill with your online friends and you’ll find it comes back tenfold. Mention them in your posts (be sure to give back links), reciprocate comments, share their posts on social media sites. Thanks to  Sherryl Perry I use CommentLuv for my comments which gives a link to the commentors last post. That gives them exposure on my site, and I can click on their blog to reciprocate the comment. Win-win.

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Now it's my turn to nominate the next Beautiful Bloggers. Hop on over to check out these great sites and congratulate the new nominees.Jenny Hansen  Writer of memoir and women's fiction and contributor to Writers In The StormDoreen Pendgracs Doreen's two blogs are a delicious blend of chocolate, writing and travel.Rolando Garcia Writer of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, romance and horror.Patricia Weber  A Courage coach for the reluctant marketer. For introverts and extroverts alike.Adrienne Smith  Internet, affiliate and network marketer, and resource for blogging and social media.Tasha Turner Social Media coach and writer of Jewish Vampires!Billy Rat Chitwood Blogger and Novelist.

 What would you add to a list of basics for blogging? Come join the discussion, and please share this post on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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7 Secrets of One Lovely Blogger

I have the wonderful Jeri Walker-Bickett to thank for  receiving the One Lovely Blogger Award. If you haven’t already checked out her blog, please do so. JeriWB:What Do I Know?. It’s a fabulous combination of all things reading and writing, from interviews , book reviews and writing tips.Some bloggers complain about these awards, but  I enjoy them -  it’s a way for people to share a little about themselves and as a blog reader I like to know who I’m reading.So here are the rules:1.Thank the person who gave you the honor - Mille Grazie Jeri!!2. Add the Lovely Blogger Award image to the post - Voila!

 3. Share seven things about yourself - OK I've called them secrets...4. Pass the award onto seven nominees.5. Include this set of rules.6. Inform your nominees maybe by posting a comment on their blogs.So here we go:-

7  Secrets of One Lovely Blogger

#1. I don’t write Every Day

This is a real confession, though it’s a habit I am trying to change. Writing even a few words is better than doing nothing at all. Particularly when I’m working on a novel, I find if I do as little as editing one line, then it keeps me in touch with the project, the characters and the plot.

#2. Age doesn’t bring Wisdom.

I’m turning 60 this year!!! How did that happen? In my mind I’m 28. Then I look in the mirror. So wisdom? No. If you’re lucky, age brings a lovely set of mistakes to learn from - that is if you’ve not become too stubborn or think you have nothing left to learn. Age also brings wrinkles and aches and pains, but usually means you don't draw the attention of unwelcome single men when you’re traveling. When I was in my 20’s,  I was hitchhiking in France with a girlfriend. On our way out of a small town, the car that picked us up had fake fur on the dashboard - our first clue that we shouldn't have taken the ride. A few miles  later, the driver started groping us both while he was driving! Then he pulled over in the middle of nowhere  and stopped the car. I immediately snatched the keys out of the ignition, which I’d seen someone do in a film. We’d stupidly put our back-packs in the trunk, but he was so floored by my action, he opened the trunk so we could grab our stuff, then after much cursing and gesticulating, he drove off. Phew. All very scary at the time, but I laugh about it now.

#3. Shakespeare Eludes Me

If I’m honest Shakespeare still eludes me. As a writer, how embarrassing is that? I studied him in school of course, and saw several of his plays, but none of it grabbed me. Perhaps if I did a course now, I would appreciate his work more. That said, when I saw a modern interpretation of Macbeth a couple of years ago I really enjoyed it.#4. I’m a BoxerOr you could say I’m a bag lady. I love to put things in boxes, bags, tins... I’ve been told it’s my desire to organize or compartmentalize, but I think it’s just a fetish.

#5.  Tap dancer Extraordinaire

In my mid twenties I was in the Hackney Hot Taps, a tap troupe taught by the lovely Trudy Howson, who I had the pleasure of running into recently after 30+ years! We wore either dresses from the 40’s - you could still buy them from Charity shops then - or top hats and tails. I usually preferred the latter. I absolutely loved the whole thing. So much fun to dance with a group of people, learn the choreography etc. And performing really was a great buzz. If it wasn’t for my auto-immune condition which affects my joints, I would tap now. My sister joined a class recently and she’s 67!

#6. Pilates Rules

I started a pilates class last year and I’m totally hooked. It’s very much a beginner class, for people with back problems. But it’s so relaxing and has improved my flexibility no end. Of course like all exercise, it’s use it or lose it. But at least it’s something I can easily do at home.

#7. Be Who You Are

I only have one breast, so watch out Boudica - you’re not the only Amazon. I had a mastectomy in 2005, but I was SO lucky - no spread, no chemo or radiotherapy. And I’m still cancer free. I used to hate wearing tight clothes as I looked so lopsided, but now it doesn’t bother me. Be who you are, even if it isn’t always easy.Now it's my turn for nominations, and I've spread the love by nominating those who I haven't done before for an award. Hop on over to check out these great sites and congratulate the new nominees.Khara House  Poet and creative writerAdele Symonds  Book Reviews and more.Phyllis Zimbler  Author of CIA Fall Guy: A Spy Thriller  amongst others.Krystyna Lagowski Great blog for all you car lovers.Larry Crane  Author of A Bridge to Treachery. Blogs about writing, pop culture, military service, and life in Maine.Jennie Orbell. Author of Starfish and other contemporary fiction.Amy Riley Brighton Writer Come join the discussion. Please leave your comments or share on your favorite social media.

Many Thanks!

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Receiving a Sunshine Award for Blogging

Quite out of the blue last week, I had an email from the writer and fellow blogger  Hemmie Martin,  to tell me she had awarded me the Sunshine Award . Thank you so much Hemmie - what a thrill and an honor! Hemmie is an author of Contemporary Women’s fiction, published by Winter Goose Publishing. The Divine Pumpkin is available, and Hemmie’s second novel is due out in February 2013.“The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The recipients of the Sunshine Award are: “Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” The way the award works is this: Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. Answer questions about yourself. Select 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs to your post and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine Award!” 1. Favourite Time of the Year? Spring.After the long slog of winter, when bright green buds start inching their way forward, it’s as if the world is renewed and anything is possible.2.Favorite Festive movie? It’s A Wonderful Life. I love the schmaltzy moments along with films idea that your life actually does have meaning, even in it’s small details. It’s always on during the holidays, so it’s easy to pick up the plot anywhere. The quote where Clarence, the angel says:- “Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel’s just got his wings”, was renewed for me after a ‘Roseanne’ episode where she said  “Everytime two lesbians kiss, an angel gets her wings.” It’s good to have modern twist on the classics!

3.What is your Passion? What else but writing and painting?4. Favorite Color?Yellow5. Favorite time of the Day? The morning. I have the most energy at that time of day and love the early morning light. Except of course for those grey, drizzly mornings that are an English specialty. Then I have a good excuse for staying home to write!6. Favorite flower?The tulip. Even when tulips droop they’re beautiful. 7. Favourite Non-Alcoholic Beverage Ginger beer. It’s fantastic there are great companies making ‘proper’ ginger beer with a nice bite these days, rather than the watery stuff in a can. (It goes very well with vodka BTW  – then it’s called a Moscow Mule…)8. Favorite Physical Activity? I used to love cycling, but unfortunately can’t do that now. At the moment, a back care Pilates class is my favorite physical activity. Even if I go feeling tired and stiff, I always come away feeling rejuvenated and more flexible.9.Favorite Vacation? My first trip to Venice. My partner and I went during Carnivale  a number of  years ago for our tenth anniversary, and it was magical. Stunning scenery, fabulous food, artwork everywhere, breathtaking costumes and the light indescribably beautiful. We walked for hours, got endlessly lost, listened to a quartet play Vivaldi in the church he’d frequented, drifted down tiny canals in a gondola past crumbling palazzi and went to see glass being blown in Murano. Sharing all this with my favorite person in the whole world was more than I could have ever hoped for.

 Here are my nominees for the Sunshine Award:

Bindurani Saju

Jeri Walker-Bickett

Laura Darling

Cheryl Therrien

Leora Wenger

Tasha Turner

Tope Olofin

Lubna Kably

Rebecca Thompson

K.S.Moore

Go check out their blogs and see what they are up to!

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Receiving a Versatile Blogger Award!

In the short time I've been blogging I've found other bloggers to be an extremely friendly, helpful bunch of people. Always going the extra mile to help out with problem or suggest an easier way to do things or an effective plug-in or  widget.  Sherryl Perry of http://keepupwiththeweb.com/ gave me enormous support recently when my account was hacked.I belong to Bloggers Helping Bloggers on LinkedIn and the group is fantastic – we read each other’s blogs, exchange comments as well as practical advice.But this week I’ve been totally blown away by receiving  the Versatile Blogger Award from Susan Cooper. Yeah!!! Thank you so much Susan. What an honor and so completely unexpected!You can find Susan Cooper on her award winning blog at http://findingourwaynow.comSusan herself has a great blog and is the recipient of a number of awards  - the Sunshine Blog, and Versatile Blogger Awards from “searchingforthehappiness“ and recently the Readers Appreciation Award from “Little Box Of Books“.As she says on her blog, she has a passion for life, but I’d say her generosity of spirit is the key to her success.In the twenty years while I was in business, I  believed competition and sharing information was a positive – in business this only hold's  true up to a point. So now I’m a novelist and a blogger, I’m delighted to find it’s a world of exchanging ideas, information and camaraderie.Part of receiving the award requires telling Susan 7 things about myself. Some feel more secret than others.

1. I love all things Italian – the country the culture, the food, the language. It’s been a dream of mine to live there someday – well for 6 months at least - but the older I get, the less likely it becomes. Visits are lovely though and Umbria is my favorite region.
2. I enjoy playing chess on-line. I’ve always thought of chess as being the most boring, nerdy thing in the world, until I discovered playing online and having 3 days to make a move. I enjoy playing live too. Wanna play? Let me know.
3. My cat likes to wake me up by purring loudly in my ear or tickling my nose with her whiskers. Since I left home at eighteen, I've never lived without a cat.
4. I have an auto-immune condition which saps my energy and limits my mobility. But without it, I probably wouldn’t have had the time to explore becoming a writer. It started with a journal and  went from there. Writing is something I can do in small chunks. Having been a type ‘A’ personality all my life, pacing myself is hard, but after 13 yrs I’m improving (ya think?!)
5. I’m a breast cancer survivor. I was very lucky and although I had a mastectomy, I didn't have  to have chemo or radiotherapy. Now I can join the Amazonian archery club!   I wrote my first published story during one nerve-wracking weekend while I was waiting for test results. It was a fantastic therapeutic way of dealing with the stress. I’ve been cancer free for 7 years.
6. I believe everyone is creative. We all have to find what creativity we can tap into, whether it’s gardening, metal work, sewing, sculpting or whatever. So many things stand in our way – time, inclination & the nagging self critic that sits on our shoulders saying ‘I’m no good at…' or 'I can’t…’ . We all have it at one time or another. It’s a question of taking a leap of faith in ourselves, and not worrying what others think. It’s the process that’s important not the result. Kind of like the journey not the destination.
7.  I’m a painter. I started going to a drawing class, 20 yrs ago as a form of relaxation away from a stressful job. Then I moved on to painting. As I said above,  for me it’s the process that’s important. I find painting (like writing) very meditative. When I started to have problems with my joints and mobility, I had to change the way I worked. Recently Susan Cooper introduced me to the program iDraw that she uses for the great drawings in some of her blogs. From there, I’ve gone on to start using ‘Brushes’ which is the app. David Hockney uses. I'd been looking at the full moon one night, so this ended up being  my first painting on an iphone. Thanks again Susan!

Now I need to pass the torch and nominate 15 bloggers to receive the Versatile Blogger Award.  I hope you check them out. There's some great blogs in there, but it was a difficult choice. I also knew people such as Claire Capetta and Doreen Pendracs for example, that I couldn't nominate as they already had the award.1. Keepupwiththeweb2. nhwn.wordpress.com3. leftcoastvoices.wordpress.com4. 101books.net/5. rowenadunn.wordpress.com/6. catarinasworld.com/7. biz.leoraw.com/8. ohegarty.blogspot.co.uk/9. susiebright.blogs.com/10. 3chicspolitico.com/11. brainpickings.org/12. thoughtlessbeauty.tumblr.com/13. zenashapter.com/blog/14.francescacarboni.blogspot.co.uk/15. angelaejkoh.com/ If you would like to check out more information about the award go to http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com It's fantastic to see all the other nominees - and have the rules explained etc.Thanks again Susan for the award,  and thanks also to everyone who has come to my blog and left comments. The discussions are the part that  makes it really worth while.I'd love to hear your comments on blogging or the award. Come and join the discussion. Yeah!!! Subscribe at the top of bottom of the page.Twitter: @ artyyah