March 27, 2013

Debbie_Sutton Pic_Dec 2005

This is the third post in a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!

This week’s Passion Series guest blogger and author, Debbie McClure, reminds me of me. She loves to write, and keeps up with the latest news in the book publishing industry (like I used to do, before obsessing over everything digital and social media). The main difference of course being, she’s actually published a book.

After working for years as a single mother in either real estate or mortgage sales, Debbie settled into an easier lifestyle with her second husband after the kids were out of the house, and took up writing. In November of 2012 she published a book called In the Spirit of Love, and was thrust into a new age of book publishing, one in which authors were responsible for creating their own buzz, versus hiring a publicist. This is where she discovered the beauty of blogging, of sharing thoughts, ideas, goals, and dreams with an audience, and how it has in turn helped her connect with more readers.

Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?

Initially I was wary of blogging and apprehensive about the how, where and what, however, I slowly started realizing that my weekly blogs really did provide an emotional outlet for me. I started thinking about what to write, jotting down ideas, and looking forward to the exercise of blogging. My blog posts tend to relate to my writing, to life in general, forcing me to think about the connections between the two. At other times, I’ve written about industry news that I’ve found interesting, or provided book reviews on books I’ve just read. Blogging has given me more than just a platform to share my thoughts, I am also able to share information with readers about other bloggers and writers on timely subjects.

Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?

I didn’t think it would, but once I started gaining a few followers, I realized I had an obligation to uphold my promise of creating new blog posts. After all, if readers signed up to get my blog, they must be interested in what I had to say, or at least have enjoyed previous posts. Blogging has given me a forum for discussion, or to answer questions readers have posted, which has been amazing. Because I love connecting with others on a variety of levels, blogging has opened up an area of one of my personal goals of connecting that I hadn’t considered before. It also allows readers to connect with me directly, which I think puts a human face behind a name on a book, website or other social media forum. To me, writing is about connecting, so blogging has given me an immediate sense of having done that, on a weekly basis.

Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?

Absolutely. Even as I’d once dreaded sitting down to write a new blog and was terrified of the response I’d get, I now look forward to it, and the comments that come in after the posts. Although I don’t have a hard and fast ritual or schedule for blogging, or a particularly large following, I do write something every week, or week and a half at most. This gives me direction and purpose, and those who’ve opted to follow me know there will be updated content on a regular basis. There’s nothing worse than going to someone’s blog, only to discover that the last time they posted anything new was months ago. We all get busy and distracted with work, life, etc., but outside of health issues, I’ve always believed that once you say you’ll be doing something regularly, you should keep your word. Give readers a reason to continue following you, and hopefully share a little information, a smile, or offer food for thought on a subject. Really, it’s all about the human connection, and that’s what blogging, and writing, is all about, no matter the subject.

Blogging has also given me a forum to explore other areas of writing I hadn’t considered before, and to learn more about this business of writing and publishing. I’m constantly discovering new information and new ways of thinking about writing, while connecting with other writers and bloggers, in an ever widening circle of forums. From blogs to on-line magazines, and articles in publications such as Writer’s Digest, I am constantly amazed at how connected we all are, despite our geographical distances.

Since connecting with Debbie, she has renewed my love for telling stories, and embracing the publishing/writing online landscape. Reading about her learning experiences on her blog reminds me of the days when I would research ways to promote my own writing, and I know I can learn a lot from her since she has already taken the giant leap of penning an entire novel. Good for you, Debbie, and best of luck with the writing! You’ve certainly got a fan in me. :)

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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks!

See all Passion Series posts >>

Monique Muro

Monique is an exceedingly happy human from LA. She runs the blog A Novel Quest, and writes. A lot.

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  • http://www.damcclure.com Debbie McClure

    Thank you so much for inviting me to be part of this great series Monique. Your questions had me really thinking about the answers, and about blogging in general. What a great way to connect, and you have a fan in me too! :) If anyone has any questions, please feel free to post them here.