What’s that I hear?
A rousing chorus of too-excited waiters, bringing my sweet little blog a free piece of tiramisu for its first birthday? (I wish.) Crinkles and tears from the wrapping paper around all the gifts it received? (Again: I wish. The blog loves gift cards to J.Crew.) (And Starbucks.)
Oh.
No, that’s just birds. And air-conditioning whirr. And Mr. Cat, snoozing on our his fancy red quilt. Perhaps if I was a good blog-mother, I would have remembered its actual birthday: yesterday.
Enough of this if-I-was-a-good-blog-mother stuff, though — it’s been a year! A whole stinkin’ year. Wow. When I look back over the year, I can’t imagine making so much progress on this novel without having such an encouraging network of blog-friends. Obviously, I wouldn’t have (the world’s most amazing) blog-friends if I didn’t have a blog, so there you go. Boom. I’m glad I started this thing a year (and a day) ago, and I hope you guys are,too!
In honor of a year, I’m posting links to some old posts that most of you haven’t read. (They’re tired of being hidden with the chimney soot and have begged for the chance to put on a Cinderella dress for the day. I decided to oblige. It is, after all, their birthday.) Feel free to check them out, not check them out, or pretend you checked them out, at your leisure. Random smattering of old posts starts…now!
Here’s 15 things I loved about working at a bank drive-through. (Perhaps you noted the sarcasm dripping from my mouth?)
On having discipline in an instant-gratification world
On doing the very best with the talent you are given, inspired by J.K. Rowling
On sincerity, in life and in writing
On rejection, and how life is sometimes better when you don’t get what you want
Aaaaand that’s all, for now. It took longer than I expected it would to sift through those old posts, but it was interesting to see how far I’ve come this year.
Things I have now, that I didn’t have a year ago, include:
- A completed second draft on its way to becoming a completed third draft
- MUCH more knowledge about agents and publishing
- The aforementioned network of amazing writer friends
- A Twitter account (@olsonkayla)
- 138 posts, including this one
- Heightened confidence, boosted by experience and encouragement
- A psycho kitty who freaks out over everything (pictured above)
- Discipline, diligence, and even more motivation than before
- A first-draft query letter and the wisdom to not send it out yet
- A few more pairs of yoga pants, a few less pounds on me
- Several short stories in the works + more ideas than I had even a month ago
- A more concrete idea of what LOST was about
Now that I’ve lingered in nostalgia for a while (thanks for indulging me, yo) it’s time to press on with these edits and my #CreateWS project. In case you’re wondering, it’s been a pretty rockin’ week for the novel edits. I’ve been on such a roll with them, I haven’t started writing my short story yet, though I plan to start today.
Party on, friends. I’d give you all tiramisu, lattes, and J.Crew gift cards, if only we weren’t separated by hundreds/thousands of miles and/or oceans. Thanks for being awesome.
♦
Tags: #CreateWS, archives, birthday, blog, editing, novel, novels, one year, Project Edit, writers, writing
Happy Birthday, Kayla’s blog!
Count me among those who are glad you started this blog; otherwise, I wouldn’t have you as a friend.
Yay! for you productive week, and I’m sure you’ll rock this week’s CWS story.
And now, I will go read every one of the posts you selected because I know I’ll enjoy them … and maybe learn something too.
Linda, you are awesome! I’m so glad I met YOU through this whole blogging experience! You’re a sweet friend, and I’m so glad I get to be part of your Brevity process! (Wow, I’m such an exclamation-point fiend today!)
Thanks for reading my old posts, too!
Hope you enjoyed them. I’d forgotten about a few of those. (Though, honestly, I was surprised at how many times people have found this blog by searching for ‘hard work going unnoticed.’ That’s one of my favorite, most personal, posts – hopefully it encouraged someone out there. Many of those people who searched never left comments, to my knowledge.)
Happy Blogbirthday! I think a lot of people miss their first year date – I know I did! Scarily, coming up to two years in the near future.
Also fab to hear you’re having a good week for editing, I hope the short story comes together nicely too
Wow, two years already, Cassie? That’s great! Good for you for keeping it up. I knew my blogbirthday was sometime in June, but I thought it was late June. Turns out it was super, super almost-May June.
Happy almost actual, real-life birth-giving-day to you, by the way!
Yay! Happy blog-birthday, Kayla! It’s been wonderful having the two of you around
The two of us have enjoyed you, too, Merrilee! You’re a great friend, a wonderful motivator, and I’ve learned (and am still learning) a ton from you. Thanks for everything.
Happy blog birthday! I’m loving all the new friends I’m meeting as part of #CreateWS.
Kerryn! Me, too! I’m so glad to have met you, and everyone else I’m slowly but surely getting to know. It’s fun to have accountability and encouragement from you guys (and to give it, too!). Hope you had a good writing week!
A who1e year that is something to celebrate! Here’s to many more years of blogging.
Laura, it’s good to see your sweet face again! You were one of my first readers, and are always so encouraging. I appreciate you! Thanks for everything, and I hope all is well!
Happy, happy blog birthday to Owl and Sparrow!!! What a milestone–one not every blog reaches. Looking forward to checking out the posts you mentioned. And I will light a candle to you this morning. Congratulations, Kayla!