Why Blog?

Building a writing platform is all the rage these days. A few google searches will reveal hordes of articles and, yes, blog posts on the subject (a good place to start is here). Bottom line is you can’t start soon enough to build an audience for your output, even if your creative works are but a twinkle in your eye. And I have reluctantly jumped on the bandwagon.

I am not necessarily happy about this, mind you. While the internet and social media afford people unprecedented ways to connect to and engage with others, I can’t quite convince myself that the whole “if you build it, they will come and buy your books” mentality is something a beginning writer should be concerned with as opposed to say developing your craft. Plus I really don’t want to see the publishing industry devolve any further, becoming a popularity contest where followers = book deal and prose becomes little more than loosely linked tweets. Right now, good writing still holds sway regardless of your stats, if you believe what the agents say. And that’s a good thing.


So where does this leave me and my blog? Well, I have no expectations of grandeur for this little endeavor. It is just one more tool in my arsenal, another line I include in my query letters (whenever I get to the point of sending them out). One thing I keep hearing over and over again is that you can’t really take shortcuts when it comes to writing. You have to do everything, including following all the trends to be competitive. And when the trends say use social media to your advantage, you blog, you tweet, you do what you can to demonstrate your commitment. Or so they say.

While I would love to see my name in print, I am far more interested in documenting my trials and tribulations, my insights and inspirations that result from my foray into creative writing. If this blog evolves into something more, all the better.

Declaration of Intent

Bluestocking - a woman having intellectual or literary interests (from Merriam-Webster)

If you are reading this, I can only hope you share my interests in writing, reading, and exploring the intersection of mass media and society. On this blog I intend to document my musings on these and other related topics.

Who am I to presume authority on these subjects? Well, you could read my profile but that does not give you the whole picture. Briefly, I have always loved learning. In seventh grade, I was called the human dictionary. Senior year, I was named salutatorian and most intelligent female in the yearbook, in addition to serving on our school’s quiz bowl team. I came into college with over 30 credit hours thanks to my AP test scores. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in English (with honors) and went on to get a masters degree in Mass Communication.

After a brief stint as an academic researcher, I am at a point in my life where I can take some personal time and be utterly selfish. That does not mean I sit on my couch and watch the boob tube while scarfing down all varieties of carbohydrates. No indeed. Instead I am trying to realize my dreams of becoming a writer, as cliché as that sounds. I am in the process of honing my craft, creating content, and looking at the world through the lens of my accumulated experiences.

Won’t you join me in trying to make sense of the chaos?


I can promise what I hope to be engaging, intelligent explorations of the writing process and all the interests and influences that go along with it.

I can’t promise timely posts (though I will try), perfect prose (though I will try), or the disclosure of my real identity.

After all, everyone needs a little mystery in his or her life.