A Wee Reminisce

So five years ago today was my first ever blog...

I thought I'd stroll down memory lane a bit... If you are curious, here is my first blog, Python and Princess Bride references in tact. I'm proud to not be embarrassed by the thing... Because MAN, did I not know what I was doing. I'd never even really READ any blogs. I know. That's embarrassing. It is sort of my way... jump first, research to see if I did it right after...


Where I was in my Writing Life (or why I started blogging)

I finished my first MS in October 2008. I was still writing a little fan fiction, but I jumped into revisions of that right away—it was a book that had pestered me for years. I actually tried to query it that May, only to be given a kindly reality check from a second degree friend “Um, I hate to tell you this, but at 204,000 words, agents aren't going to read that.” (confirmed by my first rejection sent fifteen minutes after submission...)

THAT—realizing there was a whole bunch I didn't know about this writing thing (because I am too cocky to have learned that without being told) spurred me into blogging and opening my Hart Johnson Facebook profile. I was in the midst of a second book (one I never finished—I had two ideas but started THAT one and then I got a prequel idea for the OTHER and wrote THAT (fast).

Since then I've finished 14 more first drafts, published (almost) 4 books, I'm writing in my 10th WriMo, I've entered ABNA 5 times... But blogging was sort of my first outing as a writer. It was also my first real outing to people I KNOW.


So I want to thank my first COMMENTERS.

We all crave these, yes? They keep us going, when we might just whither into the void otherwise.

First commenters were:

Pinecone Girl (a friend of mine from high school)
Chary—Part of the Burrow, which is my writing group
GA Endless, who seems to have been caught up in a fraudulent publisher scam. I feel very bad for her, and the fact that I didn't know until now...
Siv Maria, who I'm still friends with AND
Christopher Allen, who I am ALSO still friends with...

So two people who knew me previously, one blip on the radar, and two new lasting friendships. I will call that a success.


So I offer a HUGE thank you to those early friends and a toast to all who have joined since. Thank you!