1 Challenge, 7 Links

One of my favorite bloggers, Random Acts of Writing [+ art], was kind enough to include me on something called the Seven Link Challenge. I’m honored to say the least that she felt I had a body of work worthy of such an endeavor.  The idea is to reflect on previous blog posts and share our favorite moments.

Blogging is a relatively new thing for me, but I have to say I’ve enjoyed every step of the process. From dismal failures to surprising successes the blogosphere has challenged me to grow as a writer. Since late April 2011, I’ve managed to write 80 posts covering a wide range of topics. Launching this blog was all about giving myself a reason to write and I’m happy to say I’m more motivated then ever.  Thank you to all my readers for joining me on this journey.

Most beautiful post:

• Can You See Your Dreams?  Dreams are always beautiful.  In this post, I give an outline of a dream board I keep posted above my writing desk. I was delighted to hear from people who were inspired to create a dream board for themselves.  If that’s not beautiful I don’t know what is.

Most popular post:

• The Best Souvenirs Are Free  Thanks to Freshly Pressed, this post takes an easy victory for most popular.  I’m still suffering from FPSS!  While the stats skyrocketed, I swear the most fun part of the whole thing was the long list of comments.  So many readers shared beautiful stories of travel and trinkets – their comments are well worth the read if you find yourself with a few extra minutes.

Most controversial post:

• I Write Like . . .  The last word I would use to describe my blog is “controversial,” but this post got a few people to e-mail me personally.  I love how some viewed it as a fun game, while others are determined to figure out the secret algorithm of the program.  Either way, fun is had by all.

Post that didn’t get the attention I thought it deserved:

• Ivan Klima: The Best Writer You’ve Never Read  This category gives me yet another opportunity to tout the genius of  Ivan Klima.  He is one of my favorite writers and I always feel like he doesn’t get enough attention.  In this post, I outline a few favorite works and include some quotes that showcase his unique point of view.

Surprisingly Successful Post: 

No matter what I do, I can’t narrow it down to one!

• Muse Juice  A day before The Best Souvenirs Are Free was Freshly Pressed, Muse Juice appeared on the The Daily Post.  I was totally and completely surprised!  To this day, my thanks goes to fellow blogger, writenotright, for inspiring the idea to create a Muse Juice list.

• The Anatomy of My Pen Name  I had no idea so many people would be fascinated by my pen name process, but this post really struck a chord with writers and readers alike.

Most Helpful Post:

I can’t help it!  Two links fall under this category, too!

• Books I Can’t Write Without  I posted this a while ago, but people still contact me with news of buying the books I listed.  Who would have thought my library would have such an impact?  I sincerely hope each book helps to keep the inspiration going.  Keep writing!

• The Notebook that Built My Novel  I wrote this post because a friend of mine asked about my novel notebook and how it worked.  As a result of the post, a lot of people were inspired to make one of  their own and I can’t even begin to say how exciting it is to hear that.

Most Proud of Post:

Can I put the whole blog? Okay, okay, I’ll narrow it down to two.

• The Bell Jar  This was the first book review where I feel like I finally found my groove in writing a synopsis.  Readers seemed to agree, as this was the first book post that got a steady stream of comments.

• The Way Back  This is the post that launched my blog, so I have to include it on the list!  Thanks to this short story and those who read it, my blogging continues!

– – –

I’d like to invite the following bloggers to take on the Seven Link Challenge:

RoughWaterJohn the Pirate

TBN Ranch

Tattered Past

slightlyignorant

Write Up My Life

You are all an inspiration to me and I hope you’ll take on the challenge!

c.b. 2011