Wednesday, July 5, 2017

IWSG #1





I know I am starting this group halfway through the year.  I keep seeing it pop up on many blogs I visit, so I thought, what the hey, I'll give it a try.
I am going to use this time to write about my accomplishments in the previous month.  Not just in writing, but in life.
June: 
  • My family and I started out June in Yellowstone National Park.  This was a vacation I had been planning for over a year.  It was a great success and I want to go back to Yellowstone right now.  Next time I go, I want to hike more and maybe do a backcountry camping night.  Yes, I know there are bears.  We saw them both in Yellowstone and the Tetons.  There are precautions you can take so humans don't have interaction with them.
  • I finished two more classes in my Master's program.  At this point I only have my Chemistry II test to take for this semester.  Next semester I only have three courses to complete before finishing the program. 
  • I played in two roller derby games with Fountain City Roller Derby.  My coed team, the Usual Suspects, did not win.  We are a fairly new team and let the score get away from us in the first quarter.  The other quarters we did decent.  I need my team to be more aggressive though.  The other game I played in was a mash-up team. (Same night) We won.  It was fun playing with people I normally do not have on my team.
  • I got over a thousand views in one night on a blog post.  I've been trying to get my blog out there with shares and posting the link and such.  This one hit the jackpot though.  It was shared by the international organization and then it was shared by chapters of the organization.  It made my stomach hurt with so many people viewing my blog.  It's what I wanted but still made me super nervous.
  • I helped my daughter bake over 600 cupcakes with her friend for a fundraiser.  They raised enough money to pay for 2/3 of their camp.  I'm so proud of them.


Goals for July:
  • More traveling: Spending the Fourth of July holiday in Seattle.
  • Start the Missouri National Parks Challenge  If you visit all six parks by the end of the year there are prizes you can win.  I have a National Parks Pass, so I need to utilize it.
  • Finish the Chemistry II class.  I have to have an 85% or higher to pass. 
  • My oldest son turns 18, so we are going have a party for him!  I'm thinking BBQ and friends.  I got him passes for the Black Light Slide event and I know he will have a blast.
  • Generate another post that gets a thousand views. :)
  • Lead my Usual Suspects to a victory!
  • Participate in some blog link ups.


Want to take part in The Insecure Writer's Support Group, click on the link here.






July 5 Question: 
What is one valuable lesson you've learned since you started writing?


I've learned that you cannot force people to read what you write.  It doesn't matter how interesting or awesome the subject matter is, people are busy and sometimes they just don't want to read your stuff.  I have learned that I need to keep promoting.  I learned that I can support others blogs and the ones I support by writing comments and reading their entries sometimes come and visit my blog. 


If you are visiting my blog for the first time, hang out and take a look at what I have to offer.  There will be lots of things on our vacations coming up soon.



27 comments:

  1. I have never been to Yellowstone and it is definitely on my list of places to visit in the near future!
    1000 views! Congratulations. You have the secret though. Blogging is a reciprocal sport and the only way to get more views and comments is to view and leave comments for others.
    Good luck with chemistry, YIKES! Happy #IWSG DAY

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    1. I love Yellowstone so much. I want to go back again and again. There is so much to do. I have quite a few more blog posts to write up about it. I have two cameras full of pictures to go through though. :)
      Thank you for the luck with Chemistry. I have my test scheduled for this Sunday. Fingers crossed I only have to take it once!!

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  2. I've also found that all the amazing promotion in the world doesn't help if you have nothing to offer your readers in return when they click on your pages. Those are some accomplishments to be proud of!

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    1. That is true. I try to be some what interesting on here! Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. Wow on the 1000 views! Wishing you good luck on all that you have coming up....

    And yeh for cupcakes! :)

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    1. The vanilla cupcakes have gotten the most compliments!
      Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. You had a momentous month! Good luck for the next one!

    And 1000 views in one day. Nice!

    http://www.cdgallantking.ca/2017/07/strangely-funny-iv-release-iwsg-july.html

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    1. The 1000 views kinda freaked me out. The most I've ever had on a post before was around 500 and that was a pretty awesome post about bat houses!

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  5. This is so true! All we can do is write the best we can. This is my first time here. I like your blog. All the luck with it. I will follow and connect with you online.

    http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com

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  6. Yes, you cannot force people to read what you write, because you can only please some of the people some of the time. The ones who are interested will read your work, the others will pass. It will always be so!

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    1. Exactly. You cannot force anything on people. I appreciate everyone that stops by and reads my blog. I love reading others also.

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  7. First, let me say this: worthy goals, all! I wish you success with them.

    To your most important lesson point, yes ... it's true. Not all books are for all people, no matter how much we might wish for things to be different. I literally sat and cried over my first negative review ... but then I realized that the person who read that book wasn't really the audience I'd intended for that particular work. Courage, my friend! Your audience is out there.

    Sharon E. Cathcart
    Award-winning Author of Fiction Featuring Atypical Characters

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    1. Thank you for the well wishes. Negative reviews and comments are hard. :(

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  8. That's a valuable lesson.
    Joining the IWSG is a great way to continue growing your blog. Welcome!

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  9. Welcome to the IWSG. Glad to have you with us. Congrats on 1,000 views. I like your point about people not reading your stuff. It's a good lesson to learn.

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  10. I've never heard of this group, but I might just have to join in, thanks for sharing!

    Great accomplishments for June, and good luck with your July goals!

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    1. Join Abby!! I found the group during the A to Z Challenge but finally found the courage to join in this month.

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  11. You sound very active! Good luck with your classes and everything else you've got going on. Yes, being interested in others is a large part of blogging in particular, rather than trying to force people to read your stuff. Welcome to the IWSG!

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    1. Thank you! Chem II is the thorn in my side. Every other science I am fine with. I mean, my Masters is in Biology. :)

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  12. So glad you decided to join in the IWSG fun! I've followed you since A-Z and loved this wrap-up of last month along with your goals for next month. Keep it up!!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Donna! I've been reading your blog since the challenge also!

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  13. Congratulations on so many views on your blog post. That's awesome!!! You'll love IWSG. We're a very supportive community. I've made some great friends through this group.

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