I woke up quite early today and was really excited. I’ve decided that today is going to be devoted solely to the blog, without guilt or apologies for not doing anything else. The only trouble is, now i’m sitting at my laptop I don’t really know where to start.
Over the last few months work has been the absolute priority and has taken almost every part of my life, and this has completely interferred with the little writing routine that I had got myself into. However, I have written little notes for ideas in my phone as time has passed and I’ve been able to sit down and look at them all this morning. I’m happy with some, some seemed like a good idea at the time but may be better off being left until later, and some are utter crap.
In fact, looking through my blog I would consider about 80% of my ramblings to be utter crap. When I first started blogging just over a year ago I remember reading a post in which somebody had just confessed to deleting a year’s worth of their content, and I was aghast at the prospect of how much time must have been wasted. Now, I completely understand. My writing has grown and evolved in such a short amount of time that my earlier posts seem rather juvenile and pointless, the only positive in that they helped to develop and grow my following.
I suppose I do know what I need to do today. Read, delete, edit, comment… I need to catch up on what must be thousands of posts that I’ve missed.
What about you? Do you feel that a lot of your earlier posts are rubbish? Has your writing style changed?
You can also find me on Twitter and tumblr @suzie81blog
I’ve only been blogging for a few months and find myself going back and deleting posts!
Although I’ve had a half good run, I’m still devoting much of today for blog like stuff and catching up on reading the blogs I follow. Though, I still have 3 days left of term! Whoops!! x
Hi Sare! I finished on Friday and the first person I thought of was you… Three days to go and then your year will be over! Yey!!
haha that’s so nice! If it helps, I met someone at an orchestra event yesterday who I could have sworn was you. I kept wanting to call them Suzie and not Harriet!!
Three days – and 1 of them is a PPA day so I’m saying one and a half technically! haha.
But, I’m being naughty and not doing any school work this weekend – my brain can’t take it! ha x
Good for you! What was the event?
A charity symphony orchestra. We turned up on the day – rehearsed music for the afternoon and then performed in the evening! Money going to charity 🙂 was quite good – though scary as my first time there! x
Aww sounds good! I haven’t played in a proper orchestra for years! What did you play?
Sax – but only because I was too late and the clarinet part was full. I’m hoping next time, if I go, to play the clarinet! Because it was film music first half and last night of the proms type theme in the second half I missed out on playing some amazing pieces! You’re a music teacher right?
I miss playing 😦 I haven’t played in a proper orchestra for over a year and I know it’s damaging my skills as well. I’m just struggling to find places to play! x
I am a music teacher yes! My degree was from the Conservatoire in Birmingham and after four years there i never wanted to play the violin ever again! It was a wonderful place and I was lucky to work with some amazing musicians but it simply wasn’t for me! Check out your local music service – they might give you some info on local amateur orchestras…
Haha, well I was quite lucky in that my degree was a bachelor in arts and education. So essentially I got my major in education but a minor in music – I’m so glad I did it this way. I did full on terms of music and recitals etc, but then got breaks by doing education terms and being on placement! I don’t think I ever would have made it at music college!!
Yes, two friends of mine are going to create a little chamber group and a friend has found an orchestra for me to join in September! I definitely will check with the music service though – I never thought of that! x
Have you got any plans for the summer (other than sleep?). Are you going away anywhere?
I also never could teach secondary, so I take my hat off to you!
Nope 😦 I had to buy a new computer because mine died a slow, painful, death and it’s left me quite poor. Possibly a week in Belfast visiting my boyfriend while he’s at home – but no holiday plans! I have a week camping with family friends book too which will be nice 🙂 Do you? x
Ooh that sounds nice! Me and The Bloke were saving up for a trip to America but one of the cats was diagnosed with diabetes last year and her vets bills took all my savings (it wa cheaper not to have insurance too!) I am taking my mum to London for a few days and then who know!
Oh no, but at least you still have some plans. Lets be fair, the six weeks holiday are needed as time to feel alive again – I’m almost looking forward to not having a lot to do and just relaxing for a while! x
Haha! Me too – I’ve got a ton of work to do and i’ll probably have to go in for several weeks of the summer but at least i can do it without the kids being there!
Yes! And I decided that I’d much rather be in work doing work as I’d get much more done and no distractions!
I saw you liked my post about instruments, hope it didn’t offend! Was just some light hearted fun. x
No it didn’t offend at all! I really enjoyed it – and agreed with you!
My past writing, good or bad, stands as a record of who I was then. It may not allways be memorable but it deserve to be remembered.
I hadn’t thought of it like that. Perhaps I’ll be a little more delicate in my deleting process…
All your words are important because they are a reflection of you – all of you.
I agree – I like that idea!
Nice Blog 😉
Thank you!
Np i think i will hired u to fix mines jejeje just joking but i gotta admit is way more professional then my blog 😉
Thank you! I’ve changed it a lot over the last year and i’m still not happy with it!
Sure,Well change is for good u should be happy that u gain some skills maybe up the road u gain more stuff but i commend u to take a look at my business videos maybe we could team up in the future i am looking for people who are into becoming financially free and helping others get out of debt hope to see u in the winning side Suz.
Thank you!
I never knew you are a music teacher. Wow. How cool!
Yeah I’ve been a teacher for about 8 years now!
that is so cool! I play piano, guitar, harmonica, bass, and I sing. Self taught though… Would love to take piano lessons… 🙂
Thanks! I play violin, oboe that I had years worth of lesson in and i’m self taught on the piano. I can sing, but only have the confidence to do so when i’m drunk!
Drunk singing….LOL! My voice is probably my strongest “instrument.” I just enjoy writing music. Nothing better on this planet than sitting at my piano with a cold beer and just playing…
Definitely! I have played the violin after having a few drinks and it was quite an amusing experience!
Oboe is my favorite instrument of all time! God! The sounds that come from that are just simply breath-taking to me…. Love it.
I used to play in international orchestras with it, but i haven’t played it properly for years…
It’s like riding a bike…. you never forget.
Haha! I think I’m supposed to be teaching it at some point soon so i hope so!
LOL! I want to teach myself saxophone… I’m a huge Clarence Clemons fan…. (Bruce too)
What a brilliant player he was. I was lucky enough to see Springsteen and the E Street band in concert about fifteen years ago in the UK – they were brilliant!
One of my favorite artists. A wonderful musician and songwriter.
Absolutely!
Hi Suzie – interesting post and timely! Last weekend I re-categorised my posts and did some general housekeeping and groaned when I read my early posts at how awful they were! I think my writing has definitely improved – I have learnt so much by reading other blogs. Something I have picked up on from you is asking a question/inviting comment and this has worked well on my blog so I try to incorporate it a lot more now. I have also got better at linking and use of images as I think the visual appeal of a blog is really important.
It takes time to develop your style and use of images – one of the reasons why i love it is that I’m learning something new all the time! Thanks kirsty hope you are well!
I’ve thought about deleting old posts, but honestly no one reads old stuff. The only traffic they get is random internet searches, otherwise when it comes to blogging people mostly care about what was just released (from my experience of course). Plus, I’ve become attached to my mad ramblings, it is a part of who I am, so I keep it. 😀
Haha! I like that idea! I really want to start reposting some older stuff that newer followers may have missed, because you’re right – nobody reads the older stuff!
Yes today is also devoted to blogging for me. Yes my style has changed. I used to do in depth discussion of the elements of fiction and found out no one gave a rip. So I went to lighter stuff and seems folks like it.
I find that all of my posts are ridiculous rubbish, actually. I’m okay with it though. If I’ve changed, it’s probably for the worse. My style is the same but the material is mostly a play by play of me doing nothing. Lol.
Hi stranger how are you? Haven’t spoken to you in ages!
I know, right? I’ve been MIA a little bit. These darned kids and work keep me busy. I’m doing well though. You sound like you’re in a good spirits too. Hope so, anyway.
Writing is an ever evolving process. The more you do it, the more you read, the more you live your life, the more your writing style is going to change. It’s a good thing to look back on older posts and see that they are not as good as your current ones. This means you are growing as a writer. You should keep the old ones there to remind you of how much progress you’re making…
I’ll trash them and keep them in the trash folder to look at later on. Thanks Austin!
Don’t you look back sometimes and say, “oh, wow, did I really write that? It’s good!” I have done that. Some of my posts surprise me. Give yourself a break, Suzie. Not everything we write (or say) is going to be profound, and that’s okay. I write for me. If others like it, I’m thrilled. If they don’t, eh. (Shrugs).
I love so much of your earlier posts. It’s been fun for me to read your blog. You are decades younger and more than an ocean away, so your observations of the world provide insight to me. You’ve grown up in the past year, wearied by teaching, the multiple house moves, several blog trolls and bashers, kitty woes, and that terrible illness that took you to the hospital. Your newer posts reflect deeper reflection and self evaluation. I, however, have always been impressed by your wisdom. It’s just going to get better; don’t trash the earlier stuff, smile at your growth and everything to come.
ohhhh I feel that 90% of my writing is rubbish and the other 10% could be quite entertaining……but Suzie, your posts are always great not one bit of “crap” in them! 🙂
I know I need to go through my own blog and do some work on the organization and what not, only I never remember to do it when I have the time. (*chuckles*)
Glad you’re making the time for yours.
I’m really excited to be getting back into it!
Your blog is actually very good there was no crap as you say in it.