Over the past few months I’ve learned a lot about blogging (including just how much I still have to learn about blogging). The things that I have learned have led me to make some major (and, I think, very exciting!) changes to this site:
- I’ve renamed this blog. ‘Occupation: Writer’ is now ‘Carrie Mumford – Reading, Writing & Researching)’. RIP Occupation: Writer.
- I’ve come out from behind my cloak of invisibility and revealed my true identity (Hello world!).
- I’ve switched to a new, fancier WordPress theme (Fresh News 1.0.3).
- And I’ve decided to extend the focus of this blog. To-date, most of the posts I have written have been about learning how to write. Although I’ll continue to write about writing, I’ll write about other topics too, such as books, research and social media.
Before I made these changes I spent a lot of time thinking about why I’m blogging and even more time researching the art of blogging. Here are three resources that I found particularly helpful as a writer who blogs:
- 15 Must-read Blogs for Blog Writers from Freelance Switch
- Blogging Tips: What I Know Now from Nina Badzin’s blog
- Why Write About Writing Anyway? from Yingle Yangle (fantastic blog that was recommend to me on Twitter by Nina Badzin – thanks Nina!)
- Sacred Cow Tipping: Why Writers Writing About Writing is Bad by Kristen Lamb
I’m still working on customizing the new theme so you may notice a few more changes over the next few weeks. If you have any comments about the new look, the change in title, or just about anything else I’d love to hear from you.
Thank you so much for reading!
Have you ever made (or considered) a major overhaul of your blog? Do you blog using your real name, or anonymously?
Related posts:
- Freshly Pressed Excitement & Favorite Posts of the Week
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell me That Writing Your First Novel is Terrifying?
- Do You Write Morning Pages?
I always enjoy your posts…they are very informative. Always take notes…
Jaye
Thanks so much Jaye – I really appreciate your support!
Thanks for the shout-out and kudos to you for making changes. Change is scary, but I think the new fereedom you will find will reinvigorate your muse. Looking forward to more.
That was supposed to be FREEDOM…ugh. Why do we never see typos until we hit the OKAY?
That’s always the way with typos isn’t it ;)
Change is definitely scary, but this change feels right. Your blog has gone a long way to helping me make these changes. Thank you!
Congrats on realizing you are ready for a change and making it. That’s the hardest part. I love the new theme and am really looking forward to read more!
I’m so honored for the mention, Carrie! I love the new look by the way. And I think the name choice is wise. Your name, after all, is the one you want people to remember! It’s more original than any clever “writing” type of name you could invent. So excited for you! Nina :)
The header image looks very professional as well as the theme you’ve chosen for this blog. Best of luck.
Just don’t spend too much time blogging – WRITE YOUR NOVEL! ;)
Okay, on topic: Yes, I’ve thought about redesigning my own blog – but I like it the way it is, since I put a lot of “small things” I write online for readers to “taste” my style of writing. :)
So true re. spending too much time blogging – I’m afraid blogging beat writing this weekend (but not for the rest of the week so I think it’s ok :).
Your blog looks great as is – very clean and organized. I love the Caroline theme. Thanks for stopping by!
Welcome to a new chapter, Carrie.
Kristen’s Sacred Cow debate on writers’ blogs has been really helpful for bloggers to take a step back and re-evaluate their blogging purpose.
I made that same journey a few months aogo.
MWi began as a very personal site about writing, as do most, but I quickly realised that attracting visitors was difficult and retaining them even more so.
Bottom line is, unless you’re a major name in the writing world or have some special expertise to share then you’re just one among, literally, millions and only friends, family and stalkers will keep coming back unless you can offer something fresh and entertaining week after week, post after post.
All this month at MWi has been devoted to the theme of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, with guest posts every other day from fellow writers, bloggers and people I feel have something interesting to offer my readership.
The most recent post was on equality and female role models. Girls Kick ass to be precise. Before that why chicklit is such a dirty word, confessions on Twilight and discovering conditioner, and heroines of childhood literature. The new post going live in the next 24 hours has guest Cheryl Shireman and the theme of love. Bring a box of tissues if you’re joining us for that one!
Guests range from industry bloggers like Anne R Allen to completely new and unknown authors like Michelle Brooks. By complete unknowns I mean complete unknowns whose book I’ve read and have been so impressed with I feel they deserve a platform, and / or that the guest has something of value to offer.
Back in April I featured an unknown who had been through fifteen years of rejection with two books the gatekeepers never wanted. Agent after agent turned him away. He gave up writing for almost ten years until the Kindle came along, then self-pubbed the books the experts said no-one would buy.
This week BOTH those books are in the Kindle UK top FIVE! And the agents who didn’t want to know? Now they are querying him.
If your blog can help others it’s just so much more rewarding than just writing about writing.
Yes most of your readers will be fellow writers, but they are still people. They have interests beyond just the nuts and bolts of putting a story together. You can say a lot about writing to writers without ever mentioning the ‘W’ word.
If you can entertain, inform, encourage and inspire then your blog will earn its visitors.
Carrie, you’ve kept me coming back week after week, and with the revamp I’m looking forward to it even more,
Hi Mark,
Thank you again for such a detailed comment! I’m flattered! I think you hit the matter on the head when you said, “If you can entertain, inform, encourage and inspire then your bog will earn visitors.” While my blogging goals don’t lie in my site visits, I want to be sure I’m posting useful information that others will enjoy reading, after all, that’s what I look forward to reading on other writer’s blogs.
Carrie, I am excited for you and the re evaluations you’ve been transitioning through. You new ‘look’ is considered and clean and quite frankly….I like it. The topic of ‘why to blog’ that you brought to the table today is very interesting, for me and I’m certain a wide audience. I write two blogs and whilst one seems to be quite organic, the other (my memoir type thing) has become a mule and I have not found what the value to others may be in it (other than voyerism and escapism). Your post has planted a seed for me to discover what it is going to grow up to be. Your links to Nina were priceless too. Thanks Carrie and good luck. I look forward to watching your journey.
Hello India Leigh! Thanks for you kind words. I can’t imagine managing two blogs (although I know there are lots of writers who do, Lisa Rivero for one: http://lisarivero.com/), so I admire you for being able to do so! It took a long time for the path for this blog to become clearer; perhaps time is all you need.
Great suggestions, I’ll have to check them out! And good luck with the redesign!
Love the new look, Carrie. I’ve been thinking about a redesign to my blog also. You’ve inspired me!
Can’t wait to hear more from you soon.
Thanks Jacquelin! It was a tough decision to redesign, but I’m glad I made a change. Are you thinking of moving to a new theme/look or changing the focus of your posts (or both)?
I definitely love the new look! I haven’t done any major overhauls, but I have allowed my blog to grow and breathe. I started out just “writing about writing,” and then thought, “why would anyone want to read about an unpublished writers attempts at writing unless she also shows us what else she can write about.” It is still where I write about writing and try to share resources I discover along the way, but also a place to share humorous memoirs and general observation. I love watching blogs grow, both my own and those I read : )!
I came to the same conclusion! I really enjoy reading your blog, so you’re definitely doing something right :)
I have a natural living blog that I changed recently, going to a magazine style. I was worried it wouldn’t feel as personal, but I wanted to make content more accessible to people, so I took the risk. Readership is up, so I gues it has helped. Change can be firghtening as we all know!
I can’t speak to what your blog looked like before, Inger, but it looks fabulous now! Change can definitely be uncomfortable, but it’s often a very good thing in the end. Thanks for dropping by!