One of my writer friends asked me the other day how I figured out what to write in my blog; how I’d developed the Urban Fantasy theme, and managed to keep “thinking up stuff” to write about. I confess that in real life, I do possess the gift of gab. There’s nothing I hate more than an empty space in the conversation. Same thing goes with blogging, I guess. I feel the need to add my two cents to the blogosphere whenever a pause seems likely. I also admit that I’ve been skulking about as a silent lurker on a good number of writing sites and blogs for the better part of two years without saying too much. Part of it was the feeling that since I wasn’t published yet that I wasn’t worthy of ‘playing with the big kids’. Part of it was that as I followed the various topics (at least in the beginning), they didn’t make much sense to me. I thought they were kind of boring. A lot of it didn’t seem to apply to where I was.
Then a funny thing happened. After about a year or so of turkey lurking, it all started to make sense. I became familiar with the other names and community personalities; I found myself cheering when writers found agents or announced their publication dates. I discovered new websites and blogs that gave me new perspectives; I started paying attention to the hot topics that other writers were talking about, and one day, I realized that I did have something to add; that I did want to participate in the communal joy of hearing someone finished their manuscript or that their book just won an award. I got the nerve up to ask a question; and then another.
I also developed a sense of what interested me in other people’s blogs, and what turned me off. I looked, but couldn’t find much put in the blogosphere about writing Urban Fantasy. I’d originally planned to just write about my dogs (and at some point, I am sure that there will be more than a few posts devoted to them), but since I’m starting my next manuscript, it just makes sense to share the things I’m thinking about as I go through the process. If what I write makes sense (or even if it doesn’t), feel free to comment or drop me an email. But if you feel more comfortable turkey lurkin’, by all means, be my guest.
Gobble Gobble! I’m gobbling it up!