Blog 3,000 Days in a Row!!!
Without a Miss…
Think that through…. That is 8 years, two months, and 19 days. A blog every day. Sometimes more than one blog a day if circumstances required it.
Computer crashes… Yup!
Internet connection failures… Yup!
Power outages… Yup!
Sickness and hospital stays… Yup!
Kris very sick… Yup!
Major move to new city… Yup!
Major business office move… Yup!
Biggest problem was nights I was too tired to care and had nothing to say… Those were the hard nights.
Why do this?
I have no damn idea, to be honest. None. Whatever reason I started this daily blog for (as I also started Smith’s Monthly on the same day) is lost to the mists of time.
Over the years I have talked a lot about fiction writing, about workshops, about exercise, about cats, about events.
I have never once talked politics and don’t allow it here. Just like we don’t allow it in our workshops here in Vegas.
I also never badmouth another writer here or allow anyone in a comment to do so.
I have talked about friends’ deaths, friends’ accomplishments, and so on.
And about things Kris is doing. A lot on that. (A favorite topic of mine when she allows it.)
I have also written a bunch of writing books in blog format, doing a chapter per blog. And those books are out and published. And I’ve started a number of books here and realized not good topics and quit.
I push Storybundles and Kickstarter campaigns here. But seldom my own books.
At times I will do a little “writing in public” just for fun, then I tend to get bored with it and stop. If I am doing a major challenge like I did writing four novels in one month, or the numbers of times I have written a story a day for a month, I talk about those here. Those are fun.
But I seldom promote my own books. In fact, no one here knows when I finish a book or a story or a publishing project and get it out unless the project is involved with something else. (Yeah, I know, silly.)
I Treasure the Comments…
Often a great comment or question from a reader helps me learn, makes me think about something in a different way, and starts a discussion. Now granted, anyone who has followed this for a few years knows my normal topics, my normal soapboxes, my passions.
So I understand people are afraid to comment at times, but don’t be going forward. If it breaks some rule or something, I just won’t publish the comment.
Thanks, Kris!!
Over the 3,000 days of these, I couldn’t begin to count the numbers of times she said, “Don’t forget your blog.” Far more than 3,000 I am sure. And I appreciated every one of them. Oh trust me, without that, this streak would have been over a long, long time ago. So thank you, Kris.
The Future?
Now I will keep going forward with a blog a night, sometimes about writing, sometimes about workshops, sometimes about exercising, sometimes about cats, and god knows what else. I have no goal, nothing I am aiming for. I am just going to keep going until one day I don’t for some reason or another.
And just to finish off this 3,000 days of blog posts without a miss, before starting day 3,001, here is a picture of my cat Walter and an early copy of Smith’s Monthly about seven or so years ago. I figured this post needed a cat picture, after all.
19 Comments
Julie
I for one am very glad for your daily posts, Dean! I have no writing community but your blog is a reminder every day that there are others out there – and especially others who don’t buy into all the destructive myths.
Long may you blog!
Karen
Congratulations! What a great milestone! And a wonderful picture of Walter!
Now, onward! Can’t wait to see what else you accomplish.
Karen
Judy Lunsford
Congratulations!!! That’s an awesome streak!
Harvey
Good job, Dean. Congratulations. And thanks for being an inspiration for so many, and in so many ways.
Bonnie
As a long time reader, I remember when you started this. I cannot believe I have been reading this blog for longer than 8 years. It shouldn’t surprise me with consider other blogging anniversaries I’ve seen pass, but somehow I felt like I came to your blog later in the game.
Kate Pavelle
Chiming in to your blog in the morning is an excellent alterntative to social media. On a good day, I’ll just write my own words first, no issues. But on a bad day when I want some people contact, I visit here first and it grounds me. Your blog reminds me of my goals, and that’s valuable.
So even though I occasionally pull your tail, I really value that you’re so outgoing and interactive. And that you model a life well lived.
Spine.
Work ethic.
Balance.
All that has become even more important with the pandemic.
Thank you! And now, off to my own words.
David Anthony Brown
I was reading your blog back on day one and I think read every day for the first couple years. That was about the same time I started practicing Heinlein’s rules, and was a huge motivator for me.
Here’s to another 3,000!
Lynne Medgaarden
Thank you for 3,000 blogs. It is a privilege to read the words of a professional writer and to learn how your mind works. It is inspiring. I frequently quote you to my writing partner who is probably sick of hearing me say, “Dean said…”. So, thank you.
Kris Rusch
Waltie! (I miss that cat.)
Congrats, Dean. You did it all. I might’ve reminded you, but you sat down and typed words, no matter how you were feeling. You even dictated your blog to me one night from the hospital. Impressive stuff.
D J Mills
Totally impressive! And inspirational!
And I have read every one of your 3000 blogs. And learned so much about this writing business, creating covers, IPs, and attitude to writing and life.
Well done. And looking forward to the next 3000 blogs.
Jason M
Thanks Dean. I’m not much for the cats or exercise, but your posts about the business are very helpful, especially since Joe Konrath decided to step away from blogging.
Terry
Your blog has been a great source of information, inspiration, cat pictures, and side amusements, as well as a wonderful counterbalance to the disinformation and unclear thinking about traditional publishing. You and your blog (and everything else you do) have become a tremendous resource for the indie publishing community. Thank you for it, and congratulations on an amazing milestone.
Suzan Harden
Kitty pictures are always good if you don’t feel like talking about other stuff.
Mary Jo Rabe
Thank you for this blog! It has been an incredible source of information and encouragement! I am very grateful that you made this blog a priority even though you must have had other things you also wanted to do with your tme.
Filip Wiltgren
Huge congrats, Dean, and an even bigger thank you for all the help you have given beginning authors over the years. If it wasn’t for your Writing Into the Dark, I think I would have given up a long time ago.
Robert J. McCarter
Well done, Dean!
Thank you for all of those blog post and the honest view of a productive writer. I look forward to these as one of the things that help me keep moving, keep focusing, keep writng.
Desikan
Congratulations Dean !!
This is an awesome streak.
Keep this going as there are many followers like me for whom your blogs are a daily magic potion to keep us striving.
Stefon Mears
Congrats, Dean. That’s a heck of an accomplishment.
emmiD
Thank you for the 3,000 posts. They are an every morning check. They changed my writing life to less frustrated, more content with the content, and overall happier.
And it’s a joy to send writers to the blogs and the Teachable classes and watch them become converts.