DOGLADY’S DEN UPDATE
Confession time: For a couple of years now, my enthusiasm for blogging has waned – a lot! Call it blogger burnout, internet fatigue or just plain old lethargy. Besides that, the photography muse duked it out with the writing muse and won. You see, it’s just as creative but also a lot easier and less time-consuming.
Writing has always been a long, agonizing process for me. To quote Dorothy Parker: “I hate writing, but love having written.” That sums it up! It’s no fun being a pedantic perfectionist. Yet, something wondrous has happened. The desire to write
crapstuff has finally returned. Good thing, too, since I just renewed the website’s hosting for three years and can’t see filling it with wall to wall photos. That would likely bore you as well. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming up:
Every Wednesday:
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Every Month on the 15TH:
[with results on the 22nd]
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FEBRUARY 18:
Writing challenge from WEP/IWSG.
You can sign up below if you’d like to participate
FEBRUARY 28:
[Click image for details. New participants welcome!]
Occasional Fridays
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Occasional Mondays #4M
Works in Progress, Dates T.B.A.:
The SHE Chronicles
Episode Six, “The Stalker”
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In Travelogues
Monaco and Nice| Dream Trip Part IV
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Musical Memories
The Year was 1968
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Plus, whatever else the Muse dreams up.
One thing you will NOT see here:
Yes, I know it’s their 10th Anniversary – congratulations Arlee and company!
[click on image for more info]
Yes, I know it’s a great way to make new friends in the Blogosphere and gain more traffic for your blog. Most of the extra visitors disappear when the challenge is over, though.
Yes, I know it’s supposed to be fun. BUT, After doing it four years in a row (2014-2017), I found the stress of not having enough time to keep up with visitors (pedantic perfectionist, remember?) superceded the enjoyment and caused severe burnout, every time.
Also, the month of March, which is prime A to Z prep time for us procrastinators, is my busiest month offline and I always struggled to get the posts pre-written. (The only way to manage well.)
Are there other types of material you would like to see here?
Let me know in comments. Thanks for your support!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
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16 thoughts on “RETURN OF THE WRITING MUSE! #amwriting”
So glad that your muse is back. Mine has abandoned me!! I like your Instagram round-up posts, your pictures are so beautiful and picturesque!
I am in two minds about AtoZ Challenge this year.
I’m sure your muse will return, too, Shilpa. I’m glad you enjoy the photos and will keep those going. 🙂 Thanks for dropping in.
I do enjoy your photos for Wordless Wednesday. All the best with your muses.
Thank you, Anamika! 🙂 The Wordless Wednesday posts will continue. I just wanted to add more creative writing into the mix. Cheers!
I know the feeling of finding the enthusiasm waning over time. I struggled over the last few years too. Have had to reinvent myself all over this year to start again.
These writing challenges are actually a real blessing in this regard giving us inspirations to write.
Hi Roshan; Nice to know I’m not the only one. 🙂 Personally, I can’t deal with daily blogging anymore. That’s what caused the burnout in the first place, so I won’t be doing any more such challenges. Occasional and recurring ones are fun and inspiring, though. Thanks for dropping in!
Love this, Debbie! I will make it a point to pop in more often! and I’ll be asking about that “stuff” for February!
I agree with you regarding writing…if all the ideas and plots and themes that are floating around in that chaotic place known as a “mind” were written down, I’d probably be competing with the U of T library! It is such a chore to write! And since, despite all my IT literacy I am still Victorian at heart (the right type of paper, the right shape of notebook, just “that” type of pen, the exact colour of ink….), it is a chore just to “sit down and write”….procrastination is my middle name!
But perhaps having you as the “role model” will be an incentive!
Ad maiora!
Hi Bianca; Nice to see you here. 🙂 If you’re looking for a creative outlet, come join the challenge! Interesting that you like to write in longhand. I find the laptop so much easier and quicker, especially when it comes to editing. Thanks for dropping in!
DEBBIE, I’m glad BOTB survived the re-fangled re-engineering of your blog. Even if your Results get posted one day later than the traditional (and original) design. And I look forward to your next Battle in a few days.
‘A To Z’ — I tried it once. I got as far as the letter “O” when I (literally) titled it “Over & Out” and I quit the challenge. (I expect to get paid – and I mean paid MORE than “Minimum Wage” – for anything that feels like a “full-time job”. ) God bless Lee and God bless everyone who enjoys ‘A To Z’, but I can’t even imagine how anyone who is not officially retired from the workforce could enjoy engaging in that blogfest. Someyear, when I am retired from the workforce, I may consider doing ‘A To Z’ again, but I certainly would NOT entertain that idea until I have a ton o’ free time on my hands.
~ D-FensDogG
‘Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews…’
Hi Stephen; I do enjoy participating in BOTB, but once a month is enough, otherwise there wouldn’t be time for all this other crap, er, stuff I want to do. 😀 Seven full days is always the period I allotted for this; didn’t realize it’s supposed to be only six. Not a hard and fast rule, is it? I did the AtoZ four years straight and think that’s mostly the source of my burnout. Daily blogging is too difficult to keep up with, even for someone like me, who works from home and has lots of time. The initial fun dissipates and it becomes a chore. Thanks for dropping in and “see” you on Friday!
I am looking forward to reading, Debbie!
Thanks, Myke! 🙂 Any new poems on your horizon?
I probably should get back to it.
I actually love your blog even though I have missed every once in a while. I love your photos….don’t stop that since I love where you have gone. I’d love to hear some of your knowledge about dogs:)
Thanks, Birgit. 🙂 The photography muse still lives, but it’s going to have to share more space with creative writing. (On the blog, anyway. Instagram is pretty much a daily thing for me.) My A to Z Challenge in 2016 was all about dogs. Here’s the link:
https://thedogladysden.com/atozchallenge-2016/
Great idea to write a few articles about dog behaviour and training, etc. Thanks for the suggestion!