A Blogger who teaches and writes prose and poetry

http://www.danawildsmith.com/everglades-log.html

The writer, Dana Wildsmith, is a favorite blogger of mine. I have never met Dana in person, but I feel a kinship to her. She lives in Bethlehem, Georgia outside Atlanta, and she lives on a farm, loves dogs and was devoted to her mother. 

She has been to many places writing and working and she writes about her experiences there.

The link above is to a post she wrote while at the Everglades National Park in Florida.

Presently, she is on a writing retreat in north Georgia, and like many of us, she is trying to get motivated to work on her next writing project. If anyone thinks it is easy to sit down and write, even though we love to write, they are mistaken. I think it is especially hard when you write poetry and prose. Changing from one to the other takes time and lots of work. 

I have enjoyed Dana's books of poetry and prose. She teaches a writing workshop each year at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC very near where I live. The writing classes I took at JCCFS from 1995 - 2005 helped me be who I am today. However, it would be almost impossible for me to attend a full weeklong class now. I don't have the stamina I once had. 

Because of the pandemic, they were closed most of last year. Now open again with all CDC guidelines in place, they also offer online courses. Dana is one of the teachers for the online courses.

It is very hot here and almost everywhere in this country, it seems. Climate change is proving to be a concern for all of us. I heard today that Lake Powell out west is falling low because of the drought. What must we do? 

My subscribers to this blog, I hope you are still getting my posts in your Inbox, but if you are not, please let me know. 

Leave your family a treasure - your life's story

I am always happy to see on my Stats that my blog is read in countries far from where I live. Next to the United States, my largest number of pageviews come from Russia. In fact, all of western Europe shows on my map.

I'd love to hear from real people in those countries and not anonymous Spammers. I used to follow a blog by a woman in Australia. I enjoyed her so much, but she disappeared off the Internet. Another woman in England had a very interesting blog, but I lost her, too.

Lately, I've been so busy that I can hardly keep up my two blogs. Besides this one, I also post on my Writers Circle blog. I write about the classes I teach and the instructors who come to my studio and teach. I spend much time on the computer. I get email from writers who want my help or want to know where they can take classes. Some just want to ask me questions about the craft of writing. Many ask about publishing. My advice for most is this: Learn to write well before you consider publishing. Take classes, workshops with good teachers. Read books on writing and write as often as you can. Invest in your writing - both time and money. 

Two of my aunts back in the '40s

I will be teaching another class beginning September 1 at the local community college. This is a 2 hour, once a week class on writing about your life for your family or for publication. This is the most popular class I teach. I had a call from someone who lives about an hour from me and she wants me to come to her town and teach. I enjoy teaching older people. They have the most wonderful stories about their lives. The older the person, the more unusual stories they have to tell. The stories by people who grew up in the northern part of the country or in the west are fascinating to me because their lives were so different from mine. 

It is never too late to tell your life story. Don't worry where to begin. Just start with something in your life you want to tell about. Don't try to begin at birth and tell every detail. Just tell the most interesting parts of your life. Try to tell your stories in an entertaining way. Picture youself on TV and you and others are acting out the episode you want us to know. Write the story in scenes.

Try it. It is fun. Collect those true stories or personal essays and one day you will have enough to make a book for your family. Although they might not seem to be interested right now, they will one day treasure your words.

Have you written anything to leave your children or grandchildren?

What Makes Me Happy and What Makes Me Sad

Last month, this blog had 2506 page views from the United States. We also had 115 page views last month from France and people from many other countries clicked on this site.

I don't monitor the statistics on a regular basis because I don't want to get obsessed with how many people read this blog. But it makes me happy to see that it reaches far beyond our local borders.

I hope people in other countries learn something about life in this country from reading my  posts and your comments. Some of those people who view my blog are simply Spam. I discard them every day or two. But I am particularly happy when my dear cousin, in her 80s now, tells me how much she loves to read my blog posts. She prints them out and shares them with her son, she says. 

Friends tell me they read my posts but don't leave comments. They email me instead. That is fine with me. Often, I share this blog on Facebook, and that reminds non-subscribers to check out what is happening here.

As a writer, my goal is to communicate with other people. I wish to express my feelings and thoughts, tell my stories that I think entertain and enlighten, and blogging has turned out to be one of the things I most enjoy.

I have never met in person some of you, but you are my dear friends. It all started when I set up the Netwest Writers blog in 2007.  Soon I heard from a lovely woman in Morganton, NC. She has now moved back to New England to be near her family. We never met in person, but I like her and am glad we met online. We have both lost our husbands and had to travel the lonely journey of widowhood. We are both writers, only she has produced a few novels, and I have produced more poetry and short prose.

I don't use all the Social Media that is available and add Friends that I don't really know. It seems that Twitter brings out the meanness in people, but I am fortunate not to have to read that, and no one posts ugly remarks or hurtful things on my Facebook pages.

I admit that I did go in and block some of the political rhetoric on Facebook that is not directed at me, but hurts me to read because it is hateful and mean-spirited. It does nothing to bring about the good will we need in this country. I have never felt the need to criticize celebrities or political figures that I don't personally know. I think it is unfair to accuse someone or spread rumors about someone who can't defend himself. I imagine the pain it brings to them and their families when they read the garbage anonymous people write.

I can't bring myself to call our U.S. President, of either party, liar, stupid, and worse. He has the worst job in this world, I think.  All I ask is that he keep us out of war if at all possible.

I try to remember the rule Barry lived by. "If you can't say anything good about someone, then don't say anything at all." I have not always been that understanding and caring. But I realize now that when I judged or gossiped about someone, I felt awful later. I also have learned that one of the reasons I spoke negatively about another was because I was feeling insecure. I was jealous or afraid for some reason. If I have been hurt, I have spoken in anger and said unkind things. And later regretted I said them. I don't hold grudges forever but some people do. I don't forget, but I can forgive.

I also know that I have abundant empathy for those in need. My father was empathetic for the underdog. He had to struggle much of his life, and he felt the pain of those who were always at the bottom trying to rise. I have been told that I did all the feeling for my family. I experienced painful emotions, suffered for others, more than I should. I guess I still do. I wear the badge of sensitive proudly. If I didn't have that sensitive nature, I'd not  write poetry. I'd not write anything.

A year or two ago, I was deeply hurt by a few people I thought of as friends. It has taken a long time to recover from the betrayal and the downright physical pain I suffered at the time. I didn't understand why I was targeted with this malice. I probably will never understand, but I know I was not at fault. Perhaps those who sought to hurt me have their own feelings of inadequacy, and I am sorry for them. Those who know me and love me never falter in that love, and I try to always show my love for them.

My life is good, and I am doing what I most enjoy. I look forward to the spring and summer. In May our family will hold another reunion in south Georgia. We will laugh and tell family stories, and remember our loved ones who have departed. I will see some that I never or seldom see now that I live in North Carolina, older and very young family members. What more could I ask for?

This is my some of my family and friends at Lake Blackshear in Cordele,GA a couple of years ago. My brother said it was the best reunion he had ever been to. That made me proud as I organized it and brought them all together.
 I never hear the word reunion that I don't think about the time some of us attended a family gathering thinking we were at my mother's family reunion.
I wrote a story about that day and submitted it to Reunions Magazine. They published it in two parts.

Everyone is a genius.

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid" - Einstein.

When I saw this quote on Raoul's post on ReadWave.com it hit me like a ton of bricks because, as a teacher of small children and then as a teacher of older people, I have seen this to be true.

I knew a wonderful man who never thought he was smart because he was not a reader. He could read but it was not as easy as it is for me and others who love the written word. This man could play musical instruments, sing, persuade anyone or many to buy his products, interpret instructions on how to use any electronic device, figure out complex situations that would make me throw up my hands and say "enough."

He could light up a room just by walking into it and had the quickest wit of anyone I know. He had all that going for him, but somewhere along his life's road, he was told or made to believe that he wasn't intelligent enough - not smart enough- and he lived with that all his life. None of his accomplishments made up for the fact that he was not a "reader" and he thought that someone like me, a person who reads everything, including labels on the toilet tissue if that is all that is available, was much smarter than he. I knew the truth, but could not convince him.

We don't expect a fish to climb a tree. We shouldn't expect all of our children to become scientists, to lead the free world, to fly to the moon, because that was not what they were meant to do.  If our daughters become wonderful mothers or have the ability to care for their elders, and don't bring in a paycheck each month, we should not judge them as being any less than those girls who work toward leading a major corporation or becoming a doctor.

One of the most important and responsible people in my life has a masters degree but she  spends her time doing for others in her own quiet way. She is the rock her husband depends upon so that he can devote himself to his work. She is the friend who calls someone she knows is having a rough patch. She listens. She gives of her time. She is the one who is there for me when I feel like I can't go on because of physical failings or the need for someone who cares.

Some of us are meant to excel in academia and some of us are better at other things. Some are financial wizards and some have trouble balancing their bank account every month. Some like the field of medicine and the subjects required to do the job. But that doesn't mean that I, who never went to medical college, am stupid. It has taken age and wisdom for me to realize that most doctors know just what they were taught in school but have no sense of what I know and what I could teach them about an ageing body. My expertise has come from experience.

Everyone is a genius, according to Einstein. I think each of us must find the genius in ourselves, and then accept ourselves. Wouldn't that make for a happier world?

What Makes You Happy?

Recently as cold weather settled in on us in the mountains of North Carolina I was toasty and warm with the heat going full blast, wrapped in a soft throw and being so grateful that I don't have to live in a drafty house with only a fireplace to warm me.

My mother and father lived in that kind of a house when I was a small child. I doubt that it got down to six degrees in south Georgia, but it did get cold and the winter wind found its way through the walls, around windows, and under doors. Fortunately our new house built the next year was tight and adequately heated.

I appreciate my parents who struggled to make sure their children had a better life. They managed to survive the Great Depression, World War II, and still enjoy life. When I hear people today whine and cry about how bad this world is, I have to smile. Everything is relative, isn't it?

It seems to me that no one has enough. The wealthiest want more and more material things. They don't enjoy what they have because they live in fear that they will lose it. The poorest don't have enough to eat or a place to sleep. They want more, and would love having what the wealthy man owns. What he has would be enough, the poor man thinks. But if he had what the wealthy man has, would that be enough? Do we ever have enough? Can we be satisfied with what we have? Can we enjoy today and not be scared of what tomorrow will bring?

I am satisfied with what I have, and I am grateful for all I have. When the icy wind is blowing outside, and I am warm and comfortable with hot chocolate on the stove, gratitude for what I have sweeps over me like a soft breeze. I know there are homeless people who have no shelter from the cold. I know some live in cars or sleep in boxes on the street. I know children who ate from dumpsters because the family had no money to buy food.

I don't need more than compassionate and caring family, good friends, and my health to realize what is really important in life. In the past few days concerned friends called to make sure I have all I need to be safe and warm. My sister called to check on me. I could tell she was worried about me being alone after she saw frightening weather alerts on TV.

Soon I will go on vacation in Florida where some wonderful friends give me the use of a condo. But that is not all. One of them will fly north at her expense to meet me and drive me down to the condo. She will likely drive me back as she did last year. 

That kind of friendship is what is really important. Having people in my life who care about me -- people I love -- that is what matters. 

Recently I asked on my Facebook page: Do we learn more from joy or from pain? As for myself, I think I have learned in the past five years, through all the pain of loss, what I really need in life and what I must have to live a happy life. I don't believe we have to have the biggest house, the finest of furnishings, the nicest car, the most fashionable clothes or find celebrity and fame. I think what we must have to be happy is love, people who sincerely care about us, a safe place to call home, respect for ourselves and anticipation for our future endeavors. Doing for others also rates extremely high on the happiness chart. 

As a writer, I have one more thing that makes me happy -- the ability to express my thoughts, the opportunity to communicate with others. It is a need that must be met every day, in some way, large or small. So I post on my blogs, scribble in my journals, and fill long pages of yellow legal pads with various and sundry words that eventually are transcribed to files in my computer. At times those words find their way to a publication that reaches more people. That also makes me happy. 

What makes you happy?

Blogging - A Seminar on How To

Friday I attended a program and lunch with Firm Answers Now in Murphy, NC.  John Fleischer presented a program on blogging and how to effectively use your blog to reach your target audience.

I sat with Mary Sedrick from BrightBridge Women 's Business Center who came over from Chattanooga, TN. Her company, in conjunction with the Small Business Association, helps women entrepreneurs grow successful businesses.

It pleased me to learn that I am doing what I should with all my blogging - posting two or three times a week, posting content that my viewers appreciate (well, most of the time), visiting other blogs and leaving comments. I like that John talked about tags and how we should use them and links to other sites. The one thing John didn't tell me was how I can find more time for blogging. 

He said we should know our niche or our target audience before setting up our blog. On my Writers Circle blog, I stay focused on writing, and posts related to writing. On this blog, Writing Life Stories, I focus on my personal life, my life as a writer and teacher, and my stories about my life, my family and family history. I want everyone to know that it is never too late to write about your life.

I try not to hit my readers over the head promoting my books and my business, but I do promote books by other writers. I want to create interesting and informative posts for my readers.

Thank you, Mary Fonda, at Moss Memorial Library, for sending those folks my way. It was a most informative couple of hours. I am happy to see interest in helping women with business start-ups. Women can work from home, or open a small shop that will grow with the proper guidance and financial advice. BrightBridge services reach into Clay and Cherokee Counties of North Carolina.

Do you, or have you ever owned your own business? What do you think are the challenges to being your own boss?

Sam's cake makes me hungry!

I just read My Carolina Kitchen blog by my friend, Sam, who makes me drool when I see pictures of cakes like the one above.

Sam was a part of our local writing group some years ago. She attended a class we held at the library where we taught members to use and create their own blog on blogger.com.

Her purpose at the time was to promote a memoir she was writing, but her blog became one of the highest ranking food blogs online.

I don't cook such elegant foods as the decadent chocolate cake above, but I'd pay someone to cook this one for me. 

If you want to learn how to cook, or if you just enjoy reading wonderful recipes as I do, visit Sam's site. Today is her five year anniversary for My Carolina Kitchen.

Congratulations, Sam. 

SIX YEARS OF BLOGGING - SIX YEARS OF MY LIFE ONLINE WITH YOU

May, 2007 - I began this blog. More than 50,000 page views later, I am still here. I learned about blogging for the first time at a North Carolina Writers' Network Conference. I decided at that time to make a blog for our writers group, NCWN West. For six years I kept two blogs going and later three. Now I am back to two.

It's been six years since I jumped into blogging knowing little to nothing about what I was doing. But I learned. What a lifetime has happened in those six years.

You, my readers, have been with me here through some of the most painful events of my life. You have encouraged me when times were the darkest. You have supported me when I needed you. 

You are strangers I have never met, some I will never meet, and some of you are my family and my friends. Many of my readers visit here from other countries - Australia, England, Canada, Germany, France and Indonesia. 

You have blogs that I visit and enjoy. Some of you are my students from over the years, and some are visitors who happened upon my poetry book one day or read one of my stories online. 

Some of my readers began their own blogs when I held a class at our local library, and they got the bug. Some of them have made blogging friends all over the world. 

One of you used my poems along with beautiful paintings to make a most spectacular post. I was touched. 

My readers include those who are researching their family, working on their genealogy and have some of the same lines I have. Some of you are family I've never met and don't even know. Some of you are family that I met through this blog. That is so, so special!

It is because of you that I appreciate the Internet instead of hating the time I spend online when I could be writing stories, poems or personal essays. I don't care for Facebook and Twitter, but blogging is an excellent way to communicate, and as a writer, that is what I want to do - speak to people through writing.

Thanks for your time which I know is the most valuable commodity any of us have. I hope you will stay with me, and if you are not a subscriber, please take a look at the sidebar and sign on. It is free and easy. You are the best!

Changes Made Here

I just spent 20 minutes deleting all the Spam that has collected on this blog. I hate to make it difficult to comment here, but I have to.

Now you will have to prove you are a human being before you can leave a comment. Some bloggers ban anonymous comments, but I have some friends who don't have Google addresses and I don't want to keep them from leaving comments.

Recently I set up a website for the first time. You should be able to go there with www.glendacbeall.com, but I don't know if the search engines are finding it yet. If anyone can pull it up, please let me know what you think. It is a website for Writers Circle which is my studio in Hayesville, NC where we hold writing classes spring, summer and fall.

I still have work to do on the website, but hope to have it where I want it before long.

If you have any suggestions that would make it better, I am open to hearing them.

Contact me at nightwriter0302@yahoo.com. 

For now, I am returning to watching Celtic Thunder Mythology. I love these Irish guys, but I'll have to listen to Mythology for a while before I like it as well as I did the first album. 

HOW BEST TO SPEND OUR TIME

As we try to meet deadlines and keep appointments in our daily lives, we now are told not to forget to maintain our prominence in Social Media. Facebook requires attention every day. 

I hardly ever visit Twitter, and now I learn there are more and more new sites popping up we should be aware of and using. Some say blogging is dead, but I notice folks on Facebook link to their blogs or the blogs of others. What can you say of value in a few words on FB or Twitter? I don’t use much of my time on Facebook, playing games, or checking out the latest trend. Writing, teaching, being with friends, mentoring and assisting others by sharing what I can with them – that’s how I spend most of my time.

No one would believe she is an octogenarian, and this photo is right after a bout of illness

Several hours this weekend my older sister, June, and I cleared her desk and went through her boxes of keepsakes, mementos from her long life, re-reading letters we uncovered, letters from Mother, from dear ones who have long passed from this earth. Together we reminisced as she pulled out pages of her life and mine to be discarded or to keep when she moves into assisted living quarters next month. Those handwritten pages from long ago, notes on Mothers Day cards and birthday cards, college report cards, and newspaper articles, tell of one family’s history. I understand her reluctance to throw them away.

We found a poem written for Mother in our brother’s handwriting, a letter to a daughter from her birth mother – these are valuable words in remembrance of and by those who will always be a part of our lives. 

While there was a tinge of sadness as we traveled down memory lane, doing it together made it less painful and even fun at times. I was happy to see my sister’s beautiful smile when I left. The past two days was a learning experience, a valuable time for me. One of Oprah’s wise sayings is, “Make your life a lesson to others.” One day I might be where my sister is today, and she taught me how to make the best of it. She showed me one of the best ways to use my time is sharing it with my loved ones, not twittering, tweeting or leaving blurbs on Facebook for people I’ve never met nor am likely to meet. 

Sometimes, even when we think we have it all together, we realize we can continue to learn more about ourselves.

Have you had an experience that opened your eyes to something new?

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WILD TURKEYS FROM MY WINDOW

It has been nice to have some time, with no pressure, to read blogs by other writers. Today, thanks to Kat Magendie,  I found this blog by Terri.

Terri is an inspirational speaker among other things, but she writes of going back to when she wrote for the fun of it. I think we become consumed by the thought that we must publish a book or many books. In fact, that is the goal of most writers when they put their first words on paper. Even as a child, I wanted to publish a novel.

Now, I write more blog posts than anything else. I enjoy it and feel I am communicating with an audience, albeit a small one. The task of writing a book, and then having to market the book, is overwhelming for me at this time. I have stacks of stories stored away. I have poems and articles that have never seen the light of day. Will I submit them one day for publication? I don’t know. Time is fleeting and life is precious.

In recent years death has stalked my path. I vowed when my husband died that I would take the time to be with those I love, to visit friends in far away places, and I’d take the time to enjoy what is right here around me.

I looked up from my computer a few minutes ago and a flock of wild turkeys had appeared in my window on the woods. The big gobblers where so close I felt I could touch them. They were not threatened by me behind the glass and, they didn’t see me. These special moments come, and I thrill in having the wild things docile and unafraid in my presence. Thank God, I am here in this place at this time.

Turkeys are almost gone by the time I get my camera

My brother, Ray, after learning he had terminal cancer, took a long trip and visited all his cousins and friends. He had worked hard all his life, accumulated wealth, but in the end he recognized what he had missed. He came alone and visited with me several times. I treasure those conversations we had. Fortunately, Ray had three years to do the things he had put off.

Today another brother, Hal, and his wife, Yvonne, were memorialized in a service in Wakulla County Florida. I regret that I had not visited them recently and taken time to stay and talk, laugh and share our memories. I let other things come first.

My older sister June is sick and has just come home from the hospital. I long to be with her, but can’t go just yet. I have commitments on my calendar. I am torn. I enjoy my work as a teacher and a mentor to others. It helps to think I make a difference. But I want to be with my family, to reminisce about our childhood, to laugh at the funny things that happened along the way. To share that family love that nothing can replace.

Will I publish another book? Will I meet my writing goals? Where will those dreams  fall in all that lies ahead? I really don’t know. I used to think I’d always have time later, but we never know if we have a “later.”

Meantime, I write posts for my blogs. Thanks to those of you who come here to read my words. While I am trying to figure out life's challenges, I hope I help you in some way.

Do you blog or read blogs? Do you feel that blogging makes a difference in your life and in the lives of those who read blogs?

Interview with popular Applachian writer and blogger, Tipper Pressley

Your blog, Blind Pig and the Acorn is very popular. When did you begin the blog and how did you decide on your theme?

Tipper: Previously, I thought blogs were only about politics or news, but during the year of 2007 I discovered there are blogs about everything under the sun. After reading the Old Red Barn Blog for a few weeks, I decided I loved the format of sharing your thoughts with others via the web. My passion has always been my Appalachian Heritage, so it was a natural leap to want to blog about my life in Appalachia. I started the Blind Pig and the Acorn in the early spring of 2008.

Your writing touches your readers and is almost poetic at times, almost spiritual at times.  Your voice is unpretentious and down-to-earth. I also notice a double negative here and there. Is that because you want your posts to sound like people talk?

Tipper: When I set out to celebrate and preserve my heritage through the Blind Pig, I really never thought of it as writing. It feels more like I'm talking to a group of friends who are sitting around my computer. I'm not a schooled or trained writer. I guess you could say I write straight from the heart.

3. Your readers come from all over the country. Why do you think your blog appeals to such a wide geographical area?
Tipper: Most of the folks who visit the Blind Pig on a regular basis fall into 3 categories. The first are people like me who live in Appalachia and want to see the culture preserved; the second are folks who lived in Appalachia at some point during their lives or who had family who lived in Appalachia; the third are folks who are curious about Appalachia and want to know what it's really like.

4. What subject brings you more readers?

Tipper: By far my most popular subject matter is the dialect of Appalachia. The monthly Appalachian Vocabulary Tests and Appalachian Grammar Lessons are my 2 most popular posts. Month after month folks seem to like them best.

5. Do you plan your posts ahead and have several on hand all the time?

Tipper:I have a variety of posts planned in my mind at all times. It's like I have a little circus juggler who lives in my brain and he's constantly rotating my choices for me. I'm never organized enough to actually write posts ahead. I keep those thoughts juggling until one feels right, then I write it on the fly the night before I publish it or sometimes a few minutes before I publish it.

6. I admire your photographs that fit each post so well. Do you take new photographs for each post or do you have some in stock?

Tipper: I'm constantly taking pictures so sometimes I have something in my stock pile that will work for a post, but most of the time I take pictures specifically for each post.

7. Your whole family, Chitter and Chatter, your twins, and your husband, the Deer Hunter, are involved in the activities you write about. Do they know ahead of time that you will be writing about a hike or a hunt for some unusual finds?

Tipper: My family plays a huge part in the Blind Pig and the Acorn. We don't do things just for me to blog about. We go about our days like we always have-but I do look at our activities as a possible blog post in the making. 

8. You occasionally have guests who post on Blind Pig. Do they contact you and submit their essays for your approval?
Tipper: I have some fabulous guest posters on the Blind Pig. All are much better writers than I am. Some I seek out--others seek me out.

9. What advice would you give someone who is beginning a blog? How often should they post? How can they find an audience?
 
Tipper: My advice for people who want to have a successful blog is: Are you really, really sure you want to do this? Blogging to gain a following or to make money is a tough row to hoe as Pap would say. It takes a lot of time and energy. If you're looking for a following you should post at least three times a week if not more.

One of the easiest, but most time consuming, ways to build an audience is to visit other blogs. Seek out blogs that are similar to yours and try to make a connection with them.

On the other hand,if you're just blogging for fun or for your family, do it however you want to and have fun. Blog platforms are a great, easy, and cheap way to share news with your family and friends.

Your viewers love you and your blog. It is read by acclaimed authors like Vicki Lane who says she learns about Appalachia from reading your blog, and she uses that information in her novels. Does that please you?
Tipper: The positive feedback I receive from readers makes me feel like the Queen of Appalachia or at least like the Angel of Brasstown. I am truly grateful for my readers because they are helping me achieve my goal of preserving and celebrating the culture and heritage of Appalachia.

11. Many bloggers think no one is reading their blog if they don't have a long list of comments every day as you have. Is that the way to tell if you are reaching an audience?

Tipper: Comments are proof that you are reaching and engaging your audience, however all blogs have lurkers. A lurker is a person who may read every post a blogger writes-but never leave a comment. So comments aren't the only measure of success for a blog.
 

12. Your blog spurs something in me almost every day that makes me want to write about my life or something that happened in my past. You bring the past into the present and stir the memories of your readers no matter where they live or have lived.

Many things I read on your blog take me back to my youth in southwest Georgia. I admire your using your father’s oral history, a valuable resource, on the Blind Pig. Did he have any part in your beginning this blog or centering on this theme?

Tipper: Anyone who reads the Blind Pig or who knows me personally-can easily tell I think Pap (my father) hung the moon. I have such a strong connection with Pap that it would be impossible for me to set out to achieve a goal in my life without taking him along for the journey-and lucky for me he's always happy to go along for the ride. Pap taught me to appreciate my culture, so it's only natural that he plays a significant role in the Blind Pig.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about you or the Blind Pig and the Acorn?

Tipper: When I first started the Blind Pig I set out to achieve a goal. I wanted to weave what went before into an appreciation for the present as well as a hope for the future. After blogging about Appalachia for the last three years, I've realized two amazing things:

First: our culture isn't totally fading away. There are folks who are still doing the things their parents or grandparents taught them to do.

Second: it is possible to incorporate many of those old time Appalachian ways into our modern day lives. And if we do, our lives will be all the richer for it. 

Thank you, Tipper, for sharing your story with my readers. Over the past three years, as I've shared your blog address with others, I have heard many writers and poets praise your writing on Blind Pig.  

Tipper Pressley will be teaching a class on Appalachian cooking at the John C. Campbell Folk School, May, 2012. 
Lulu.com carries Tipper's calendar on planting by the signs. Look for Blind Pig and the Acorn's Planting by the Signs. Her readers have grown better gardens following her advice.
Coming soon on Tipper's blog is a video she directed and edited starring her talented daughters.
Visit her here.

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Do you use Twitter and Facebook to promote your writing?

I ran across a great blog tonight. http://writerunboxed.com/2011/05/23/why-i-dont-count-followers-mentions-google-alerts-or-blog-hits-anymore/

This writer is not a fan of social media except blogging. She is an introvert writer, and only wants to use FB and Twitter for social reasons not for selling a product. That is what they were meant to be -- social networks where people interacted and made friends.

Now we are all told we must have a platform in order to get work published. Although I spend a little time on Facebook and none on Twitter, mostly because I haven't had the time to learn to use it properly, if I had a novel coming out, I'd be out there making sure folks knew about it. You have to, I think.

My blogs are more for my enjoyment than for promoting my work. I want people to know my voice, my online voice rather than my platfom.
The joy of blogging is meeting people you might never see in person, but I can develop a friendship.

I want an editor to look at my blog and see who I am. Of course he can see what I've published, but I hope my posts show the person who wrote those poems, those stories and essays.

What do you think about social media? Does it help sell books?

Blogging and learning is ongoing exercise.

I've made a change to this blog with embedded comments and I hope to see if it works on this post.
Blogging on blogger.com is an ongoing learning exercise. They constantly try to find better ways to bring about the interaction we want on a blog.
With embedded comments, we hope to make it easier for our readers to leave a message.
We want to hear from you. Tell us about your thoughts on writing, genealogy, keeping our air clean, pets, or anything that strikes your fancy.
Do you like photos on this blog? Are they important to engaging you as a reader?
We learn by doing and by doing this blog, I've learned way more than I ever thought I needed to know about Internet technology. And I've learned, also, how little I know and how much more there is to learn.
Leave a comment and let's see how this works.