HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

I was reading about Susanna Leonard Hill's four year blog anniversary earlier this week and was actually surprised she had been blogging for such a short amount of time compared to how long her lovely writing career has been. Then I realized I had a blog anniversary coming up myself.

I have to give credit to Tara Lazar for starting me on this blogging journey. Way back on December 6th, 2011, I was just catching my breath from participating in my first PiBoIdMo event. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the love and support I was receiving from this new writing community I had just joined so I thought I would post a blog about my first PiBo. If you want to read it, go here.

So much has happened since then. I had been writing professionally for almost a year when I started my blog and I've seen it grow from a small handful of loyal followers to a blog that is now read in more than 20 countries around the globe. I've written 692 posts in those three years which has had more than 339,000 page views. And I've made many, many lasting friendships along the way.

I've posted tons of writing analogies which most of my readers seemed to like. I've spotlighted the best of the best in children's picture books through my BOOK NOOK REVIEWS, I've shared my colleagues' pearls of wisdom through my WRITERLY WISDOM series, and I've challenged my readers with my story telling skill in my FLASH FICTION FRIDAY. I even teased people with a few pages of my early reader chapter book, THE WARRIORS THREE; my young adult mystery, LACEY'S BRIDGE; and my young adult fantasy, LUNADAR: HOMEWARD BOUND. My latest series, TALES FROM THE BAYOU, shared a glimpse into my childhood growing up in southern Louisiana.

So what's next? I plan to keep my Monday Motivational posts and will continue my BOOK NOOK REVIEWS, but have a few changes in mind for my Friday posts. I sent out an open invitation to Illustrators who are interested in receiving some FREE spotlight promotion on their work to get with me as a guest blogger. Many people have replied to my invitation and I hope to roll out the first PICTURE PROMPT blog post next Friday, December 12th. My wish is to have 52 weeks of different Illustrators sharing their work with us, but should I have some openings along the way, I will probably post a random "picture prompt" I find interesting and create a flash fiction piece to go with it.

Through these past three years I've tried to remain true to the type of writer I've always wanted to be...one who writes to visually connect my readers to my stories in such a way they feel a wee bit better after having read them. I hope I have accomplished that with my debut picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, but only time will tell.

But even beyond my stories, I pray my blog entertains, enlightens, and encourages others to dare to dream. To challenge themselves to grow beyond their comfort zone. To commit fully to the idea they will one day achieve great things. I know in my heart they will! And when that day comes, in the not too distant future, I will be there to cheer them on...with tidings of great joy and a happy dance thrown in...because there is nowhere else I'd rather be and no one else I'd rather be sharing my blogging adventures with than YOU!

Let's lift a glass and celebrate to many more years together...



Blog Update

 

 

 

It's been a rough two months but I am slowly on the road to recovery.  Hopefully I will get information later this week on how to handle the latest hurdle in my life but in the mean time, here is a guest blog post I did today for the lovely Julie Hedlund about how I am going to handle the upcoming holiday season.  Please check out her blog here:

 



http://www.juliehedlund.com/2012/11/13/tuesday-12-x-12-donna-martin/

and I seem to be on target to be able to return to the blogging world with my new blogging schedule by the end of the month.  I'm planning on more prize giveaways as part of my one year blog anniversary coming up on December 6th, 2012 so you don't want to miss that!

Thanks to all the well wishes, prayers, and healing thoughts being sent my way.  It touches my heart more than you will ever know!  Mark your calendar for December and my return to the fun...;~)

Take care,

Donna L Martin

Counting Down And An Apology

Over the next six weeks or so I will be counting down to my one year anniversary on this blog.  It has been a whirlwind challenge to post daily and to test the waters with different styles of writing topics.  With the coming year I will be changing my blogging schedule from seven days a week postings to three days a week postings in order to have more time to develop my stories.  My new blogging schedule beginning Monday, December 10th, will be Mondays~Wednesdays~Fridays.

I have tentatively planned on writing my inspirational posts (analogies and other uplifting posts) on Mondays, and would like to make the end of the week my Flash Fiction Fridays where I will also challenge my readers to join in the fun by ADDING to the story with another sentence or even another paragraph until maybe my flash fiction pieces turn into a great story!

That leaves Wednesdays and that's where YOU, lovely readers, come in.  What would you like to see on the middle of the week posts?  Interviews and guest posts?  Specific writing tips? Poetry?  Author quotes?  Wild and wooly interesting tidbits?  Please give my your feedback as this blog is for YOU and I wouldn't even HAVE a blog if it wasn't for all my wonderful followers out there!  Just leave me a comment on what you would like to see with the coming year and the majority vote will determine what I will dish up on Wednesdays.

Now for the apology I feel I owe my readers.  Over the past two weeks I have struggled to maintain a daily post on this blog and I must confess I have skipped a couple of days.  It's not because I no longer care about this blog...oh, far from it as my life have been incredibly changed by all the people I have met over the past year through this blog. Unfortunately I have been dealing with some stubborn kidney stones and a kidney infection these past couple of weeks which has literally knocked me off my feet and rendered me incapable of sitting up long enough to type a daily post.  In  my line of business as a manager of a martial arts school, my parents pay for my teaching/mentoring ability and illness does not factor into that equation.  

That drive to provide exceptional service to my students also drives me to provide the most entertaining, inspiring, and informative DAILY posts I told my readers I would give them during my first year in the blogosphere.  Lately I feel I have let you down and for that I offer my sincerest apology.  I hope by this weekend I will be back to normal and can start the new week with renewed energy to be able to provide fabulous daily posts as in the past. 

Until then, I can only be grateful for the three kidney stones I no longer have to deal with this week and even though I can agree with the video below, I'm hoping MY stones will be like the name of this group and ROLL ON OUT HERE! ;~)

What's My Story?

 

RATE YOUR STORY

 

 

This week a great blog and a great group of volunteer writing professionals celebrate their one year anniversary.  I've talked before about the free service Rate Your Story offers new and established writers.  I've talked about the wonderful feedback I've received with my own manuscripts I've sent in.  But I don't think I've ever talked about how a group of unknown "judges" have managed to help change my life.

 

 

These past two years have been one of incredible growth as a writer for me and there have been many people who came along for the ride.  People who have worn the "mentor" hat, people who have donned the "devil's advocate" hat, and still other people who have put on the "critiquer" hat.  People like the Rate Your Story judges who have challenged me to improve my writing skills, to take another look at my stories and polish them until they shine.

 

 

The Rate Your Story staff has given me an arena in which to grow and I can't thank them enough.  Miranda Paul, along with others, is celebrating one year of supporting, caring, and encouraging writers and I was lucky enough to be with them on this fabulous journey.  Because of RYS I continued to write...because of RYS I gained valuable insight into the writing industry...because of RYS I had the courage to submit a story which I'm proud to say has been picked up by Chicken Soup For The Soul and will come out in January 2013 as part of their Angels Among Us collection.

 

Thank you Rate Your Story for being one of my "go-to" sources where I know people care about my growth as a writer and where I know I will always receive a professional opinion regarding the strength of my manuscripts. 

 

May you enjoy many more years of blogging and critiquing sucess!



It's That Time Again...

It's been a while since I've given away anything and I think it's time for another BLOG CONTEST!

Almost nine months ago I started this blogging journey, not knowing where it would lead me, and I have been amazed by all the new experiences and new friends I have made along the way.  I have worked hard to make this blog a place people can come to ...not just writers... and maybe find something which will resonate within themselves and lift their spirits, even if just for a moment.

So, as my way of saying thank you for all the love and support of the past nine months (and to maybe help my goal of trying to obtain 300 followers by my one year anniversary), I have two giveaways for you.

Here is how my blog contest will work...

1.  If you are not following my blog yet, please consider joining the fun to  earn one entry to the contest.

2.  If you mention my blog (www.donasdays.blogspot.com) and my website (www.donnalmartin.com) and link back to this post in some type of post of your own (blog, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc),  you will earn two more entries to the contest.

3.  If one of your friends becomes one of my blog followers and posts a comment HERE while mentioning your name, then they AND you will both receive an entry to the contest.

That's up to four chances to win the prizes of this contest.  There will be two prize packs given away and the winners' names will be announced on Thursday, September 6th...the nine month anniversary of my blog!

Bet you're wondering what the prizes will be, aren't you?  Well, I will be giving away TWO prize packs.  One for the writers out there and one for the readers...

PRIZE PACK ONE includes:

1.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Creative Writing

2.  The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing A Novel

3.  Scholastic Guides: Writing Stories

4.  Writer's Digest Handbook Of Magazine Article Writing

5.  The Way To Write For Children

PRIZE PACK TWO includes:

1.  The Adventures Of Ook And Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen From The Future by Geeorge Beard and Harold Hutchins (creators of the Captain Underpants series)

2.  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

3.  Trouble Twisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

4.   Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed

There you have it...hopefully there is something in those prize packs to entice you to get the word out about this contest. Doesn't it just make you wonder what I will do in December for my next big milestone?