Baby Steps

As I sit here, wondering about what to write next, I find myself face-palming. This is my first post since the launch. *ultra cringe 10 times over* I’ve had Of Bleeding Pens and Pages for almost a month now and I’m already proving to be a procrastinator with it. How typical of me!

Well, that’s what I’m going to talk about today. Now, I know what you may be thinking. “Zac is going to talk about procrastination?”

Ha. Nope.

Well…kind of. In a way. Not really. Oh, good grief, you’ll see what I mean!

So as I mentioned, Of Bleeding Pens and Pages is almost a month old now. (WHERE DID MY BABY GO?) And, as I also mentioned, I’ve been procrastinating with it.

Why? Because, honestly, it scares me. A lot.

Not the blog itself, really. (Although…if technology ever takes over the world, the blog might come to life and hunt me down in anger because of my resentment. Don’t look at me like that, IT COULD HAPPEN. YOU NEVER KNOW.) More of the responsibility of it. Its image. And my faithfulness to it. This blog relies completely on me. It’s not going to take care of itself and thrive alone. I’m the one who has to spread the word, to earn its following, to share it with the world.

That is what scares me.

Being the procrastinator I am, if I don’t keep up with Of Bleeding Pens and Pages…it’s going to fall, flat on its virtual face. And it won’t be able to pick itself back up. It will be crippled. Abandoned. Invisible.

See, something I’ve already learned from my time in the blogging world is this: a blog is like a child. It has to be nourished, fed, checked on regularly. It needs attention, love, commitment. Without all those things, it will suffer. Scream into blackness. It will be alone. And eventually, it will fade. Sure, it will still be there, available to find…but it will be painful, heartbreaking to look upon. Because, yes. It’s dead.

That’s not what I want for this blog. I am as a parent to it; I must take care of it, through thick and thin. It completely relies on me.

But.

I can’t push it. It’s just a baby. It can’t have all the attention and hundreds-maybe one day thousands!-of followers. Not yet. It’s not ready for that. It-I-will not know how to handle it. It’s not ready to fully extend its wings and fly and sing into the world of blogging.

And I’m okay with that.

Baby steps are necessary, in everything you do. You can’t rush into something, expecting to know everything and be fully experienced immediately. You have to learn. There are so many things that you did not know when you signed up for it. Some are good, some not. It’s almost always unexpected.

But you learn. You become more well-grounded in it. That’s how you grow. That’s how anything grows.

And that’s how Of Bleeding Pens and Pages will go. We-I, it-will start out small. Taking baby steps. We will learn along the way. We will grow. Become more mature, more grounded.

And we will thrive. We will see much success, prayerfully.

We will fly. We will sing. We will inspire. Eventually.

For now, I’m just soaking in the moments of watching it grow. And it’s beautiful.

 

34 thoughts on “Baby Steps”

  2. Brianna da Silva says:
    Reply

    You have the right mindset. ^_^ Sometimes it’s overwhelming if we think of the mountain – the entire, massive goal we want to achieve. We have to just focus on one step at a time!! Whether for blogging, writing, or anything else.

    I look forward to seeing this baby blog grow. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Wendy Greene says:
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    I loved your post so much! Being relatively new to the blogging world, I honestly just got over being terrified. There are so many other blogs that are better than mine, bloggers that harness a level of cleverness I’ll never achieve, and have more experience than I do by years. I’ve seen parents fret and worry so much that their children aren’t measuring up to other people’s children, and I felt the same way about my blog. My biggest problem was that of comparison. I forget to enjoy the ride, as bumpy and confusing as it may be. But it’s still good. Anyway, I truly enjoyed your post and can’t wait for more! 😄😊

    Liked by 1 person

  7. authorswilliams says:
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    I think in general, that analogy can be applied to writing in general. Blogs are an outlet for writing, expression, sharing. In a sense, so is writing novels, short stories, etc. Definitely your MS grows and expands, like a child growing up, as you put the work into it to create a mature piece of art. You learn as you go, as you do as a parent (let me tell you, I know lol. I have 2 girls, 7m and 4 yrs). You learn, your writing grows. You mature, your writing matures. Blogging takes a bit of tenacity and motivation. I think comments help motivate me. Not everyone who follows you will see your posts if they follow a ton of people already. Some suggestions for you: create or jump into / join a weekly feature (or multiple!!) that people can come to expect. Those are the blogs I am more likely to follow. I am currently apart of a Christian Fiction Friday weekly thing, in case you’re interested. 2) write draft blog posts and schedule them out. (I didn’t know how to do this for SEVERAL months. I was like, OHH when I found out. 3) I like how you already have done an interview. Those are handy. Do those more :). 4) connecting with your followers via replying to comments, commenting on others’ blogs.

    Best of luck to you and I’m happy to follow you! I apologize if I am giving advice you already know or heard 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

      • authorswilliams says:

        Drafting has really helped me. Especially if you come up with some kind of idea, but it’s not fully formed. You can make a draft, then add to it. Microsoft Word is SUPPOSED to have a feature that allows you to create blog posts offline, then send /publsh them to your blog but it will not work on my comp, i don’t really know why. I tend to create ideas offline though, in Word format so that they don’t get lost. I lost one once oooh I was mad lol. Also, scheduling helps out b/c I don’t always have time b/c of my children. I do write/type really fast, but it still takes time to spell check, link stuff, find photos bla bla. Also BE CAREFUL what photos you put on here.. I might send you a link to an article on that. Copyright laws and all that stuff…sorry don’t want to scare you. If you’re not a huge name, then it probably won’t be a problem. Its’ when you have tons of traffic that it becomes a problem.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Lisa Canfield says:
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    This is a beautiful post, Zac. I love your writing style, what little I’ve seen of it.

    I’ve had my blog for just over three years, and only last October did I really get my act together and decide what direction I wanted to go with it. So don’t feel bad for your procrastination and even fear. It takes a while to get your footing in any sort of new venue. But in another sense, don’t be afraid of it. This is YOUR blog. Do WHATEVER you want with it. Chase whatever dreams and passions and visions you have for it. Don’t let fear hold you back. It doesn’t matter what other people think of it. If they want something different, they can go find it. Own this blog. Be true to yourself.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Wendy Greene says:
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    I really loved this post, Zac! You did a lovely job!

    Being relatively new to the blogging world, I’m just now starting to relax. Like you said, it’s a lot like being a parent and my biggest struggle was (and sometimes still is) that of comparison. There are so many better blogs out there, does mine measure up? Is my writing style entertaining yet meaningful? Is my very personality tolerable or annoying? I think blog-parents, like real parents, worry and fret over perfection, instead of resting in the fact of imperfection. There is laughter and joy in the mistakes and even though it’s a bumpy ride, those mistakes are beautiful.
    Anyway, thank you so much for the post! I’m looking forward to the next ones to come ^_^

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Ely says:
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    blogging is such a difficult balance. I mean, I love it–sharing my thoughts, finding the perfect gif, exchanging comments with my followers and seeing what they’re up to on their blogs–but sometimes I actually end up dreading the active process of blogging. and procrastination. it kills, man, it kills.

    but you’ve got this! take it at your pace, and don’t ever feel bad taking baby steps, like you said. sometimes it’s better to pace yourself than to rush into it headlong. it kind of adds to the experience, and can make you even more motivated to get things done. 🙂

    good luck!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. ashley nicole says:
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    Hey Zac,
    I’ve loved reading your blog so far and I’d like to nominate you for the Get To Know Me Tag. If you’d like to check it out please go to: precioustreasuresofGod.blogspot.com. If you’re not interested, I understand. Happy blogging!!
    ❤ ashley nicole

    Liked by 1 person

  16. M.K. Aneal says:
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    Hey!
    Found your blog through Twitter, and figured I’d check this out.
    Your writing style is terrific, and this post made me crack up, smirk, and still ponder!
    Really look forward to reading more of your posts! 😛
    God bless! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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