Why Blogging is THE VERY BEST THING | Get Up Offa That Slump Blogging Extravaganza

Today is the day. THE VERY LAST DAY OF THE BLOGGING EXTRAVAGANZA. I missed nearly all of it because as soon as performance season was over Mother Nature decided it was the best time to get the flu and almost die and re-watch every Disney movie ever. THANKS MOTHER NATURE.

Anyways:

Here’s the prompt: It’s THE LAST DAY. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Blogging Extravaganza and that it’s helped to give you a gentle shove back into blogging, and that it’s given you some blogging inspiration. For the last post we’re getting just a wee bit serious. Even if you’re struggling with blogging, you’re still here and you’re still doing this; there’s a reason why you don’t want to quit blogging, and you know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. So tell us: Why are you still here? What makes blogging worth it? Why is it so fun and fantastic and you don’t want to let it go? Why do you love it? (And the goods outweigh the few hardships, don’t they?)

  

• It’s literally another world. My “real” life and my book blogging life are kept pretty much separate, so when I blog it’s sort of like immersing myself in a separate universe. It’s so stress-relieving and and actually very exhilarating! So basically I travel through universes. And that’s why you should blog. #endofstory

  

• FRIENDS. YAY. You can have blogging buddies from around the world—Morocco, India (go India!), Australia (*winks at Josie*), France (*hugs Marie*), EVERYWHERE. You broaden your perspective and you learn so much about people—it helps you to understand the whole world better. And just by blogging! Isn’t it crazy and wonderful?!
• CREATIVITY ABOUNDS! You are so free to express yourself, to be yourself. And nobody judges! (Okay some people are probably judging but pfft it’s because they’re sad and lonely and nobody loves them anyway so just offer them some pity and move along) 
• Books will never be the same. Sure, you can read books. But blogging about them—it’s a whole other level. You become submerged in a world that loves books, breathes books, is books. You find out the latest news the quickest, you get books before they’re even published, YOU BECOME THE BOOKS. THE BOOKS ARE YOU. 

 

• Getting comments is the best thing in the world. Knowing that your work is appreciated, knowing that someone took time out of their day to talk about what you wrote, that is so indescribably magical and lovely and perfect. Even getting a simple Great post! completely brightens my day. Though, I must admit, I’ve been bummed when my posts have randomly gotten very little remarks upon them. BUT. It’s all worth it when that positive blogging friend bursts into your little blogging life!
• IT CAN BE YOUR FREAKING JOB. No, blogging isn’t my job. But hey, it could be. You can make a living out of talking about books—um yes please! For more information, Xan @ Twirling Pages has this lovely post.
• It leads to all kinds of bookish opportunities! If you stick with blogging and work so very hard at it, you become popular. And if you become popular, you get to do awesome things like moderate a panel at BEA. No, of course I don’t think this a reason to blog. But why is it bad to have this as a goal? No one thinks a musician is fake because they want to be famous. Moral of the story: Just love books and DREAM BIG. Then, all kinds of doors will open for you!

And that, chums, is why I blog.

Are you a non-blogger? If so, have I managed to convert you? If yes, YAY! here’s how to get started. Already a blogger? Why do you blog? How do you stay inspired? 

My (Very French and Very Sneaky) Fictional Life! | Get Up Offa That Slump: Blogging Extravaganza

Click here for more info on the blogging extravaganza, and read below for a blurb by its founder, Beauty and the Bookshelf:

Here’s the prompt: March 14 is, in fact, Pi Day, but I couldn’t think of how to mix books with math (except for how much money we spend on them). But then I got to thinking of smart characters, and our favorite geeky and nerdy characters (not a bad thing to be), and then I went back to this idea: being an actual fictional character. Perhaps it’s you being one of your favorite fictional characters; what would life be like? Or maybe create a persona or alter ego of yourself based off fictional characters, or making yourself a fictional character to be with or defeat other fictional characters. Let your imagination run wild.

OR, you can Do a Book Tag: There are these things going around the blogosphere called book tags. It’s basically some idea or subject, and then you put books into their categories, matching them up. Here are just a few tags I found that you can do, or you can make your own!

So take a breath, have a snack, then welcome your little patootie into my fictional life.

  

Where: Paris, France.

When: 1950s

Why: I’m just going to assume you’re not a heathen, so I won’t explain why I chose Paris. (Guys. It’s Paris.) So why the 1950s? (It’s about to get very superficial very shortly, so prepare yourself) The clothes. The cars. The overall style.

Okay. Superficiality done. For now.

(Also, why are there so little books set in the 50s? It’s such an important time in history, especially in America. Authors, get on it.)

  
Enjorlas: Meet the charming comic relief. He’s the one supplying the money for my epic adventures (because even a fictional world can’t make me rich). He owns a line of hotels in which I do all my spying business. (How convenient.) He also happens to have the same name as this guy from Les Miserables. Huh. What a coincidence.

Cèline: This is the tiny child everyone underestimates. She is my spying assistant and is quite adorable.

  
As I quickly mentioned in the section above, I am in the sneaky spying business. Basically, I am James Bond, in France and in heels. Everyone underestimates me. because they’re ignorant and I’m tiny, ergo, I ALWAYS WIN. 

On the weekends I travel to America and do some work with my buddy Martin Luther King Jr. We make a great team.

  

As I uncover the rabid criminal, he pulls out a gun and points in at Enjorlas and Cèline’s head. He shoots, I run. I push my sidekicks to ground just as the bullet fatally blooms in my chest. I take my last breath so my friends can live on.

That or I die in my sleep at 103.

Would your life be a science-fiction or a spy novel? Historical or fantasy? Would your sidekicks be rich or peasants? JOIN THE EXTRAVAGANZA!

I Hook Myself up to an Imaginary Lie Detector! | Get Up Offa That Slump: Blogging Extravaganza

Here’s the scrumptious blurb of the scrumptious extravaganza by Rachel @ Beauty & the Bookshelf:

Hiiiiiiiiii, wonderful people of the universe! Welcome to DAY ONE of Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza! This extravaganza is three-week long partay consisting of blog posts that will hopefully do a number of things: get you back into blogging and remind you how fun and creative blogging can be. To learn more about this shindig (all the cool kids are doing it, just an FYI), you can check out the introduction post here and join in anytime.

I AM LATE. But yesterday was Interview with oneself so here I am, chums.

 

Becca 1.0: State your full name.

Becca 2.0: Rebecca Lilliana Stevenson

Becca 1.0: Liar.

Becca 2.0: No.

Becca 1.0: You’re lying.

Becca 2.0: No.

Becca: 1.0: Becca.

Becca 2.0: Shh.

Becca 1.0: Becca, come on.

Becca 2.0: OKAY FINE. My parents didn’t give me a middle name. So I unofficially christened myself. MOVING ON.

Becca 1.0: Why have you been so inactive in the blogosphere as of late?

Becca 2.0: Not that I have to explain myself to you or anything, but I’ve been at ballet rehearsal every night and learning things every day. I also have an improv show coming up in a week SO. 

Becca 1.0: What are your pet peeves? 

Becca 2.0: Lovely Hispanic people assuming I speak Spanish. Lovely people assuming I am Hispanic. SPOILER ALERT: I am not Hispanic.

Becca 1.0: Well, what are you then? What languages do you speak?

Becca 2.0: I am half-Indian, half-white, a lovely combination if I do say so myself. I speak my mom’s language of Malayalam, which you have never heard of (don’t lie) and am learning to speak French. I also speak English. FYI.

Becca 1.0: What are some of your favorite things?

Becca 2.0: *raindrops on roses* Ahem. So. Books & ballet & basset hounds & Broadway. And potatoes and PIE. And alliterations.

Becca 1.0: Do you have any siblings?

Becca 2.0:  Yes. A sister. She used to be super mean to me and now she is sometimes okay. Everyone likes to tell me how pretty she is. I never tell her this because I think her self-esteem is above the healthy amount already. Here is a picture I made of her with Enjorlas:

  

Becca 1.0: Mayhaps we should stop. This is getting a little out of hand

Becca 2.0: It’s over when I say it’s over.

Becca 1.0: But…I’m you so if I say—

Becca 2.0: It’s over.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO LIE DETECTOR YOURSELF! JOIN THE EXTRAVAGANZA!