Friday, July 11, 2008

Feel free to move around my blog---Rockin' Chair Writers

I got into blogging by chance. Before May 2005, I never wrote anything. Creatively, that is. A friend I met online, insisted that I write. He asked me contribute a ghost story to a network. Within an hour, I had written one and never looked back. I posted my story. Needless to say, I knew nothing of editing or finer nuances of writing. However, that did not stop me from writing short stories and 55 word fiction. Poetry came a bit later. I used to gobble up Browning and Burns' poetry in my school days. When I did PG in English Lit., I disovered other poets, medieval, modern and contemporary. Before that I had known nothing of modern poetry. Plath, Parker, Oliver, cummings and Neruda are just a few poets I am mentioning here. The list does not end here.

Initialy I had no vistors on my blog. I used to do it for my own pleasure. I taught myself writing various forms of poetry writing. Then visitors trickled in and I too started to interact. Then I discovered various prompts and writing exercises. These helped honing my skill. Creative writing communities help each other to write better. Many amongst us offer valuable tips. Critiquing is a part of it. However, encouragement is the keyword.

After a while, our blogs do become our homes. It feels good when we share this space with our visitors. Over a period of time some of us become fast friends too. It might be via the net but nonetheless very important. We open our blogs, our hearts to our friends. Any kind of writing is mostly derived from from personal experiences. In a way we reveal more in our creative writings than anywhere else. Happy or sad, it is for our blog friends to see. Many a times, they help us get away from despair. It may be on the net but it still feels good to know that complete strangers care about your well being.

My blog contains more than 700 posts. Most of it is poetry. Structured as well as free verse. A few pieces of prose poetry. I cannot slot my poetry. I write on wide and varied issues. As I have not seriously considered publishing, I think, this is the only way I can reach out to the world. Small one, may be. I also have a book blog where I write reviews for books I read. I also participate in various memes if I feel like it. That can and does help building up the blogging community.

Show you around? Hey, you are welcome to explore my blog. Get busy, get clicking, get going!

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Thanks Brian, for this prompt. It rocks!

17 comments:

polona said...

i suppose that's the path many of us have undergone... and yes, our blogs do feel like homes of sort, welcoming kindred spirits from around the world...

Anonymous said...

You're making me blush today Gautami. Thank you my dear friend for welcoming me to your home and your life.

(((((hugs))))

Whitesnake said...

Well then.........
"Lets get the party started."

anthonynorth said...

And I feel so very welcome here.

Raven's Wing Poetry said...

And the metaphor of blog as home does make sense. That's why we decorate with the colors and the schemes we choose. I think maybe our blogs are not just our homes, but extensions of ourselves into cyberspace (another dimension?).

-Nicole

Linda Jacobs said...

Thanks for the open door to your home! It's always a pleasure to visit.

Borut said...

Well said. The stories of some, if not many of us !:)

sage said...

nice thoughts on blogs--I can't believe that you've only been writing for a few years--your poetry is so powerful

Anonymous said...

It's great to get to visit such nicely furnished homes...

Tammy Brierly said...

I always love coming by your place, while watching you blossom. ;) Keep up the wonderful work.

Jenn: said...

You are incredibly talented. I do not know if English is your 2nd language, but living in India, you have a beautiful way of molding the words of the English tongue.

"We open our blogs, our hearts to our friends" So true, and so hard; it takes courage and even more so to keep it up when readers are few.

I love to read your art, and I am so grateful to the friend who asked you for that ghost story!

Hard times but easy rhymes,
~Jenn

Andy Sewina said...

Nice post Gautami, and yes I believe you're right when you say that encouragement is the keyword! We all sure need some..

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

I say the same as Polona. :)

Robin said...

And a warm and welcoming home it is - full of food for the soul and the spirit.

Anonymous said...

I love what you say about our blogs becoming our homes. I feel the same way. I live pretty far out from the city and, to the extent that you can be social in cyberspace, blogging helps me feel connected to others. Great post!

dsnake1 said...

it's great knowing you, gautami, and your honest and wonderful writing.

Edward S Gault said...

I've always enjoyed my stay with you here. I agree with Nicole of Raven's Wing that a blog is an extension of ourselves into cyberspace; from your blog I can tell you are a very special person, poet, and friend-Thank you for all the times you have paid visits to my "home"!