Monday 26 December 2011

End of Year Report

I started this blog in February of this year and in that time have made over 100 posts and gained over 500 followers. I'd just like to thank all of you who have dropped in to read posts, make comments and start arguments. I very much appreciate all of you for sparing the time to interact with me, and I've tried to respond in kind as much as possible.

This blog has had a very specific agenda, dealing as it does with my personal obsession with becoming a writer. It's been very gratifying to meet so many like-minded  souls out there.


Most Visited Posts of 2011:


1.Chapter One: The Hunger Games
MAY: A breakdown of the first chapter of this YA blockbuster. More genres given the Chapter One treatment (including: fantasy, MG, crime, thrillers) can be found here.


2.Writers Who Know Everything 
DEC: Just because you know what's going on in your story, doesn't mean the reader does.


3.Make the most of it
 AUG: How to use setting, objects and secondary characters to enrich your story.


4.Interesting Characters: You are what you eat
DEC: It's a writer's job to convey who characters are through what they do.


5.Trying Too Hard To Impress
NOV: In the end it isn't other people who will make you a better writer, it's writing. The more you write, the better you will get.


6.Your Dialogue Is Showing 
DEC: Why dialogue is always considered showing and not telling.


7.Dead Story Walking
 DEC: Doesn't matter how great your technical ability, in the end you need a good story.


8.Don't love me for fun, girl 
AUG: Romance novels are often looked down on. In this post I try to figure out why, and what can be done about it.


9.Story vs Plot 
JUL: Are they the same thing? And if not, what's the difference.

10.Books and the Art of Piracy
JUN: My personal view of online piracy, and why the old business model doesn't help in understanding the new one.

My series on first chapter dissections in an attempt to see how debut novelists managed to hook their readers in the opening of their book proved ver popular. I covered many genres but the post The Hunger Games was by far the most visited post on this site, scoring nearly three times as any hits as anything else I posted this year. Shows you the power of getting on the bandwagon at just the right time.

Next year I plan to carry on posting about the craft of writing. There's a lot of advice out there, but most of it is generic and presented in a one-size-fits-all manner. The beauty of blogging is the chance to follow up preliminary suggestions with an ongoing dialogue using specific examples. I hope to develop this blog as a place where people stuck on a scene that isn't quiet working, can discuss their ideas, and maybe pickup one or two new ones.

Here's to a productive 2012 (assuming the world doesn't end).

20 comments:

Julie Farrar said...

I haven't gotten here as often as I had planned to get all your helpful insight. I just wanted to say how impressed I was with the statistics you had posted for your blog. I've been blogging longer but you have been blogging harder. But 2012 is the year I get totally serious about it. And I'll hit some of the posts you mentioned.

Anonymous said...

GREAT year, and I'm definitely looking forward to more. :O)

Lorena said...

Mood, I think you're doing a great job at giving craft advice in an interesting and clear way. I see potential for a non-fiction book here ;)

Thanks for the list of popular posts. I'll make sure to read the ones I haven't already.

Have a wonderful year!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

And you've always created Twitter worthy posts!
Took me longer than a year to hit five hundred followers, which means you will hit a thousand even sooner as well. And that is good!

julie fedderson said...

Congratulations! I've really enjoyed your posts. And the world isn't going to end until next December, so plenty of time to be productive in the meantime.

mooderino said...

@Julie-I've been posting twice a week and even that's been quite hard to maintain. I can't imagine how the people who do it daily manage it.

@Word Nerd - Cheers.

@Lorena-And a wonderful new year to you too.

@Alex-I think I've plateaued out a little bit. Not sure the next 500 will come so quickly.

@julie fedderson - if it's going to be our last year might as well make it a good one.

Christine Rains said...

It was a wonderful year. You have a great blog! I'm looking forward to reading more. Have a happy 2012!

Ted Cross said...

You are one of the most consistently good blog writers out there. Keep it up and have a great New Year!

Jennie Bennett said...

lol! I've read quite a few of those and enjoyed every single one! Have a great new year!

Beverly Diehl said...

I'm actually thinking the whole "end of the world" thing is a good thing, if you're a writer. Have we ever turned in anything without a deadline chasing us?

Thanks for all the goodness here, and in your Funnily Enough.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations on your many successes Moody. And I do love your writing blog. You are very wise.

Michael Abayomi said...

Hey. Congrats. I just started blogging myself. Last month. So far, I have just 4 followers and around 300 total page views. But it's quite encouraging to know others started off from somewhere to get to where they are today. Wishing you more success in the years to come.

Michael Abayomi

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

I always read and even take notes. It's just that sometimes I'm so far behind I don't comment.

Looking forward to visiting in the new year.

mooderino said...

@Christine-thanks, you too.

@Ted-cheers, nice of you to say.

@JA-best wishes to you too.

@Beverly-I never thought of it like that. Better get my skates on.

@Michael-wise I may be, but I'm no supra-genius.

@Michael Abayomi-Hi. Hope to see you around.

@Mary-if you ever want to discuss stuff I'm always available.

Anonymous said...

Seems like you've been around for much longer. And congrats! on the 500 followers and here's for 500 more in 2012!

Rebecca Bradley said...

I can't believe you've only been going since February! I obviously have only followed you this year and got the feel this blog was a well established long running blog. You've done an amazing job on it and I look forward to reading more in 2012. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead.

Matthew MacNish said...

It's been a great year. Now I'm off to read some of your posts it seems I've missed.

Unknown said...

It sounds as though it has been a terrific year for you. Congrats! Here's to huge successes and many joys in 2012 for you.

These are all great posts and I'm sorry I missed some of them. Now to go back...

Brent Wescott said...

I don't think I ever realized you've only been doing this since February. How do you get 500 followers so quickly? I thought I was making progress to 100, then a couple of months ago stalled out.

And I do love your thoughtful posts. It's sad to me I don't have the time to come around all the time.

See you next year!

Sarah Allen said...

Fantastic! I'm so impressed with how far you've gotten on this blog in just 10 months. Best of luck with everything in 2012!

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

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