New Interwbez Home -- AKA: I've Moved to WordPress!

Hello and thank you for stopping by!

The site for Author Melinda S. Collins has now moved to: MelindaSCollins.com.

Please stop by and visit Melinda at her new home.

Springtime & Starting Fresh: New Site, New Blog, New Lessons

It’s Springtime again! Woo hoo! Time for Spring-cleaning, warmer weather (if Mother Nature cooperates *shakes fist*), and fresh blooms.

If you think about it, New Year’s and Springtime both have a few things in common: Both are times to start fresh, begin anew, get rid of the clutter in your home and/or life, and to revamp, rethink and reboot.

And that’s exactly what I’ve been up to this past month: starting fresh, revamping, rethinking and rebooting. :)

Starting Fresh With a New Site

Okay, so it’s not exactly starting “fresh”, but it’s close. ;)

During the final session at WANACon, Jami Gold did a quick rundown of the differences between WordPress.com (the free version) and WordPress.org (the paid/self-hosted version). This particular topic got my brain turning on the possibility of making the move to WordPress. So from there, I contacted Jami's TechGuy, Jay with TechSurgeons, and started the process of “testing” out a WordPress powered, self-hosted site.

Since WANACon, Jami has posted more information about author sites, such as “Do Authors Need a Website and Blog?” and “What Should an Author Website Include?” She’s even had guest posts surrounding this topic, such as “Switching from Blogger to WordPress—Guest: Natalie C. Markey”, “Does Your Site Welcome Disabled Readers?—Guest: Linda Adams”, and “Is Your Site Secure? Tips from a TechGuy”.

And for those writers who aren’t quite sure where to start on developing a website and blog, Jami has two workshops coming up this month at WANA International where she teaches students how to start their website/blog (whether it be the free WordPress route, or the self-hosted route). For more information on her upcoming workshops, click here.

So, with all this information floating around, it's like the universe was sending some kind of sign. "Make the move, Melinda," it said. "Go for it!" I sucuumb easily to peer pressure, so I decided to make the leap from Blogger to WordPress. There are a few other--more legitimate--reasons as to why I made this decision, and I’m going to get to those on Thursday. But believe me, the leap was worth it and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. :D

So as of next Monday, I’ll have a new interwebz home. *tapes up last moving box* Look for the link next week so you can come join me over there. ;)

Starting Fresh With a New Blog

Again, not entirely starting fresh since I’ve been able to move all my Blogger posts over to the new site, but again, it feels so fresh!

Something about changing locations, moving into a new home, reorganizing your desk, buying a new wardrobe and moving websites gives us such a sense of newness that we can’t help but think, “Fresh start. New beginning. Yay!”

So over on the new site I’ve made a commitment to post at least three times a week—Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Even though blogging isn’t new to me (dang, I just checked my calendar and I’ve been doing this for 3 years next month. O.o), my thinking and approach have both drastically changed. Drastically.

I recently finished reading Kristen Lamb’s book, Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer, and I have to say that Kristen’s approach to blogging was so truthful and so spot-on that it hurt. Hurt! But in SUCH a good way. If you don’t have a copy of her book, go buy it and devour it. Now. :)

Starting Fresh with New Lessons

We’re never going to get anywhere unless we learn. Unless we fall down, pick ourselves back, and learn a lesson from what caused us to fall face-first into the mud.

• If these last eight months have taught me anything it’s this:
• Nobody’s perfect
• We all make mistakes. It’s what we do to learn from them that sets us apart.
• Nobody ever got anywhere being negative all the time. <-- This is my Southern ‘Tude coming out, by the way. ;)
• Becoming a published author is a marathon, not a one-mile sprint.

So with a new site and blog, I’m looking forward to sharing the failures, lessons, and triumphs I’ve made over the course of my journey in a positive light.

Blogs may be “ours” and a place to share “our writing journey”, but the posts won't do much unless they have something to offer the reader. It’s the same with our novels—if we can’t provide entertainment or an escape, give the reader a sense of belonging and understanding, or teach them something new or a different way to think and/or do things, then why are they going invest in us? Why are they going to spend time and money to allow our words into their hearts and minds?

So here’s to start fresh with a new site, a new blog to call home, and new lessons (and what I’m sure will be many, many more before it’s all said and done)!

What about you? Have you thought about moving your website and/or blog? What lessons have you recently learned? What are you looking forward to the most this Spring?