How I Started Blogging and My Favorite Writing Books

Since I learned what letters and words do, I’ve put them together to convey ideas or just for fun. In college, I was editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, I was an interning editor for an educational catalog/magazine for three summers, and even interned at a large hospital writing/editing their internal newsletter. All this meant that I was THAT person. You know, the one who has marked up style guides and grammar handbooks. I loved writing and creating my own publications and homemade books as a child. So, it seemed inevitable that I would take to blogging as well. Between my being super organized, a good planner, and a good writer, it was a natural fit.

I began blogging in 2009 to document my move to Ireland from California. That blog, Slainté Cork still exists though I don’t post there often. After a few years, I started focusing beyond expat/immigrant life to cooking and then to crafts. Sharing myself and my interests genuinely as if I’m writing to a friend. In 2014, I founded my publishing company, Anchor and Bee. It was a big step and it felt so huge, but it was just one smaller step in a massive process. I feel like I must be doing something right because I’ve won three national blog awards (two gold, one bronze) for EvinOK and was recruited to reshape and develop a tech company’s blog, which won a national award (gold) 18 months after I began the job. Through my work, there was much focus on the end readers, empathy, and meeting their needs. Considering who is reading my words and connecting with them as I would a friend or neighbour. In all my experience, which is more each day but I’m still learning so much, I have accumulated some tips I share when asked for advice.

My Blogging Tips

Persistence and patience.
Know your goals.
Be flexible/adaptable.
Plan your content.
Share your content again and again, at carefully planned intervals.
Build a community and practice empathy.
Be gracious and acknowledge or refer others.

I’m sharing lists of books I rely on and find useful, as well as a few on my wish list that I know will be excellent. The writing process list of books is heavily influenced by my blogging content focus.

Disclosure: Some of the Amazon.co.uk links are affiliate links. None of the Amazon.com links are though. If you make a purchase through this link, I may get a small amount at no cost to you. I earn about £25 a year from Amazon Affiliate links and I use that money to buy more books, usually for my kids. Having said that, I strongly encourage you to purchase and order books from your local bookstores whenever possible. Bookshop.org is a good resource for ordering from a local bookstore.