I started using Blogger some years ago, with my first attempt as a type of family log (following rather poorly the excellent example set by my own mother) that covered a range of subjects, not always centered on my family. I eventually made it a private blog, so that I could upload pictures and videos without hesitation. It's still there, though I no longer post to it, and it's still private. I could kill it, but somehow that would strike me as cruel.
Then, as I got going with my writing, I felt I should have a separate blog that focused on the writing profession. So, I set up "The Write Stuff" and have been fairly pitiful in terms of my attention to it. I go through spurts, all of which last a week, followed by months of inactivity. I am currently in a period of inactivity there, so I don't recommend that you check it out.
When I geared up for the publication of my first novel, "The Reckoning," all the so-called experts said I should have a blog that would be attractive to the kind of audience I expected for my story. This, of course, meant I needed to create a third blog. I thought long and hard and decided that anyone who had experienced the life of an American expatriate (an American living abroad) would definitely enjoy and, perhaps, even identify with the protagonist in "The Reckoning." Casting around for a blog name, I came up with my best one yet (and that is why, even though I haven't really posted much there, I am keeping it alive and FULLY INTEND ON NOURISHING IT one of these days). Are you ready? I called it "Expatriatica." I figure that, given my background overseas as a child and youth, there will certainly be other novels in my future which will lead me back to that blog. So, stay tuned on that count.
In the summer of 2007, as the Presidential race was really heating up, I became addicted to politics and I just had to have a political blog. Obviously, I let that one go once it was all over, because I can't even remember the name of it now.
Then, about a year ago, after "The Reckoning" had been published and it was up for some awards, I thought about trying something other than Blogger for a different kind of look and feel. Something more subtle and refined. (Doesn't that sound elitist? I can't help myself. I've always gone for a more sophisticated look.) So I decided to give WordPress a try, mainly because I liked the look of a fellow writer's blog there. Along with the new look, I needed a new focus. Since writing is all about words, I decided to call the blog "Seized by Words." It's still going, and I intend to keep it going because I want to use it for most of my book reviews and thoughts about the writing process (not the publishing process...just the writing process).
So, why am I now back on Blogger with yet another blog? Two reasons:
1) WordPress isn't as accessible as Blogger when it comes to getting people to follow your blog...and I now have a number of new writing acquaintances (due to the Whitneys, LDStorymakers, and ANWA) who couldn't follow me, even if they wanted to.
2) I finally figured out, thanks to Rebecca Talley, what my type of fiction is all about. Hence, the title of this new blog: "The Fiction Bridge." On this blog, I will write about the reason, scope and purpose of my stories (without giving too much away). Also, if I read books by other authors that achieve the same result (help to bridge cultures), I will review them here.
There may be some cross-over between "Seized by Words" and "The Fiction Bridge," but at least my friends can follow me here, should they so choose.
I hope they do.
