From Tragedy a Blog was Born - And Now I Do a Blogathon

My several steady fans may be wondering why I have a "Wordcount Blogathon 2011" badge at the top of my blog.

I'm wondering too.

At the end of this month I am going to thank a certain person who will remain nameless (for now)....or kill her. (and you know who you are).

A Blogathon is, simply, a way to compete against yourself.  To write a blog post every day for a month.  A solid month.  An entire, 31 day, month. (couldn't the person who dreamed this up consider February?)  Day after day after day after day....

Now, my anonymous friend had some time to prepare for this.  I found out with only hours left before registration closed.  So I just "did it", jumped feet first, eyes closed, and sent in my registration.

If you are so full of yourself that you think "no problem!  I can think of 31 straight posts, no sweat"...this blogathon is not for you.

I'm petrified.  Know why?  Because people are going to visit my site.  Genuine writers.  As in Professional Writers, Writing Professors,  People who Write For A Living and Actually Make Money off their Blogs through their sweat.  People who know about stuff like grammar, querying, deadlines, rejections.  As opposed to people like me who write because....well, they have to.

They have to write or they explode.


So, how did I ever get into blogging to begin with?

It had to do with the events of April 3, 2009.  That was the date when Binghamton, NY joined the select group of cities and towns of our nation where a madperson grabbed a gun and opened fire.  13 dead innocent people later, our local madman took his own life.

Our paths may have crossed, his and mine.  I frequent the Binghamton library and apparently....so did he.  My son likes to shop at Gander Mountain Sports, where the gunman bought his weapon.  That was scary, too.  But I did not know those things the evening of the shooting.

That evening, I wrote an email to friends, reassuring them I was alive and well (I work in downtown Binghamton, several blocks from the shooting site).  That email, edited, became my first blog post.

So, what are my goals?  Well, losing 30 pounds would be nice.  But seriously, I am not a professional writer and I don't hope to compete with the professional writers.  Rather:  I want to develop the discipline to write regularly - and to gain some skills and knowledge in case I ever have to find another way to make a living.  My back problems prevent me from competing on Dancing with the Stars and my voice would get me a lifetime ban from American Idol, so...making a fool of myself on the Internet is a good alternative.

So far, there has been an additional bonus-being able to visit and comment on some pretty neat blogs written by my fellow Blogathoners.  There's some really good reading out there and I didn't even know about it.  I wouldn't have known it without the Blogathon.  I've been enjoying reading these other blogs, so much so that I didn't even sleep that well last night.

 I don't know if I will get to them all, but I will try. And I will try to make it through the 31 days.

Wish me luck!