“Experience” or “Reflections of a Sailor in Sight of the Shore”

The Buccaneer Blogfest now comes to an end, and its captains have left me with one final essay question: Share your experience from this blogfest. What are the next steps you want to take with your blog?

It’s my “apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind” ye be wantin’, is it? Here, then, I’ll give ye the short version: I had fun.

Now for the long version. (Sit down, you in the back! You knew I wasn’t done! The short version is never the end, with me.) I got the chance to hear from a variety of new blog voices that I might never have stumbled across otherwise, including those of some bloggers whom I now happily follow. Likewise, I’ve gained a number of new followers of my own, which is always a delight – (thanks again, my beloved Ever On Wordians!) – and have had some great interactions in the comments.

And speaking of action in the comments…

Will Scarlet grins unrepentantly. “Referring to my going about, socializing in your behalf, are you?”

My behalf?? And here I got impression you were running amok for your own pleasure.

“Call it multitasking. Come on now, in all sooth, you can’t say that the people haven’t been enjoying it. I’m always a hit with patrons, it’s just my way. Plus I made a new friend! Shout-out to Ashley Vaandere, whoot-whoot!”

Aye, new friendship is always good. (:

As for the next steps for Ever On Word… Well, in the coming weeks, I’m going to have a lot on my plate, word-wise. My announcement on the “Ballad” page a few days ago laid out the basics pretty well:

Tomorrow’s August 1st. Know what that means, lads?
“Irish Bank Holiday?” Robin Hood guesses.
…Possibly. But I was referring to the start of Camp NaNoWriMo.
“Ah, yes,” says Allyn-a-Dale. “The summer version of the November madness that birthed my ballad.”
Yup. 50,000 words in a month; 2,500 words a day.
Marion whistles. “The minimum last time was 1,667 words a day!”
I wasn’t working weekends at a Ren Faire, then. I was just writing about people who did.
“Are we in this new novel, too?” Will asks eagerly.
‘Fraid not. I’ve got a whole new story-world to build, involving fairies and kidnapped children, mermaids and demon pirates, shapeshifters, a dragon, and a boy who refuses to take “ordinary” for an answer.
“Augh, that sounds awesome! Are you sure we’re not in it?”
Positive, Will. But I’ll be sure to keep everyone here apprised of my progress; maybe highlight my favorite lines of the day, like I did during “Ballad”s creation.
“I’ll be in it,” Gant-o’-the-Lute says smugly.
Um, no, not really.
“That’s what you said last time,” he says breezily. “And yet, somehow…”
#HasAPoint

So that’s what’s happening now. (Have you seen the nifty word-counter widget on my home page? That will keep us all in the number-related know.) Fortunately, I’ve got a nice stockpile of blog pieces ready to post, skillfully avoiding both neglecting my readers for a month and having to scramble to write an additional couple thousand words a week. And come September and beyond? – the beginning of my second year of blogging? We’ll all just have to wait and see. Don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to it! Bring me that horizon!