Why do you blog?

BookEnds‘ agents Jessica Faust and Kim Lionetti blog daily. Their blog from Friday, May 2nd asked the question – Why do you blog?

I answered this way –

“I blog for a couple of reasons – getting my name out there is one, and actually it’s the reason I started blogging. But the more I do it, the more enjoyable it becomes. So reason number two for me with blogging is fun. I also like ‘talking’ to other people this way. And finally, it’s like any other workout, the more you do it, the stronger you become. I’m working my creative muscle by blogging. It’s my warmup for the day. I get feedback, which I love, and most of all, I get new words on a page. :-)”

I realize my original reason for blogging – or for wanting to learn how to blog – was to do it because everyone else seemed to be doing it. It was the ‘in’ thing. As a pre-published writer, I felt it was important to keep up and to participate – and to get my name out there for when I get “the call”.

As a writer, I’m used to my private little world. I like my space and don’t mind being called a loner. Of course, that’s not what I am. I do like people. It’s just that my characters are such fun to play with that I don’t always want to leave them behind. And so, blogging seemed to be a way to connect without having to push my writing to the side for any great length of time. And now that blogging has become such a fun (and addictive) thing to do, my characters benefit. I warm up here and then I’m primed and ready to run with the story they want me to write for them.

And so now I pose these questions to you – Why do you blog? And is your reason for blogging different now than it was when you started?