Somehow, I let the end of last month slip by without realizing that it was my ten-year blogging anniversary! TEN YEARS! I can hardly believe I’ve been blogging for over a decade now. Holy wow. That means I started when I was 22. My first blog was on Webs instead of WordPress, and it was as much random rambling about silly stuff as it was about literature, life, or really anything cohesive. A lot of those very early posts have… mysteriously gone missing. 😉 (Although, somehow, I’ve left up “20 Advantages to Having a Big Nose” and it is still one of the most searched-for posts on my site. Mysteries of the universe.)
In late 2011, I finally sucked it up, made the switch to WordPress, and bought my domain name, transferring most of my content and creating a new design that’s much the same as it is now. (It’s probably time for a revamp!) That’s when my blog began to gain traction. I like to say that I got into the blogosphere after the boom but before the bust, so I’m somewhat grandfathered in despite blogging’s general current slump.
Since then, I’ve gone through booms and busts of my own (both on and off the blog), branched out with guest posts on other blogs, and signed on as a regular columnist for Writer Unboxed and LitReactor. Some of my posts have taken off, and others have quietly fizzled. I’ve learned a lot, shared a lot, and met lots of really cool people—some who’ve popped in and out, some who’ve come and gone, and some who’ve stuck around from day one. I wouldn’t trade it.
It occurred to me, when trying to think of a way to celebrate 10 years, that a decade is a long time. That’s a lot of blogs and a lot of readers. Many of you who are with me now have missed some of my favorite posts! And even those of you who’ve been around for a long while have probably forgotten about many of them. So that’s how I’m going to celebrate: 10 years of blogging deserves 10 highlights, don’t you think?
Over the next few months, I’m going to be re-posting my 10 favorite blog posts. Some of them will be those with the most comments, shares, or views; others will be personal favorites or fan favorites. No order, no countdown, just 10 posts you might want to take a look at. I’m calling it The A.N. 10 (#TheAN10 for those of you on social media). And no, it won’t include 20 Advantages to Having a Big Nose.
If you have a favorite blog or two (posted here, not on Writer Unboxed, LitReactor, or elsewhere), please feel free to tell me which one(s) it in the comments below! I have a good idea of which 10 I want to highlight, but if you feel strongly about one, it just might push me one way or another. Plus, I love hearing if/how something I’ve written has stuck with you! That’s why I blog!
Thank you all so much for following, sharing, commenting, and subscribing. Whether you’re old, new, or just passing through, you’ve contributed to a wonderful decade of my writing life that I never expected. So thanks, and happy reading. ♥
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