No Tuesday Flash Fiction again this week. Why? Because I’m celebrating!
This is my 100th post!
I figure this is a good time for a quick retrospective of The Happy Logophile since it began, 100 posts and 5 months ago. My original intention in starting this blog was to… Actually, I had absolutely no idea. I’d made the decision to focus heavily on writing this year, and was web-browsing writing competitions, markets, publishers, and tips when I realised something that changed my life: Everyone who’s anyone has a blog.
So I started one.
With absolutely no idea of what I was going to write about, or what I was going to do with it.
For a couple of weeks, that was fine. I’d post interesting words and their etymology and long, self-indulgent ramblings about my writing. My husband would read my posts once they went live, and tell me they were great.I sat down and gave myself a pat on the back. I was done. I could cross “Set up a blog” off my list of “Things to accomplish this year”.
And then the unthinkable happened. Something so dreadful, so terrifying, and so completely unexpected that it left me unable to do anything but stare at my monitor in horror.
Laura Stanfill subscribed to my blog.
I read and reread the email at least a dozen times. Who was this “Laura Stanfill”? Why was she reading my blog? And what the hell was I going to do about it?
Eventually, I clicked over to Laura’s blog to find out more about her. That’s when I discovered that she’s an author from Portland, and she was running a series of articles on Flipback books. (Check it out if you haven’t done so already.) I was overwhelmed, outclassed, and even more terrified. This woman I didn’t know, who wrote about intelligent and important writing things like new book formats, was reading my blog. What could I do??
When the panic cleared, I realised my only option was to keep writing my blog, but make it better. Bigger. Stronger. I could rebuild it! I had the technology!
And thus, the modern Happy Logophile was born. So if you don’t like it, pop over to Laura’s blog and blame her.
I’ve had a great time getting to know people in the blogosphere, and to build a community of friends online. I’m thrilled to have so many people read and comment on my posts, and to have such great blogs to read in return. So thank you to my 63 subscribers, regular non-subscribed readers, and occasional visitors. And thank you to you. Yes, you.
No retrospective would be complete without a round-up of some stats and a few shameless plugs, so here goes:
Top 3 Most Popular Posts
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The 4:00am Wake-Up Call (I was greatly honoured when this post was Freshly Pressed.)
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Flash Fiction: Wish You Were Here (This is the prize-winning entry to one of Check Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenges.)
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Writing, Blogging and Wearing Pants. (I have no idea why this post was so popular. None at all.)
Top 3 Most Under-Appreciated Posts (that I really like)
Top 3 Strangest Search-Terms used to find my Blog
- movie sociopathic psychopathic antagonist
- your an awesome wife
- pink glass horn of plenty
I’m so thrilled to have made it to 100 posts, I figured I should do something to celebrate. “Open a bottle of wine!” I called to my long-suffering husband. Then it occurred to me that I celebrate everything by opening a bottle of wine. Just got published? Open a bottle of wine! Just had a baby? Open a bottle of wine! Children survived the whole day without any serious injuries? Open a bottle of wine! Surely there’s another way to celebrate…
This is where YOU come in.
Leave me a comment telling me an interesting way you celebrated a personal achievement. I’ll choose the one I like best, and send the winner a prize.
See, I told you it was all about you.
The prize-winning commenter will win a PDF copy of A Visit from the Duchess.
(That’s the anthology of speculative fiction that includes my short story ‘A Rose by Any Other Name’. So, maybe it is all about me…)
Jo Eberhardt is a writer of speculative fiction, mother to two adorable boys, and lover of words and stories. She lives in rural Queensland, Australia, and spends her non-writing time worrying that the neighbour's cows will one day succeed in sneaking into her yard and eating everything in her vegie garden.
The Happy Logophile 
Congrats on 100 posts! You know. I felt the same way about Laura subscribing to my blog. I was like, “Dang. Why on earth would someone follow me?” I’m glad she did though because I’ve met some fantastic people, including her of course, since she first commented on and subscribed to my blog. I had no one viewing my blog; no one cared about little ol’ me and then the unspeakable happened!
Anyway… an interesting way to celebrate an achievement… That’s a tough one. I don’t really celebrate personal achievements. I just tell my friends and family about it, maybe go out to eat with them. (I live a pretty sad and pathetic life. haha) I know I won’t win this one. I just wanted to say congrats!
That’s hilarious. Who knew Laura was the catalyst for so many interesting blogs. 🙂
Wow! 100 posts – that’s worth celebrating! Hmm…my own personal achievements celebrated – I don’t know. Do birthdays and wedding anniversaries count as personal achievements? If so…
Turning 30 – a trip in a glider but sadly without Piers Brosnan guiding my hands on the stick (now that WOULD have been the way to celebrate…maybe I could fix him up for my 40th…?!)
15 years with the old man – we drank champagne looking over the City of London from Vertigo at the top of Tower 42
10 years of marriage to the old man – we flew to Venice for the weekend and treated myself to a Chanel handbag (!!)
Safe arrival of my son – we drank champagne and hang the consequences (I was breastfeeding at the time!)
On finding out I got the job (3 mths after an end of maternity leave redundancy!) – I treated myself to a nice meal out with the old man
Anyway, here’s looking forward to the next 100 posts!
Thanks! And, yes, anniversaries count as achievements. Absolutely. Plus, you’re immediately on to a winner with drinking champagne after the safe arrival of your son. I think I drank a whole bottle of Moet by myself when I came home from hospital with Baby.
I do hope you’re actually drinking all that wine, as opposed to just endless opening of bottles, which is what it sounds like. 🙂
Congratulations, by the way. A hundred posts in five months is impressive, though it’s only impressive if they’re interesting, which they are. It probably took me two years to get to a hundred posts.
Celebrated a personal achievement? When I survived the hurricane yesterday I went out and looked at the beautiful sky, and appreciated the nice cool breeze, and bought ice cream. Does that count?
When I was in a band I was married to the drummer, and she and I celebrated some band achievements in ways that I don’t think I’ll describe in detail. Or at all.
Haha. Drinking wine is NEVER a problem. It’s keeping up the supply that’s the difficult part. 🙂
And thanks for saying my posts are interesting. For a split second there I was fairly sure you were going to say “though it’s only impressive if it’s interesting, so you’ve got a long way to go”!
(It doesn’t surprise me at all that you were in a band and married to the drummer. Not even a little bit.)
Speaking of milestones and celebration, Alyson over at The Best Picture Project has successfully reviewed every movie that has ever been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. All of them (except for the few early ones she couldn’t find).
http://thebestpictureproject.wordpress.com/
She said she celebrated by going hiking.
Wow. That’s a huge task. Good on her. It would have been funnier if she’d celebrated by going to the movies.
Well, if it were me, I’d celebrate with a trip to Half Price Books. Which, uh, may be one reason that an entire wall in my house is covered in bookshelves. Failing that, you could always sip your wine from a “pink glass horn of plenty,” whatever that happens to be.
Anyway, congratulations on 100!
Everyone’s always talking about Half Price Books… Clearly this is a place that I’d love to visit.
I love the idea of drinking wine from a pink glass horn of plenty. Maybe it’s what you get when you cross cinderella, vikings, and a bag of holding?
Well congratulations on turning 100.
How do I celebrate? Ice cream.
I would say “I’m going to Disneyland” but that wouldn’t really be true, these days, as I am fairly far from Disneyland. So: ice cream.
Thanks. 🙂 I like the way that going to Disneyland wouldn’t be true “these days”. Does that mean it used to be true?
Congratulations, Jo! And I’m grinning like crazy. I remember finding your blog, and being intrigued by The Happy Logophile concept and what you were writing, so click! I subscribed. And I’m so glad I did!
As far as celebrating personal achievements, I suppose I’ll say chocolate. I’m not drinking right now (due to baby #2 on the way), and the things I’ve celebrated lately have been small ones, like getting a scene written or that glorious short-lived moment when all the laundry’s done before the next dirty piece of clothing lands in a hamper. I used to celebrate in grander fashion, but that was before mommyhood! And a bite or two of dark chocolate goes a long way toward sweetening the whole day.
Congrats on Baby #2! That’s very exciting, and a good reason not to be drinking. 🙂
(And thanks again for subscribing in the first place!)
Congratulations! Your posts are interesting and I know first hand why you have so many followers. So I raise my virtual glass and say here’s to the next one hundred.
As far as celebrations go, I don’t think I do much of them anymore. I suppose I used to celebrate my achievements by buying something I really had wanted. My new job equalled a new phone and my promotion equalled a new laptop.
Thanks so much. 🙂
Happy 100th post!
I also get nervous/excited when important people read my blog. Luckily, it almost never happens.
Haha. I’m sure you have HEAPS of important people reading (stalking) your blog, they probably just don’t comment. 🙂
Thanks to everyone for the congratulations, and for playing along. It’s time to pick a winner…
First off, special mention to Laura for celebrating things like ‘getting the laundry done’. That’s the kind of achievement I can appreciate!
In choosing the winner, I had to go with the person who had a unique way to celebrate. So, congratulations to Mayfair Mum, who celebrated her birthday with a trip in a glider. Even without Piers Brosnan, it’s pretty impressive. 🙂
Shoot me an email for your prize!
HAHA Laura was also one of my first subscribers (not the very first – that honour goes to DJ Lutz) but I think she may have been second. My post yesterday was actually my 50th post (I forgot until it appeared after it was posted otherwise I probably would have mentioned it :)) Great job on 100 posts Jo and I look forward to reading the next 100! Oh and I am boring I ALWAYS celebrate with wine!!
Thanks, Jody. 🙂 You and I have something else in common, then!
Laura’s a bit of an elemental force in Blogdom, clearly. It’s a good thing one of the catchphrases on her blog is “community”. She certainly lives up to it!
Elemental force, WOW! Thanks, you guys. It’s been amazing to see how you all have subscribed to each other’s blogs and grown that community so organically.
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Congrats, Jo! And your top 3 lists are great.
(As for how I celebrate an achievement… I’m actually not good at that. I usually hide in the corner until it’s over… I’ll give you a better answer after a few more therapy visits…)
All the additional connections (in the comments) to Laura are great! She’s like the Kevin Bacon of the Kevin Bacon game but for blogging 🙂
Thanks, Yuvi!
Haha. I think you’ll have to do a lot of hiding in the corner over your latest accomplishment, then. Congrats on the book deal!
I love the idea of Laura as blogging’s answer to Kevin Bacon.
Happy Hundred, Jo! I’m approaching half of that. Your post made me hunt for the list of search terms which have led people to my blog. I was happy to see that my name was at the top, as though people were actually looking for me. But the strangest term had to be “soaftware for ntc dream writer it word processor.” I guess I see the general idea, but I can’t imagine how anyone put it together.
Wow. That’s really.. odd. I like that your name was a search term. I don’t think anyone looks for me by name, although I’ve had quite a few searches for “happy logophile”, which I have to take to mean me. Unless there’s another happy logophile lurking around somewhere!
Wonderful news. The first 100 were the hardest. It’s all downhill now.
Thanks. 🙂