Content Changes at Allison’s Book Bag

Posted by: Allison Helps Cats on: January 21, 2014

• In: Administrative | Teasers
• 4 Comments

Growing up, I always dreamed of being an author. A few years ago, I started to make serious attempts to fulfill that dream. Or at least that’s what I considered it at the time. In hindsight, I’d call it baby steps.

• I wrote stories for various ages, submitted them to a critique site, and mailed them to some publishers. The result? My first published stories! Two, to be exact.
• Those two stories were for young people. Apparently, my natural bent is to write in a style most suited for that age group. This allowed me to focus on that audience and has tied in nicely with Allison’s Book Bag.
• Except then I stalled, because apparently I feel most comfortable writing longer works, which puts most magazines out of my reach. Even the articles I had started writing for our local newspaper tended to run the length of features.
• My husband suggested I stop worrying about word count and just write stories at their needed length. The result? We soon decided that writing a novel should be in my future.

While I’m now halfway through revising a novel, the reality is that none of my writing to date has landed me any stable income. Or pushed me to become a published writer. And so recently my husband and I have been talking about work-for-hire. In other words, my submitting writing to editors with the goal of being hired to write for them. While work-for-hire may or may not work out, I do wish to broaden what I write as part of my goal to become an author.

Why am I sharing this decision with my blog readers? First, because through my memes, I’ve gotten in the habit of posting some personal stuff. Second, and the more important reason, is the decision will necessitate that once again I change the content of Allison’s Book Bag.

• Namely, more of my posts will be copies of reviews that have been published elsewhere. This won’t change anything about how I write them. You’ll still received unbiased critiques. However, some of my review choices will be dictated by needs beyond those that of this blog. A huge one will include writing occasional reviews of books suitable not just for young people but also a general audience.
• Actually, some of my posts won’t even be reviews. Instead they’ll be related content. This means I’ll post mini-biographies and interviews on a more regular schedule. I’ve also been experimenting with a new feature called Inspired By…. which will feature articles or stories connected to the featured review. This allows me to broaden my creative range, while still maintaining my blog.

Naturally, my decision will effect my posting schedule. Here’s what you can expect in the upcoming year:
Monday: Current Read/Wish List
Tuesday: Author Teaser (Bio/Interview)
Wednesday: Review
Thursday: Current News/Booking Through
Friday: Author Teaser (Bio/Interview)
Saturday: Review
When a book inspires an article or story, I’ll post it instead of the regular Monday or Thursday feature for the week.

One thing about putting oneself in the public eye, even in such a minor way as Allison’s Book Bag, is that change is inevitable. I started this blog as a fun way to share my views on children’s books I’ve read. Over the years, it’s also grown to become part my identity as an aspiring author. As always, it’ll remain my attempt to build a community of readers.

Tags: Allison's Book Bag, author biographies, author interviews, Current Reads, Inspired By, reviews of books for young people, Saturday Snapshot, Six Word Saturday