Hello to my beloved Readers!
I do not know if there are many of you or only a few, or maybe only one or two...
BUT
what I do know is this:
I cannot continue writing my articles in the same way I have been.
I love writing, I really do. But I have been struggling this summer in finding subjects to write about. I've blogged a very little bit before now, but those posts were not quite as professionally-minded as I wanted these to be. They were more like messy reactions (messy in the way that hair gets when you drive with the windows down). They were also more nerd-minded, but we'll get to that in a moment.
With my recent articles, I have danced around multiple subjects varying from life lessons, to Christian devotionals, to college, to cats, etc. I'm fairly proud of those, but they are not the voice I want to continue to have.
I love reading about religion, politics, animals, adventurous work, and the like. However, I don't always love writing about all of those things, and people are not like me...not all readers like all topics.
So, if you don't like to read my random articles, and I don't love to write them as much? What am I to do? I'm left with a job, but no clear voice...more like a chorus in my head with harmonies that just won't come together into one cohesive song to give to you {my reader(s?)}.
I think most writers (bloggers or other) go through this choir-minded struggle at some point, and many of us go through it multiple times in our life. If you want to research the matter more, it can be called, "self-growth," or, "finding your voice." (I highly recommend reflecting on self-growth to people of all hobbies and careers. It isn't just about having a 'voice' but about accepting the inevitable changes you go through as a person.)
Now, it isn't like I haven't been trying to write with a clear voice this summer. I've thought multiple times with multiple articles, "Yes! I've finally found it!" Nonetheless, I never stuck to it, because no subject/genre/blog type ever seemed to hold me for more than a couple weeks.
So, here's where I am now: self-reflection.
I've taken a good hard look at what excites me most, what can I always write about, and what will probably excite at least some of my (however many) readers. I've searched inside myself, and it turns out I didn't have to look far to find my next try at an answer.
It seems obvious now, but I suppose I avoided the idea for so long because I didn't think I was good enough. Being a book-blogger is for other people...cooler people...more hipster-y people...not me. Kind of like being an English Major. I never thought I could actually do it...the dream was just too perfect.
But guess what? Last semester (my second of college) I declared English as my double major. To give you an idea of how nerdily perfect this actually is for me, I'll say that I have had 2 english courses already during college, and I'm taking 2 literature classes on the same days for this coming semester (one of them an 8:00am), and I am SO EXCITED.
My hopes are that blogging about books will result in the same joyous realization of self...that I am good enough and crazy enough...and that even if 0 people read my coming articles, I will still enjoy writing them for as long as I'm allowed to.
Don't go crazy on me if this doesn't last...know that I'll still just be trying to find my voice.
BUT,
I think this voice will last, and will bring the choir together.
In which case, to all you #booknerds out there, and to those of you who are not #booknerds but are curious anyway,
please enjoy. Love,
Jessie, your self-professed #booknerdwriter
