I've only published 25 posts to WriteousBabe.com this year. But if you think this means I haven't been blogging, think again.

This year I decided to do most of my blogging at SeeJaneWrite.net, my blog for my business, because I decided I really wanted to take my business to the next level. In case you don't follow me there (or @seejavaciawrite on Twitter and Instagram), here's what I've been up to in 2016.

I think I need to go to conference rehab.

Today starts the fourth week of my summer break and I've already been to four conferences.

I need help.

On Friday, I had the chance to attend Y'all Connect, a blogging and social media conference held in Birmingham and directed by local communications consultant Wade Kwon.

I had a wonderful time hanging out with some of the ladies of See Jane Write who attended the conference and Wade was kind enough to allow me to make an announcement to the crowd about See Jane Write's upcoming Bloganista Mini-Con, a partial-day conference for fashion, fitness, and lifestyle bloggers. (Get more info and tickets here.)

a few lovely ladies of See Jane Write

And, of course, I came home with pages and pages of notes. Here are a few things I learned at the conference.

1. Free can really pay big.

In his morning keynote Syed Balkhi discussed how entrepreneurs can wisely use free as part of their business model. Balkhi is the founder of WPBeginner, the largest free WordPress resource site. "Going the extra mile to offer free help allows you to win big," Balkhi said. Case in point, one day several years ago Balkhi noticed that a guy named Michael Hyatt was having some website trouble. Balkhi was a teenager at the time but he knew a solution to Hyatt's problem. What did not know was who Hyatt was. But he helped him anyway. Then he found out that Hyatt was (at the time) chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Because he was grateful for Balkhi's help, Hyatt hired Balkhi to help him some other problems and paid Balkhi quite handsomely for his work. Helping someone for free today can pay off big tomorrow.

2. Bloggers, just like business owners, must know who they are and the people they serve.

Whether you like it or not, you are a brand. In her presentation "How to Be Really, Really Attractvie on Social Media," Birmingham entrepreneur Jen Barnett asserted that knowing your brand -- knowing who you are and what you're trying to accomplish -- is the first step to developing good content. If you're having trouble defining your brand, brainstorm some adjectives that describe who and what you want to be. Identify your values and your key stakeholders. And speaking of stakeholders, to be attractive on social media you must know your audience. Through research and trial and error determine what they like and don't like and figure out which social media channels they use most.

3. I'm on to something with the Pomodoro technique.

I've blogged before about how I often tackle daunting to-do lists using the Pomodoro technique. Developed by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is simple, yet brilliant. You break down your work in 25-minute intervals, taking five-minute breaks after each one. After four work periods you take a longer break of about 20 minutes. Working in very focused time blocks was Balkhi's top tip in his afternoon talk "Time Management for Bloggers." Balkhi also recommended getting up earlier instead of staying up late to get more done. He suggested setting deadlines and recommended that we bloggers reward ourselves when we meet a deadline but also penalize ourselves when we don't. So if I don't update my blog three times this week I won't allow myself to watch my favorite TV shows this weekend (which is great motivation because True Blood returns this Sunday). 

4. If social media is like a cocktail party, visual content is your little black dress.

Whitney Breaux and Kim Garst both gave great tips on how to better use social media.  Breaux is an accomplished communications, marketing, and sales strategist who founded the Baton Rouge Social Media Association and helped with the start of the Alabama Social Media Association. Garst is the co-founder and CEO of Boom! Social, a corporate branding and social media consulting firm. Forbes named her as one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers in 2012. In other words, these women know their stuff!

Garst reminded conference attendees that social media is like a cocktail party. Just as you wouldn't make a sales pitch as soon as you started talking to someone at a party, you shouldn't do that on social media either. Add value to your followers. Share useful and interesting information. Ask questions. Remember that social media is a two-way conversation, both Breaux and Garst said. Don't treat social media like a billboard.

In her talk, Garst spoke a lot about the value of visual content. Articles with photos get 94 percent more views, she said. She believes every brand should develop a visual content plan. Garst has even written an e-book to help you do that. You can download 17 Quick and Easy Ways to Create Visual Content here. Listening her talk I realized that if social media is like a cocktail party, visual content is your little black dress. It makes you look good and gets people's attention. And once you have it you can show that you're beauty and brains.

Last month Birmingham-based communications consultant Wade Kwon came to speak to members of See Jane Write about blogging. Kwon is the director of the social media conference Y'all Connect and he was one of the founders of the award-winning website Magic City Post. 

Kwon's advice to us was much simpler than I expected. His secret to success: "Blog, baby, blog!" Kwon stressed the importance of consistency and gave great advice on how we can keep our blogs alive. 

Wade Kwon addressing See Jane Write members at a recent workshop
(Photo by Audrey Atkins)

Pursue your passion. "Tap into something you could write about all the time," Kwon said. But you still need to know why you're blogging. What is your objective? What do you want to get out of your blog? 

Tackle your tagline. Develop a phrase that succinctly describes everything you want to cover. When Kwon and his partners started Magic City Post, they figured out that their site would celebrate all that's right about Birmingham. The site's About page read: 

Magic City Post in two words? Unrelentingly Positive! 

MCP in 18 words? A daily look at the Birmingham metro area that shows off the best the region has to offer.

I believe that if you can describe your blog in a concise way such as that, you can use that tagline as a mission statement that will not only help you decide what to write but also help you make decisions about posts from guest bloggers, sponsored posts and more. 

Create catchy content. The thing new bloggers struggle with most is usually a lack of readership. Kwon offered some practical advice on how to get the word out about your blog. First, create content that will be shared over and over. This can be compelling, controversial posts but it can also be posts that are very useful. For example, if you write a hyperlocal blog, consider a post of highlighting important city events of the year or a list of local restaurants open on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Throughout the year stop and ask yourself what kind of information are people seeking right now. 

Be sure to share your content via social media but don't underestimate the power of email marketing. Your blog should have on its front page a way for readers to sign up for regular updates about your site. 

Click here if you'd like more highlights from Kwon's talk. 

Kwon's talk left me with a lot to think about. I'm at a point of truly trying to figure out who I want to be in the World Wide Web. Do I want this blog to be the place people turn to for writing tips or do I want this blog to be full of feminist musings? Do I want to be a fitness blogger? (After all, I am exercising EVERY SINGLE DAY.) Do I want to blog about my love for Birmingham? Or do I want to blog about my life as a teacher? Or perhaps there's a way I could blog about ALL OF THIS, but then I run the risk of being a Jane of all trades and master of none. 

I'm not sure how I want my writing career to look.

But until I figure out what I truly want I'm just going to blog, baby, blog. 

Eunice Elliott

Last week I discussed having so many goals that I felt overwhelmed by them. I came to the conclusion that I needed to focus on my dreams one at a time by making one my top priority at least for 12 months. But then I had no idea which aspiration to concentrate on first.

Enter Eunice Elliott. This Birmingham-based motivational speaker helped me make my choice. Visit See Jane Write to find out how and what I decided.

Why do we need Black History Month?

I attempted to answer this question very thoughtfully last year in this piece I wrote for WBHM.org. But in case that didn't get through to folks...




But seriously, though, I'd love for you to celebrate Black History Month with me and See Jane Write as we're hosting an African American Read-In showcasing literary works by black women. Find details at SeeJaneWriteBham.com.

It's about to be that time again; it's almost time to blog like crazy!

Last year I challenged the women of See Jane Write and some of my other blogger buddies to "blog like crazy." The challenge was simple: for the month of November post new content to your blog every day. That's a new blog post every day for the 30 days. Sure, it sounds simple, but if you're a blogger you know that posting every day is a lot easier said than done.

But many ladies of See Jane Write gladly stepped up to the challenge, posting daily and sharing their posts in the See Jane Write Birmingham Facebook group and on Twitter using the hashtag #bloglikecrazy.

Starting Nov. 1 we're going to #bloglikecrazy again this year. I hope you'll join us. You don't have to be a member of See Jane Write or live in Birmingham to participate. You just need a blog and willingness to write.

You may be wondering why you should bother blogging every day. Some people believe that writing daily can kill your creativity or result in sub-par content. While I believe there is some truth in those statements I also believe in the power of practice. Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones explained this notion best:

This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don't want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don't wait around for inspiration and deep desire to run. It'll never happen, especially if you're out of shape or have been avoiding it. But if you run regularly, you train your mind to cut through or ignore your resistance. You just do it. And in the middle of the run, you love it. When you come to the end, you never want to stop. And you stop, hungry for the next time.

This summer I exercised every day for 30 days as I was working to complete Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout plan. This meant that one night, after a very busy day and an evening spent at a friend's birthday dinner, I had to exercise at 10:30 p.m. with a belly full of Indian food. But I was determined not to skip a day. That month I likened exercise to brushing my teeth and in November I'll do the same with blogging. You don't skip brushing your teeth because you're too tired or too busy, do you? (I sure hope not.)

I believe that choosing not to write simply because you don't feel like will, in the long run, hurt your craft because you won't learn the discipline and dedication necessary to succeed at writing.

You may be thinking, "But what if I have nothing to write about?"

Don't worry. I have you covered. Head to See Jane Write Magazine for prompts for each day of #bloglikecrazy. Now, you don't have to follow these prompts to participate. But these suggestions are here in case you find yourself experiencing blogger's block and staring at a blank computer screen.

If you plan to participate, visit the See Jane Write Magazine announcement of #bloglikecrazy and leave your name, blog URL, and Twitter handle in the comments section of that post.

Let's get ready to #bloglikecrazy!

Thursday night was amazing.

I plan to say more about the See Jane Write Magazine Launch Party presented by Hamer Law Group on Monday on SeeJaneMagazine.com and SeeJaneWriteBham.com. 

But for now I'll just let these pictures do the talking...

ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

Tuesday morning I had the honor and privilege to be a guest on a local ABC daytime talk show called Talk of Alabama. The show focuses on entertainment news and features local events, organizations and various businesses in and around the state. I was on discussing See Jane Write Magazine and our upcoming launch party. 

If you think I got this opportunity because I'm pals with one of the hosts or I have connections at the station you're wrong. I got this opportunity simply because I asked for it. 

Yes, of course, having connections will help you get the publicity you need or the writing gig you want. But don't forget about the value of a good pitch. 

For weeks I sat around trying to think of someone I knew connected to Talk of Alabama and came up with no one. So last week I threw caution to the wind and just typed up a brief email about See Jane Write Magazine. I sent it to the hosts of the show and got a reply within a couple of hours essentially saying, "How about next week?"

The takeaway is this: if you have an idea, just pitch it! Don't talk yourself out of it by saying the person to whom you're writing will never listen to you because you aren't in some special inner circle. Just polish your idea and then pitch it. And even if you don't get the answer you were hoping for, it's still better than doing nothing and forever wondering "what if?" 

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.

-- Helen Keller

On Tuesday morning I'll be a guest on the morning lifestyles show known as Talk of Alabama. I'm excited and nervous and I've tried on about 10 outfits trying to figure out what to wear. I'll be on the show discussing See Jane Write Magazine and our upcoming launch party. 

I'm sure during the interview I'll tell the story of how See Jane Write Birmingham began. 

What I probably won't have time to talk about is the fact that when I started See Jane Write Birmingham in 2011 I had no plans for it to grow into what it has become. Back then I was instead focused on becoming a blogging superstar. I spent hours each day blogging and doing research on blogging.

I wanted my personal blog to be my ticket to all the conferences and festivals I longed to attend but couldn't afford. I wanted to win blogging awards and be featured in best blogs and "Bloggers You Should Know" lists. I wanted my blog to help me land a book deal.

But none of that happened. 

So I decided that I'd just take all the things I'd learned from all those years of writing, reading, and studying blogs and pass them on to other women. Though I continued to blog I decided to stop worrying about my blog's success. I decided instead to focus on helping other women create and expand their blogs. 

That's when See Jane Write started to get media attention. That's when I started to get invitations to speak at conferences. That's when people started to introduce me as "Blogging Superstar Javacia Harris Bowser." 

I'm still far from a true blogging star, but I can say with confidence that See Jane Write has been a successful venture thus far and it's been successful because I didn't make it about me. See Jane Write is all about serving others. 

We may have been told that the key to success is to "look out for number one" but I disagree. The key to success is to have a servant's heart.

To whom much is given, much is required. 

We are blessed so that we can be a blessing. 

This is how I begin each day. 

Oftentimes when things are difficult, when things don't work out the way we had hoped or planned we
Christians tend to believe that this is God punishing us or giving us a sign we should just give up on our goal. Or maybe it's just me and you never have this problem. Either way, hear me out.

When life led me away from my career in journalism and back to my hometown to a new career in education, I thought this meant God wanted me to give up writing. When the print media industry tanked I thought this meant God wanted me to abandon my dream of starting a magazine. And when my blog didn't become the overnight success I just I knew it would be, I thought this was God's way of saying, "Javacia, blogging just isn't for you."

But I was wrong.

And I began to realize how wrong I was when I discovered SheReadsTruth.com.

Not only did I grow closer to God and begin to understand his will more from the devotionals that I read on this site, but through She Reads Truth I saw a perfect example of how blogging could be used to serve God. I saw that blogging was about people, not pageviews.

Then, after I began to focus my writing more and more on serving others instead of serving myself, I was blessed with opportunities to write exciting stories and compelling essays for a number of publications. And these were opportunities I wouldn't have been able to pursue or take advantage of had I still been working as a full-time reporter.

Furthermore, my blogging helped me build an amazing community of women writers that have given me the support and encouragement to start an online magazine. And I truly believe this couldn't have happened the way it did in any city other than my hometown of Birmingham, Ala.

God has truly shown me that his ways are not my ways and that's a good thing.

I now know that challenges and obstacles aren't a stop sign; they're simply a speed bump.

And I know that when God takes me down a road that seems to be leading to the middle of nowhere I need to just trust him. He will always lead me right where I belong.

Even though it was quite horrifying to see my big head taking up a whole page of a magazine, I am extremely honored to be featured in B-Metro's women's issue this month. The article is about my wrote with See Jane Write and you can read it here.

Last week was an exciting one for See Jane Write.

Birmingham-based authors Irene Latham, Kathryn C. Lang, and T.K. Thorne

On Tuesday we hosted a panel discussion on publishing. With more than 50 people in attendance, the event was a huge success. Click here to read a recap of the great information our panelists (pictured above) had to offer.

And on Thursday I hosted a See Jane Write planning session and the first See Jane Write Magazine staff meeting.

Big things are certainly in store!

Image by Ralph Daily via Flickr

As I write this I am sitting in Church Street Coffee & Books where I just finished up a photo shoot. 

As a former full-time journalist I have been part of dozens, maybe hundreds, of photo shoots. But I was always there to be the assistant to the photographer who had been assigned to a story I'd written. But for this photo shoot I was actually in front of the camera. One of my favorite magazines is planning to publish a story about me and the work I do for See Jane Write. 

This feels surreal. Honestly, I've been a bit overwhelmed by all the amazing things that have been happening to me lately because of See Jane Write. 

Last Sunday, for example, Wade Kwon showed up at See Jane Write's Bloggers Who Brunch. At the end of the brunch he gave away two free passes to the social media and corporate storytelling conference Y'all Connect. One pass went to a lucky Jane whose name was randomly pulled. The other pass went to me to congratulate me on the success See Jane Write has experienced during its two years of existence. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve. 

Katie of Hems for Her and I showing off our Y'all Connect passes!

And, of course, the magazine I've wanted to start since I was 15 years old is finally going to happen this summer.  Just as See Jane Write Birmingham seeks to inspire and empower women in my city, See Jane Write Magazine will seek to inspire and empower women writers all over the world.

I look back at the third paragraph of this post and notice that I wrote that these things are happening to me because of See Jane Write, and that is partially true. But I am a woman of faith and thus I believe these things are happening to me because God has blessed me with so many great opportunities. So today, I'm counting my blessings and today I am filled with optimism that this is just the beginning. 

And I leave you with a piece of Scripture that I call my life verse and that seems quite apropos as I'm on the brink of seeing my dreams come to fruition:

 “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

- Joshua 3:5

I hope that today you believe amazing things are in store for you too. 

This month I'm participating in a blogging challenge with my friend Carol at GirlGadabout.com. Today's prompt: introduce yourself. Do an interview of why you started blogging or have another blogger interview you for this post.

Image by Filipe Ferreira via Flickr/Creative Commons

Even though I haven't published a new blog post in over a week, the past several days have been an exciting time for me on the Interwebz. The Twitter account for See Jane Write Magazine has garnered more than 160 followers in less than two weeks and, speaking of that little magazine idea of mine, Magic City Post recently interviewed me about See Jane Write and the upcoming launch of the magazine. Click here to check out the article. 

Through all my excitement about this project I have had one worry -- will I still be able to blog?
Finding time to sleep is already a problem as I juggle freelancing, See Jane Write, church, family, fitness, and friends with my full time teaching gig. Add running a magazine to that and I'm not sure how I'm going to find time to shower. So how on earth am I going to also continue to maintain this blog?

This all has led to some soul searching as I try to figure out what I want this blog to become. I asked myself: Why did I ever start blogging in the first place? The answer came to me quickly. I wanted to empower women and I wanted to do something that would fill that void in my soul caused by the fact that I'd given up on my dream of starting a magazine. But I am starting a magazine and that magazine is going to (I hope) empower women. So now what?

Should I now use this blog to celebrate Birmingham? Should I use this blog to cover feminist issues more frequently? Or should I just use this blog as a place to post updates on my writing career? 

I have no idea. 

But for now, I know I will continue to write regularly in this space even if only for myself. Maybe it's time to go old school and just make this an online journal -- which is all blogs were back in the day. I still believe in the value of journaling as it is a way to practice writing. And I'm motivated to keep this blog going, even if only for myself, by these words:

“The habit of writing thus for my own eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments.” 

- Virginia Woolf

Dear Birmingham,

It happened again.

I went out of town and I missed you much more than I had expected. With every corner I turned I thought of you.

The first time this happened I was in Chicago. This week I visited Louisville, Ky., a city that for years I have called the hometown of my heart. I lived there for five years and though I was born and raised in Birmingham, Louisville is where I became a woman. It's the city in which I truly found my voice as a writer during my days a reporter and columnist at a local paper. And it's the city where I met and married the love of my life.

Isn't my hubs adorable? 

But during my latest visit to Derby City something was different. Though I enjoyed my time there and loved seeing old friends, though I still know the streets of that city like the back of my hand, and though Louisville will always have a special place in my heart, that city no longer feels like home. And, Birmingham, it's all your fault.

Four years ago you lured me back to you and now I wonder if you've ruined me for any other city that wants to call me her own. I didn't even see this coming.

My first year back here with you was tough and in my frustration I stayed fixated on your flaws. But then I decided to open my heart and open my mind and really give you a chance. I'm so glad I did.

No, you are not a perfect city. You have a lot of growing up to do. But so do I and you love me nonetheless.

You took my dream of starting an organization for women writers and embraced it wholeheartedly. And who knew that it would be here in Birmingham that I would finally get the inspiration and courage I needed to finally pursue the dream I've had since I was 15 years: starting a magazine.

Last night you wowed me with one of the most beautiful displays of sisterhood I've ever seen at the first official meeting of the Birmingham Girl's Club, a new organization meant to support local women with entrepreneurial minds.

Birmingham, thank you for teaching me the true meaning of the phrase "There's no place like home."


Snapshots from last night's inaugural Birmingham Girls Club Meet & Greet:

"If you can, you should."
The new Birmingham Girls Club logo!

Sherri Ross Walters, the amazing woman behind Birmingham Girls Club

Tara Hulen took this photo and caught me mid chuckle. Clearly, I had a great time. 

Sherri gave us all free notebooks! You know I love notebooks!

Nearly 30 woman crowded around the community table at Urban Standard Coffee for last night's meeting.

To learn more about the Birmingham Girls Club visit http://birminghamgirlsclub.com.

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much lately.

You may think I've been quiet because I'm facing writer's block, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, I've filled several pages of the notebook pictured above with ideas. But I'm saving them.

Remember when I said I was going to pursue my dream of starting a magazine? Well, I meant it. I challenged myself to come up with enough ideas for three months worth of posts for my online magazine, which I plan to launch this summer. I got a bit carried away and I have a list of nearly 200 article topics.

Now you're probably thinking to yourself, "That's so cool that Javacia is finally going to try to start an online magazine. How could I help her?"

Well, I'm so glad you asked! Today I am starting a Twitter campaign in an effort to build anticipation for See Jane Write Magazine. My hope is that my 'zine will garner 1,000 Twitter followers even before it launches! A lofty goal, I know, but with your help I think I can do it.

So please follow @seejanewritemag and spread the word to other women writers, bloggers, and journalists. In return for your support you can expect @seejanewritemag to tweet inspirational and informational articles to help you in your writing and blogging careers, in addition to links related to feminism and women's empowerment.

Also, if you are a woman writer, blogger, or journalist and you would like to be featured in a future See Jane Write Magazine article, please let me know. While my organization See Jane Write is for women in Birmingham, this magazine is for women worldwide. So please reach out to me regardless of where you live.

Let's do this!

Image by Andre Natta via Flickr/Creative Commons

Monday morning I received an email that made my day. Actually, it made my week.

The message was from a young woman who is a senior at Harvard University interested in journalism. She contacted me because after she graduates she wants to move to... wait for it... Birmingham!

She came across my name and contact information via the See Jane Write blog and said that she's eager to get involved in See Jane Write once she moves to the Magic City.

The fact that a student at Harvard (who's originally from the D.C. area) wants to move to Birmingham may come to a shock to some, but not to me. This young woman has figured out something that, unfortunately, took me three decades to learn -- Birmingham is a good place for writers.

This month's issue of Birmingham Magazine features a list of 22 reasons to love the city. This list, along with the aforementioned email, inspired me to create a list of my own -- 22 reason women writers should love Birmingham.

Read on to see if your favorite things about Birmingham made this list.

Image by Steve Snodgrass via Flickr/Creative Commons

Reset. I entered February with plans of blogging each weekday about regional and national feminist issues. Just one week into the month I've already realized that goal was a bit too lofty. So today I reset and revamp my plans. Beginning Feb. 11 I will post new content each Monday, Wednesday and Friday and my focus will be writing, wellness, and women's empowerment.

Rejoice. At first I felt a bit discouraged when I forced myself to accept that I can't blog as often as I had hoped. But when I began to think about why I can't blog daily, I wanted to do a little happy dance. OK, maybe I did do a little happy dance. I don't have time to blog daily because so many wonderful things are happening right now -- I'm the new race and diversity blogger for my city's NPR station, I'm freelancing for USA Today and several other publications, and See Jane Write is growing like crazy. Furthermore, I want to start guest blogging more to help get the word out about this little site of mine. Thus, my decision to blog less is not one that saddens me because the fact that I need to scale back is just proof that my prayers are being answered and my cup runneth over.

Do you need to change your plans for your blog? What should you be celebrating today?

Next month See Jane Write will host its second big event of the year -- Tweets & Sweets: A See Jane Write Tweet-Up. This event will be held Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at The Wine Loft, 2200 1st Ave. North in Birmingham. The evening will feature drink specials and sweet treats from Birmingham-area shops and bakeries.

This event is also a birthday for me! So even if you're not a writer or blogger, come on out and help an old lady celebrate her special day. 

In lieu of birthday gifts, please consider bringing a cash donation to See Jane Write. 

If you think you can make, please click here to RSVP or if you're not on Facebook just let me know in the comments section of this post that you'll be there.

And here are three reason you should be there:

1. You love networking. Well, maybe you don't love networking, but you're smart enough to know it's an important thing to do. If you're a writer Tweets & Sweets will give you the chance to meet and mingle with other writers in Birmingham, some of whom you may have only previously chatted with on Twitter. Maybe you'll meet your future writing partner -- someone you can meet occasionally for writing sessions, someone to hold you accountable for writing regularly, and someone to critique your work. If you're not a writer, here's your chance to introduce yourself to people who are. Tell them about the big project you're working on and maybe you'll be the topic of their next blog post or news feature story. In other words, don't forget to bring your business cards!
2. You love cake. It's the beginning of the year, so you're probably on a diet. You're trying to lose weight and get in shape. I am too. But it's my party, I'll eat cake if I want to. And I give you permission to do the same. We can go running together the next day to burn off those calories. 
3. You love me! Okay, there's a chance you have no idea who I am and this is your first time ever visiting this blog, but hear me out. As I mentioned before, this event is also my birthday party and I'd love to celebrate my special day with anyone who takes the time to read my rants.  

Hope to see you on Feb. 8!

xo,

javacia a.k.a. writeous babe

PS -- If you're not in Birmingham, consider hosting an event like this in your own town. Remember, today's task for 31 Days to a Better Blog is to "Organize an event for bloggers in your area." So get to it, and let me know how it turns out. 

Image by Erin Kohlenberg via Flickr/Creative Commons

Yesterday my pal Tanya shared a very interesting article with the members of the See Jane Write Facebook group. In this article found on Study Hacks, a website about "decoding the patterns of success," the author argues that "Write every day" is bad advice and uses psychology to support his argument. He suggests that when you resolve to write every day you're setting yourself up for failure. Unless you're a full-time writer, life will get in the way and you will inevitably slip up. And once your plan to write every day fails your motivation for your work-in-progress will be negatively affected and the project you're working on will never get finished. 

While the argument presented in this article is quite impressive and sound, I still want to write daily. Ironically, it was my exercise regimen that taught me the value of writing daily. 

On Dec. 19 I resolved to try to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day every day. I kept this up for about three weeks, but last week I slipped up because I got busy with preparing for a See Jane Write event. So this Study Hacks guy is certainly right about that. When we resolve to do something daily we will almost always slip up. But something else happened. By working out daily those few weeks, exercise became an essential part of my everyday life. Those days I didn't exercise my body felt weird, something felt wrong. It was as if I hadn't brushed my teeth or forgot to put on deodorant. 

And so the slip up did not make me give up on my goal to lose weight and get more fit, it made me more determined. That weird icky feeling I had when I skipped my workout made me want to jump back on the bandwagon, which I did this week. 

I want to write daily because I want to have the same attitude about my craft, my art. I want writing to be as essential to my day as brushing my teeth. 

Furthermore, it was actually easier and more fun to work out daily instead of going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. And I think this is because I did something that was actually advised in the Study Hacks article. The author of the post explains:

When I’m working on a book, I instead approach each week as its own scheduling challenge. I work with the reality of my life that week to squeeze in as much writing as I can get away with, in the most practical manner. 

This is what I did with my workouts. Instead of telling myself I would go to this aerobics class on Wednesdays, that weightlifting class on Saturdays, and run 5 miles every other day, I looked at my week and figured out what I could realistically squeeze into each day. Sometimes I played Just Dance on my Wii. Sometimes I lifted free weights at home. Sometimes I ran. And sometimes I went to the gym to a group fitness class. 

And I think I can use this same method in my quest to write daily, instead of resolving to write for an hour every morning before work (because that ain't happening). 

And so I still believe "Write every day" is good advice. What about you? 

Recently my sweet friends Jennifer, Sherri, and Tanya gave me the Inspiring Blog award. This really meant a lot to me because they all write blogs that inspire me to be fit, to be happy, and to live my best life. They are also members of See Jane Write and thus a part of something in my life that started out as a project but over time has become my purpose. 

To give back to the blogging community, receipt of this award comes with the following tasks:

• Display the award image on your blog.
• Link back to the person who nominated you.
• State 7 things about yourself.
• Nominate 15 other bloggers and link to their sites.
• Notify the bloggers that they have been nominated and link to the post.

So here we go...

7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me...Until Now

1. As a child I was afraid of Bruce Springsteen's voice, the gorilla at Showbiz, and the Michael Jackson Thriller poster my parents bought for me but had to stash in a bottom drawer until I conquered my fear.  

2. Thanks to my husband, I could probably win first place in a wrestling trivia game. 

3. I have the telephone number of 90s R&B star Ginuwine in my cell phone. 

4. In 2009 I had a 30-minute phone conversation with Jamie Foxx. To this day it's the best interview I've ever done and I still have it saved on my voice recorder. 

5. When I want my hair straightened and/or cut I drive all the way to Montgomery to the only person I trust with my curly coif. 

6. And speaking of my hair, it's most likely because of my tresses that I get asked every other week what island I'm from. Sigh.

7. My name has been legally changed four times. Seriously. 

And now...

15 Inspirational Blogs

1. The Very Worst Missionary
2. Stellar Fashion and Fitness 
3. All In Stride 
4. You Got Rossed 
5. E is for Erin 
6. Goins Writer
7. Britni Danielle
8. Redbone Afropuff
9. Writability
10. Jamie's Rabbits
11. Pink of Perfection
12. A Place to Dwell 
13. Sometimes Sweet
14. Write, Clair, write!
15. Evette Dionne