One Year Anniversary of Zook Book Nook

Wow! My blog has come a long way for me personally since I began it one year ago today with "Books, Babies, and Blogs." As a newbie, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. All I knew about blogging was that it was a platform writers used to share their stories and learn from others. I don't even recall how I decided upon the focus of my blog: Crafting motherhood and writing together in the same pen stroke, but I'm very glad I knew right away that my blog should have a focus for my readers and me. Fortunately, writing literary pieces about motherhood and writing is a passion I've discovered during the last year that I didn't know I had when I created my blog; I guess that was some major intuition of my brain connecting with my soul without me even realizing it! The focus of my blog must have come to me some time during the night with our baby sleeping next to me. For some reason, during Ayla's first few months of life my creative sparks always happened between 1 and 4 a.m. after I was done nursing her and couldn't fall back to sleep.

Both Ayla's sleeping habits and my writing have progressed significantly in one year, so that makes me very happy. Ayla sleeps through the night in her own bed now! My writing happens during the day and night, and I have my hubby all to myself in our bed.

This past year has taught me a lot! Here are some of the things I have learned about being a writer-mama:

1. My daughter is the most amazing source of inspiration for me as a writer and a mother!
2. My writing style doesn't necessarily have to fall into children's literature; I find I write better and easier for an older audience (young adult and adults).
3. I still have a long way to go as a writer.
4. Making my blog become my daily journal entry has helped me write more and think more outside of the box.
5. The individuals I've 'met' through blogging are extremely talented writers, and I look forward to reading their posts because they make me think and question my world around me.
6. Blogging can be addictive, and I have to discipline myself to spend more time on my writing than blogging.
7. My daughter's love of books and watching me write words for her are a welcome surprise!
8. One of my main purposes of becoming a writer is to be able to share my stories with children, adolescents, and adults through the writing but also through the telling and sharing; I can't wait to do school visits and bookstore signings one day. I hope! I hope!
9. Progress as a writer-mama has its high points and low points, short spurts of excitement and rewards and long spells of dry, slow progress.
10. I want to continue to write every day for the rest of my life!

And I just want to say thank you to everyone who has offered advice, encouragement, and support to me on my blog! I appreciate my readers following my blog and the comments you all make on it! Thanks everyone!