Warm Fuzzies Blogfest!
Welcome to the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest! I’ve been looking forward to this for a few weeks now, and I really can’t wait to get started.
For the next four weeks we’ll celebrate being writers and revel in the amazing community surrounding us. Sign up below and hop on over to the other blogs. Build your platform and most importantly, make some new friends 
To start off the fest, we’re going to tackle the issue of those who aren’t in our community. How do you broach the subject of being a writer to other people who aren’t authors?
99.9% of the time, I don’t.
Why? Because, being a writer isn’t easy. Part of what makes it hard are the stereotypes against the profession and the way people respond. I don’t often tell people I’m a writer.
Why? Mostly, because I don’t know how they’ll respond. I still haven’t told any of the people I work with that I’m a writer, which is hilarious to me because most of them are musicians (I do live in Nashville after all ;)) and being a musician is pretty on par with being a writer.
There are a variety of responses I’ve heard: Disbelief. Judgment. Excitement. Doubt. Interest. I never know which one I’ll get.
This week, be it good or bad, funny or sad, share with us the best response you’ve heard when you’ve told someone you’re a writer. Also, tell us, do you tell other people that you’re a writer?
Here’s mine!
A while back, I had a conversation with a friend that went something like this…
“I wrote a book….”
“Oh, how cool.”
“I’d love you to read it sometime, if you’d like. I know you’re good at writing and editing.”
“I have lots of ideas for books. I should write one sometime.”
“Yeah, that’d be good.”
“I just have to sit down and write one.”
“Okay.”
“I mean, it won’t be that hard once I decide to write it.”
…Silence…
And the conversation continued. *Sigh* I guess I can’t expect everyone to understand that writing a book definitely isn’t easy.
This week, I have an absolutely incredible, amazing prize lined up for you! Editor Susan Buie is offering a 30 page edit, valued at $300-400. Susan Buie is a professional freelance copywriter with 20+ years experience in advertising, marketing, creative writing and also copyediting. The winner will get a professional perspective with insights on both the big picture (overall story, plot/structure, themes) and the nitty gritty (grammar, spelling, etc.). We’re lucky to have Susan here with us for the blogfest; she is very good at what she does (yes, I know this from experience!)
She requests a minimum two week window to turn the editing around.
You can find her at her website, www.susanbuie.com
her blog, www.nobrokenbones.wordpress.com
and on twitter @buiecreative
I also have some other fun prizes for you all! This week, I am offering one of my hand-made journals as a prize and Saba of http://worddiaries.blogspot.com/ is donating the book below, it’s a “Do It Yourself Autobiography!” Also, be sure to check out her blog as she is offering some fun prizes for those who comment on her posts
I will pick all winners throughout the next four weeks using random.org
Please make sure to have all posts up by Friday.
Juliana, your new website is beautiful! You must be so pleased
I think the most common response to telling people you write is what you describe – them telling you that they’ve been thinking of writing a book and how easy it will be for them. The other one I get a lot is, “Oh.” Pause. “But what’s your REAL job?”
I’m going to try for warm fuzzies – the prizes sound awesome! – but we’re in the middle of the Choose Your Own Adventure blogfest today, so I may not get this week’s in. Looking forward to reading everyone else’s though!
This is disgustingly gorgeous! I need to hear all about your journey to this particular design – a long email exchange is in order for us
Gosh I love this site so much!
Congratulations on the new website.
I’ll try to come up with a good response, but I’ve told so few people about becoming a writer, I don’t have many examples to choose from. I suppose I’m afraid everyone I tell will respond with “You’re a chemist and you have a job. Why are you thinking about writing fiction?”
Yea! I love your new site, so professional!
I had a question about the fest, do we need to wait to sign up until we have our post up about telling people we are writers?
I am like you, I do not tell many people, especially when they hear I write YA. Oh well.
I’m not entering the contest, but I’m LOVING the new site!! CONGRATULATIONS, JULIANA!! What a great blog fest!!
Thanks guys! I’m so excited about the site
Deana- yes, go ahead and link directly to your post when you get it up
Love the new site!
Lovely website! I think I’ll do my post on Wednesday. Writes that down before I completely forget
Umm, sorry if I’m being daft, but I couldn’t find the sign-up form?
Hey guys! Just a heads up that there are some problems with the script on the linky. I’ll have it up in a day or two and will make sure to stop by your blogs to let you know. (You definitely aren’t daft, Andrea!
Wondered where it went? Thanks
The linky-link is back up!
I love the colors of your site Juliana! So pretty! I will have my post up by Wednesday or Thursday
?Hi Juliana
Well, I have posted something but have no idea what a ‘Linky link’ is (is it one of those springs that walks downstairs?). I am not sure if I have done it correctly – perhaps you could let me know.
I shall now go and read everyone else’s posts – at least I know that I have not been influenced by them!
Looking forward to meeting lots of new friends.
Fuzzy hugs
Emma
x
Forget to mention that there is a FREEBIE on the post – a link to a free copy of my prize winning short story ‘Sub-Prime’ in e-book formats (Kindle, Nook, Sony, Apple, PDF etc) and also as a audio book in MP3 format (can be played on Kindle!)
Bye again
Emma
x
This is so fun. I get so many “interesting” responses from people.
[...] participating in the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest, wherein participants will blog on various subjects over the course of four weeks. The first [...]
Your new website looks fantastic! Thanks so much for doing this blogfest! I’m looking forward to answering this with a post of my own!
And whoops, I just put my blog link, not the direct link to this post…It should be okay though, right?
Oh, I did the same as Cortney. I’ll be posting it later this week
Got my link up:)
Cortney and Cassie- feel free to e-mail me with the link when you have the post up. I can update your link for you
YAY! How fun
I’ll post on Friday. Looking forward to it!
Hi, new follower here!
This sounds like fun! I’ll definitely post before Friday.
Juliana,
Thank you so much for stopping by and your kind words. Also, thank you for hosting this blog fest.
No problem, Debra. I’m glad you’re having a good time!
Rachel- I’m glad you’re here!
[...] know what you should write about? Oct27 by osozereposo This is the first post for the Warm Fuzzies blogfest, a blog hop all about different aspects of the writing life. This week it’s about discussing [...]
Here’s my post: http://jessica-therrien.blogspot.com/2011/10/now-that-rachael-harries-platform.html
Hi Juliana! Thanks so much for hosting this fun blogfest! I just put up my post and really enjoyed answering your questions. Can’t wait to connect with all of the other writer participants. It’s great to connect with you!
~Melissa
Love your site and the blogfest! Thanks for organizing this!
Hi, I am new to your blog and would like to enter if it is not too late. I signed up & I think I understand what I am supposed to do. I won’t have a hard time with this week’s issue. I have so many horror and funny stories about when I tell people that I am a writer. I posted about it for the Insecure Writers Support Group Blogfest.
If I understand correctly, I need to post on this issue. I will have it up later today or this evening. Awesome prize, by the way.
It is nice to meet you.
Thanks for hosting the blogfest, Juliana! My goal is to visit every site and say hello. So many great blogs out there!
Missing out on this first post because I just found this fest and I have a guest on my blog today and posts lined up for the weekend. Can answer here, I guess. I kept quiet and hidden until I was almost ready to publish my first book. I just didn’t want to answer the questions I knew relatives would have. My parents were great about it, curious and proud, but I had one aunt I knew would grill me. She has not failed to disappoint. Last time I saw her, I got questioned on how it was going and what I was doing to protect my writing.
[...] delighted to be taking part in the Warm Fuzzies blogfest, the brainchild of Juliana Brandt. For the next four weeks, we’ll be blog-hopping like mad, [...]
Sorry I didn’t have time to post on this on my own blog, but thought I’d join in by commenting here.
I don’t let on to people that I’m a writer. This experience explains why:
X: A writer, huh? Anything I can get from the bookshops?
Me: Err, no. Not yet.
X: But soon, eh? How hard can it be? Just send your work to Harper Collins or something.
Me: Harper Collins does not accept unsolicited submissions. I need an agent first.
X: An agent? Like the ones an actor or singer needs?
Me: Kinda.
X: Huh. I never knew that. That can’t be hard, can it? Just pop by their office and speak to them.
Me: Uhh…no.
X: You mean they don’t do live auditions?
Me: I wrote a book, not auditioning for the X-Factor.
X: My, getting published is pretty tough then.
Me: … @_@
J.C.
Join me in the Trick or Treat Spooktacular! Could you help make the Grand Prize a brand new Kindle Touch?
Hope it’s not too late to join in… would love to be a part of this (see some great Rachael Harrie bloggers joining in!). The mother of a friend called me after reading my book.
Me: Hello
Mother of friend: Is this Tia Bach?
Me: Yes (a bit irritated, fearing a solicitation)
Mother of friend: Wow, I can’t believe I’m talking to an actual author.
Me: (literally it took me seconds, and I started to think it was a prank)… Oh, me.
Mother of friend: Didn’t you write Depression Cookies?
The conversation went from there, and she was so sweet. It was just so surreal.
Hope it’s not too late to join in the fun! I’ll be posting my “So, You Think You’re a Writer” story today. Funny thing, I posted last week on my blog about this very same issue. I’ve had lots of supportive feedback.
Rach Harrie’s Platform Building Campaign is nearly finished. Looking forward to meeting new peeps here. :))
http://cfitewrite.blogspot.com/2011/10/so-you-think-youre-writer.html
I’ve added mine to the linky list. :))
I think I did it. Visited every site and loved it. I also took our initial responses that we posted in a Swagger sidebar and made a Halloween post yesterday out of them. I’m new at this. First Blogfest, so I’m learning as I go.
[...] Nov4 by osozereposo For this week of the Warm Fuzzies blogfest, we were asked to include a picture or piece of music that inspired us on our current works in [...]
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[…] today, Juliana Brandt‘s Warm Fuzzies Blog Fest is a celebration of secrets, of sorts. The point of the game is to post a picture that […]