10 years.

I have been keeping a blog about writing, some times not so well, for 10 years.

When I got the notification, I’ll be honest, I had a not so happy reaction. While an achievement on my part, that’s some decent commitment, I was struck by how little had changed in all this time.

I am still writing the same things here all these years later. I’m still spouting positivity. I’m still cheering on the pursuit of following one’s dreams. All the while, not having made any inroads on my own career path.

And surprisingly, we’re back in California. How’s that for a bookend?

10 years ago, when I started this blog, it was because I hadn’t been able to find a (day) job for a year. I had sent out over 200 applications and only received 2 responses. I was depressed. I wasn’t writing. I was lost.

The Sis and I had a good talk then. We had moved to LA, mainly, for my writing, so if the job market wasn’t going to give me anything, then I make something for myself. She was making really good money at the time, and had already been supporting us in that uneventful/dreadful year, so she told me to start writing. That was my job.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I gave it a go.

I started attending networking events. I joined a writer’s group. I made writer friends. I started my blog. (Actually, now thinking on it, I started it elsewhere, I can’t remember where. This one came along a short time later.)

I was pretty clear from the beginning what I wanted my blog to be about. I never wanted to be on a soap box. I didn’t want to voice my opinions on things that weren’t related to writing (no matter how much I wanted to sometimes). I wanted this to be an encouraging environment. I wanted only notes of positivity and inspiration, because as I’ve said, at least a dozen times before, writing is a lonely, often times difficult road, and we should be supportive of one another.

That first year I offered a number of tips. I wanted writers to accept themselves and their work. I wanted to help them find inspiration, deal with rejection, be prepared for the path ahead, and discover opportunities. I wanted us all to be a little kinder to ourselves.

I still want ALL those things.

It’s hard to look back and realize how little I’ve advanced in my career. (Side note, thanks to The Sis for her supportive perspective – I have not actively pursued my dream job for a solid 10 years.) I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but only in the last few years have I become the writer I want to be. I actually have pride in a number of my stories, and yes, one of them is a work of fan fiction. I didn’t have that 10 years ago.

A decade is a big chunk of time. Just think of all the things that have happened since 2013. Crazy, right?!

There are some of you who have been with me since the beginning, and I can’t thank you enough for your support. I didn’t really know what I was doing all those years ago, but you stuck with me all the same. Even when I’m consistently inconsistent. Which is like all the time. I’m still kicking around here because of you, so, thanks!

And I hope to prove in the near future that it wasn’t in vain, so…

Happy 10th Blogging Anniversary to me. ((half cringing-crying-smiling)) 😉

xx, Rach