Highlighting Blogs and Blogging

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

Each week CWD's faithful team of bloggers share wisdom and inspiration, challenge, inform and entertain on the Christian Writers' Downunder blog (aka here!)

What is a blog and why do we do it?

A blog (shortened from Web Log) is a site that shares regular entries or posts on a website. Generally, the latest blog is posted first, with blogs available in a chronological order - though Labels, the Search box or the Menu Bar (to your right) can help you access particular topics or posts. 

Blogs can be personal like a web diary sharing certain aspects of a person's experience - say about a trip around the world, or daily (mis)adventures as a parent, or an interest in a hobby.

Blogs can also be used by businesses, organisations,  or creatives as part of a platform - i.e. to build a presence or visibility, to engage with clients or fans, and to share relevant information - like new releases or achievements.  

They can also be group blogs (like Christian Writers Downunder and the Australasian Christian Writers blogs), where bloggers take turns to blog sharing their experiences and knowledge on a common subject or interest. 

What about Christians Writers Downunder Blog?

The CWD blog's primary aim is to serve our members through posts from our member bloggers (and the occasional special guest) with inspiring and practical blogposts about writing and the writer's life as informed by our experiences and faith. 

It also provides a platform for our members - to share our triumphs and wins (as in the quarterly Highlights posts), help introduce our members (in the Meet Our Members Posts) or share information from our sister groups (Cross posts with Omega Writers and Australasian Christian Writers).

And for our bloggers - it gives an opportunity to find and develop a voice through blogging and to help visibility in the vast trackless ocean of the interwebs. 

Comments can also encourage the blogger and provide interaction between members. Though in recent years, comments on the the Blogger platform has become more difficult to some. We also share the link to the blog in the Facebook group, and responses can be made in the comments of the post, sparking interaction in the group.

Personal Blogs

Many of our members have their own personal blogs that are worth checking out. 

*Paula Vince blogs about books and always has an interesting take on the Vince Review
*Nola Lorraine (aka Nola Passmore) gives tips on craft, interviews other authors and put interesting quizzes at Nola Lorraine. 
*Jo-Anne Berthelsen's inspirational blogs Jo-Anne's Berthelsen's Blog gets one thinking.
*Adam Collings not only has a blog but also regular You-tube blogs and podcasts.
*Mazzy Adams also adds her Musings to her website - Mazzy's Musings
*Lynne Stringer includes a blog about sci-fi and writing - Lynne Stringer Author and Editor
*I also have a blog (a little neglected of late) with updates, interviews, reviews etc. Jeanette O'Hagan Writes (by the Light of Two Moons)

Some Changes A Foot

Christian Writers Downunder started as a Yahoo group in 2009, with the very first blog post in 2010. CWD is on Facebook, and over the last 13 years,  CWD has expanded from a few enthusiastic members to over 1300 members.  The blog has over one thousand posts. It has had a few minor changes in format over that time in terms of frequency of blogs, different feature bloggers, and new members of the blog team, but it has basically continued in the same format. 

This year we will be making a few minor changes. 

While Monday mornings have been the primary time for our Blog team share posts, we will be switching this to Thursdays, with every second Monday reserved for the Highlight, Behind the Scenes , Meet Our Members, Fifteen Great Picks, and Admin announcement Posts and the Omega Writers Cross-posts. 

So, remember to keep an eye out on Mondays and Thursdays for the CWD blog - be inspired, encouraged, informed and challenged in your journey as a writer.  

Are you a blogger - what joys and challenges have you experienced? Do you have some favourite blogs you would like to share with others?

Btw - Did you have a new release or event or brag point that didn't make it to the Highlights Post? Keep an eye out for the next call for information from members - the next Highlights post will be in about 4 weeks, on 3rd April 2023 (for January-March 2023).

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series - and new short story in the Starlit Realms: Fantasy anthology.

She is also an avid reader and enjoys tracking down family tree conundrums. 

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