In December 2007, I stumbled upon a few blogs and discovered an online society I never knew about. After following two or three blogs for a few days, I decided that blogging was something I could do too. And so, without much thought or direction (evidenced by my early posts), I started my own life blog.
18 months later I have two blogs that I love, an ever-widening circle of ‘blogging buddies’, and have had more fun than I thought possible. I’ve received packages of candy, goodies, books, and more from blogging friends. I’ve gotten support when things were dicey and have laughed more times than I can count. I love the sense of community that blogging creates.
Since debuting Book, Line, and Sinker on March 1st, my circle of blogging friends has expanded exponentially. In addition, I’ve read some really terrific books and have written several reviews.
What started as a whim–a “Hey, I can do this too!” idea–has blossomed into so much more. Now, what I really want to know is:
How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start?
Book, Line, and Sinker 
I began blogging 3 years ago this coming July. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long! I never imagined that I would meet so many wonderful people. I am so glad I got the chance to meet you, in fact. You’ve done a wonderful job with your blog and I enjoy stopping by for visits.
It was at knifepoint. I’d rather not go into it.
Way back when in 2004, I was laid off and had lots of free time to read, but no one to talk to about it. I was also participating on a frugal site, and I heard about a free online place called blogspot.com where you could keep an online diary that could be private or not, as you wish. And that many people geared theirs towards one subject. One day I traveled to blogspot and started talking about books…
I started blogging a little over four years ago, mainly as a way to connect with other homeschooling moms. Along the way, I started talking about books. As homeschooling became less of a new thing (and a thing I needed support for) and just a part of our lives, I drifted more toward book blogging, and a year ago started a blog specifically for my book and movie addiction.
I started my first blog in October 2007 and I used it more as an online journal after my Dad died, as a way of dealing with my grief. I was first introduced to blogging by my daughter who had been blogging for a while.
Then I started my reading blog in March 08. The reason? Well I was still grieving and the only way to not feel so deeply depressed was to read, it provided such escape from how I was feeling and I just wanted to keep a record of what I read. So glad I have.
Blogging for me has been so rewarding. A big part of my daily routine is reading my google reader and then clicking through to leave comments such as this. Since starting my book blog I have had to purchase another 2 book cases and will need another this year to house all the books I have bought because someone in the blogging world loved them.
i understand your motivation. i have also used my life blog as a coping device…it’s free therapy.
I’ve been blogging for 11 months now and I started because my son encouraged me to.
I have been blogging a little over a year. I have been reading blogs for about 2 years. My daughter and a friend of mine seriously encouraged me to start one as I was having a bit of a creative slump. I have met some incredible people in blogland!!!
It started because I needed a place to rant. In fact, my earliest entries are VERY crotchety! Everyone was getting (it) wrong and I was frustrated beyond belief.
I’ve been blogging since last August, when I started my personal “life blog.” I started it when I discovered a couple of people I knew had blogs and I enjoyed reading theirs, so I thought perhaps my friends might like to keep up with me, too. I moved away from my home state, so it’s hard to keep up with old friends sometimes…
I have to confess that my personal blog has taken a bit of a back seat to my book blog now, which I started in February of this year. I think the very first book blog I happened across was Becky’s Book Reviews, and I can’t even remember now how it happened. But as I looked at more and more blogs, I knew this was something I would love to do, because I love to read. And it’s been such a great thing to “meet” all these wonderful bloggers and I really feel like I get more out of books now when I read them…
I was inspired by other blogs to start a blog. I thought it would help me to have a forum in which I could write about happiness, and it really has! In fact, I wrote a post the other day about how much I love my blog. Check it out here: http://positivelypresent.typepad.com/positively_present/2009/05/the-benefits-of-blogging.html
I have learned so much from blogging and, most importantly, have come across awesome blogs like this one! 🙂
I started my first blog about 4 years ago when a friend and I went on a backpacking trip through Europe. We wanted to have a record of what we had seen and done, and we also wanted to keep in touch with our friends and family so we started a blog dedicated to our trip. I still read some of those entries today and am transported right back to the whirlwind adventure of that trip!
Then when I moved away for grad school right after that trip, I started another blog that was a means of keeping in touch with friends and family, letting them know what I was up to. I’ve since abandoned that blog and now write a new one with my fiancé where we touch on our daily lives but use it more to review books as well as whatever topics strike our fancy! We use it as a way to keep our creativity flowing, to create something meaningful to us, and to just enjoy the writing process!
I’ve been blogging since December of 2006 and was mainly hounded into it by one of my best friends and now, like you, I could never give it up. I love my circle of online friends and like the chance to express myself to whoever happens by. I never could keep a proper journal but I can blog!
Great question – and lots of interesting answers!
I started my personal blog in January 2005 because my family lives on another continent than I, so it was a way of keeping them up to date with my doings.
My bookblog started in January 2007 (and moved to Blogger in January of this year) and it was mainly for myself to keep track of the books I read, but then I discovered the whole community out here, so now I follow a bunch of bookbloggers. Nice to know that I’m not the only crazy out there! 🙂
I started blogging originally in 2001 or 2002. I did it because a friend did and kept pestering me to write. So, now, I have a book blog, a personal rant blog and then Femme Fairy Godmother, inspired by some young people I know who have no idea how to handle most of life. For My World In Books, it started as a place to keep track of some books that have complicated plots and tons of characters. Then people started reading … and now I write more for the readers, but I still put some private entries in to keep track of all the characters in Laurell K Hamilton’s books! 😉
I only started January 1st and I am quite proud of myself!
One day, in a land far far away….I was working a temp job that I loathed and found very boring. It wound up lasting all summer long, and I discovered Pioneer Woman, which led to Barefoot Foodie, which led to me thinking “Hey! I am smart and domesticated and funny too! I can do this!” So I did. And they all lived happily ever after.
The End.
I started the blog so those visiting my recipe site could know me a bit better. I can’t imagine life w/out it now. I love my blogging friends. They really are the BEST!
Well, my adventures in blogging began last June because a coworker started telling me about how blogs are a great way to begin a “following” for business ventures, marketing, etc. I’m not into that, of course, but I was intrigued by the idea of running a personal blog! I’ve had numerous personal websites over the years — you know, back when Geocities was popular! — and even ran a very popular ‘NSYNC website during the band’s hey-day. (I know.)
Sooo… I started write meg! just as a random place to vent my frustations on working retail, share anecdotes, etc., but I didn’t really begin posting weekly — and then daily — until September/October of last year. That’s around the time I discovered the world of book blogs and though, HOLY CRAP! These people are as obsessed as I am! Who knew? So I started posting book reviews as well as my random musings on ridiculous things, people started coming and… and obsession was born.
Oh. And I’ve written incredibly long-winded, meandering comments to lots of folks, who have been kind enough to visit me in turn 🙂 I think it’s biologically impossible for me to be succinct.
But I like it that way.
Oh, and yeah — I’m fighting with you. Thanks for getting me addicted to the Jessica Darling books. And by “thanks,” I mean, “omgthesehavetakenovermylife — andikindofhateyou.” 🙂
Ditto. ha! You ask the best questions – you are a natural at this blogging thing, aren’t you. 🙂
I’ve been doing it for about 1.5 years. I started it as a book diary, never figuring that anyone would even notice its existence. For some strange reason, it seemed to catch on right away, so I began reviewing/writing for an audience.
I’m pretty burned-out right now, but I’m sure I’ll get over it.
I started my blog six months ago, also on a whim. Prior to that, I had no idea this alternate blogosphere universe existed. I feel so grateful and honored and excited to now be part of it. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it has, indeed, changed my life.
Okay, so I have been book blogging for a year and a half and I started, well…really because I loved reading and hearing what others had to say as well. And to be completely honest. FREE BOOKS. yes, love them.
I started a life blog about 3 years ago and I love that one as well. I started that blog because my brother was in Iraq and my parents are missionaries in Spain, my grandparents and family all live in NJ and I live in Oregon…I am so far away from everyone that I just had to feel at least they know what is going on in my life. It worked. I love doing it, I love sharing and even though my family NEVER comment….they tell me all the time that they love it.
Great question by the way!!!
I started on my birthday this year – actually re-started. The first time I did it for all the wrong reasons (kind of negative). This time I did it because over the last year I have gotten so much out of reading other peoples’ blogs, I wanted to give back to the community. It has been a blast. Every day I look for the highlight, or something interesting I can photograph and blog about. Enjoying each day has been great.
I started blogging seven months ago because I had discovered book blogs and wanted to share books that I love. It’s been a wonderful experience and I’m about to start a second blog for poetry!
12th Aug 2007….I don’t know how or why I started…but it gets to be compulsive!
I have kept a daily diary since 1958 so it was all about recording facts I suppose. Very few of my close friends blog, but all say they read mine regularly…so I suppose they know more about me than I know about them!
My only problem is the confusion about people’s real names, and their blog names, and multiple blogs!…but then men can’t multi-task, can we?