Happy centenary blogging bounty to me

Last week I hit number 100 on my blog posts. That is, I have now published more than 100 posts on my blog. So what? Big deal. It’s not really worth mentioning at all, is it?

I mean there are some bloggers who post everyday (about make-up, how, how??) so they’re hitting this milestone every three and half months or so. But you know what – whenever I see the number 100, I feel I have to mark it. To acknowledge it. It’s a very special number.

If you live to be 100 in Ireland the President sends you a certificate and a cheque for €2540. It’s called the Centenarian Bounty. Not sure where they hit on that very nice random sum, but if this number warrants a BOUNTY from the president, then it’s special. (Guaranteed to be eliminated in a budget cut by 2083 though, damn improving longevity).

Anyhoo to celebrate I’ve decided to look back on some of LadyNicci blog posts to get more traffic. This is almost an embarrassing task. When I read over some of the earlier posts, my insides and skin cringe a little. They’re long. Meandering. Trying to be funny and failing. But I can’t take them down. They chart a progression. They tell a story. They represent me and my family and my friends. You wouldn’t destroy your 15 year old diary would you, even though it takes every ounce of your strength not to pull the wood from the door saddle and create a great bonfire to burn it? No.

I started LadyNicci in October 2013 before realising that I was going to be a little tied up with a shotgun wedding and a bundle of fun, due date, August 2014. You can see my posts go from exercise and wedding related posts, through to travel and pregnancy posts, and then an obsession with all things baby. Because this is what was going on in my life. As the baby gets older and I can think about other things other than keeping her alive with my boobs, my personal interests start to come in a little and that’s where writing takes over.

I’m aware that almost all of my posts have been writing related lately. I fear that I becoming too niche, that I am boring readers, that those who like my Mammy posts will be saying, what the hell is all this fiction flack? I don’t give a frickin foo!

But I have to be true to my own voice. If this is what I want to write about, then this is what comes out. It’s a personal blog. Besides, no one is mean enough to tell me what they really think. They just don’t come back to view. And that’s fine.

I will likely write another post about the world of blogging soon. It’s a fascinating place – one I am still learning about. You may think that you are not interested in blogging, but all of us, anyone with a smart phone, with access to the internet are reading bloggers every day, and being involved in some way.

Yesterday I turned down my first sponsored post. I never thought I would say no to what would be relatively easy money. But it didn’t sit right and it would stand out like a giant red arrow saying I GOT PAID TO LINK THIS. I’m not against sponsored posts at all, but it has to feel ok, to nestle with this blog, and this voice and this person.

I’ll be working out over the coming months, where things are going but in the meantime I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has dropped by, who has read a post, liked it, shared it, sent it to their friends, tagged someone, got it touch to say they enjoy reading, and being all round generally supportive. Blogging is a fantastic hobby and it makes it all the more special to have friends and readers to share it with.

I didn’t think this would turn out to be a smoochy ooze fest, but there you go. Sure it’s nearly Christmas and what’s wrong with being thankful at this time of year? Here are my top ten picks from LadyNicci over the past two years. They represent different ideas and thoughts that were going on at the time. If you get to the end of the list, you deserve a virtual pint.

1. The virgin blog post: Spin Class – hell on a bike. Have never been back. And still hang true to every word written there today.
2. Pregnancy post: The ten most surprising things about pregnancy. This is special to me because it charts our ‘finding out we were pregnant’ experience. I found it really hard to blog when I was pregnant.
3. A what if post: Come into my caravan: A trip to the fortune teller. This was a great experience and something to look back on, wondering if any of it will come through.
4. The we all suffer it post: Becoming Dot Cotton, the trouble with laundry I spend hours upon hours a week doing laundry. It’s my next favourite hobby after blogging. Not. When I’m rich I will employ a laundry slave or you know, use a launderette. Until then, Dot Cotton I be.
5. The this parenting shit is hard post. There’s a few of them but I remember writing Nobody said it was going to be easy after a particularly bad week. Thankfully, things have gotten better. But next time, I’m getting valium. Illegally if needs be.
6. A literary progress post: these have become more numerous as I developed my writing work but Wanted: a respectable woman for a motherless child outlines some of the highs and lows and some of the research I was and still am doing
7. The anniversary post: I was so chuffed to have reared our daughter to one year old (high five) and it was one of the most difficult and positive years of our lives. Happy Birthday August, a year in photos captures some of this
8. The writing post: I wanted to impart some of the knowledge I’d learned over the past year and share with other writers tips and competitions that could help them too. Seven writing competitions you should enter in 2016 did just that and got great readership
9. The series post: I got the idea for a writing series while researching other writers. I found that I was fascinated by how other people go about their craft, and thought, if I am, then others must be too. I publish a post every week. Sunday. Here’s How I Write – Jax Miller. I’m looking forward to working on this in the coming months and meeting and talking to a host of talented writers.
10. The boast post: we had a fabulous night out in Dublin this year to celebrate one of my short stories being published in an anthology as blogged about in Real author – high five. Since then, lots of people I’ve met have said ‘Congratulations on the book!’ Everyone thinks I have written and published a book, all on my own back. I haven’t. Not yet. But I’m happy to let people think I CAN do that. Because obviously, it’s just a matter of time.

December Girl is now available on Audio. Visit Amazon or Audible or click on the cover below to download.