My Responses to Nancy’s Summer 2021 Blogging Challenge

I returned from vacation recently to see that Nancy at Nancy’s Point had tagged me in her summer blogging challenge for 2021. I haven’t been writing much on the blog this summer, so I decided that this was a great opportunity- with a deadline- that could get me writing. So, without further ado, here are my responses.

1.  Who are you? Tell us your genre, how long you’ve been at it, who or what inspires you, or whatever you want us to know.

I’m Jennifer, and I’ve been writing on this website for a little over a year. I was inspired to begin writing again after my DCIS ( stage 0 breast cancer) diagnosis in fall 2019. When I ended treatment, I needed a way to express everything I had experienced.  

There were a lot of emotions that were bubbling up. If I didn’t deal with them, I would end up yelling at my husband and kids. I was also wrestling with thoughts of my mortality. I never thought I would be forty-two and a cancer survivor. 

Before cancer, I imagined that I had plenty of time left to do the things I’d been dreaming of. After cancer, I realized my time was limited. If there was something I wanted to do, it was now or never. I have always wanted to write a book. I’m an avid reader, and I have always wanted to share my experiences and lessons with others through the written word.

As I was going through breast cancer treatment, I did a lot of reading. I chose medical books written by doctors and memoirs written by other survivors. I realized that there weren’t any books that directly targeted people diagnosed with DCIS. 

Writing a Book

So, I opened up my computer and began writing. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing for fear that I might not complete it. I wrote my DCIS story from beginning to end. Every morning after walking the dogs, I sat and typed. Then, I opened up my bullet journal and filled in a few boxes on my book tracking sheet, which I made to keep myself accountable. I had read somewhere that most books are at least 50,000 words, so I aimed to hit that target. 

To my surprise, I ended up writing 76,000 words. I had done it. I had written a very messy manuscript that detailed my diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.  

I Needed An Online Home

It was after I finished that draft that I decided to purchase this domain. I knew that I needed an online home to connect with people. Blogging was a way I could begin to connect with readers. I also started being active with social media and sought out others in the cancer community online. Before cancer, I had been silent on social media, so I was essentially starting from scratch. 

I have different categories on my blog which represent the various things I’m passionate about. For example, I have sections on Breast Cancer, Virtual School, Productivity, Homemaking, and Well Being. Recently I have tried to focus my posts more on breast cancer as I work to get my DCIS book ready for publication. 

Overall, the theme of my writing in all topics is to encourage, enrich, and empower people as they face challenges in their lives. In addition, I love to teach, so I view this online home as a place to share things I’ve learned along the way.

I have been inspired by many prolific and consistent bloggers, authors, and influencers who have paved the way before me.  

In the general field of encouragement and influence:

• Brendon Burchard : I like his teaching style, writing, and ability to be consistent for many years. My favorite book of his is “High-Performance Habits.” 
• Flylady: She has been a source of encouragement for me as I struggle with consistency and routines.  
• Jennifer L. Scott : I love her work on bringing chic to everyday life. Her book “Lessons from Madame Chic” inspired me to bring my love of France back into my life.
• BossBabe : Natalie Ellis and Danielle Canty have inspired me to think bigger than myself, be consistent on social media, and network with other women in business. I am a member of the Societé, and I enjoy learning from the monthly Master Classes.

Learning How to Blog:

• Sasha at Every Day She’s Sparkling : I discovered Sasha through her blogging Facebook group. I learned many essential tips on setting up my blog, which plugins to choose, and how to write with SEO in mind.
• Carly at Mommy on Purpose: Carly has a helpful blogging Facebook group and excellent posts on her website to help beginning bloggers. I have learned a lot from her informative posts.
• Amira at A Self Guru : Legal templates and information on how to run a blog legally. I purchased her legal templates to use, and they were thorough and easy to implement.

Breast Cancer Bloggers and Authors: 

• Marie at Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer : Marie has been consistently pulling together a blogging roundup each week. I have discovered many incredible voices through reading the posts she includes.
• Nancy at Nancy’s Point: I wouldn’t be writing this post without discovering Nancy at the beginning of my blogging journey. I remember looking through her website and being inspired to write and keep posting consistently. I also like her theme of “keeping it real.” There is so much about cancer treatment that is terrible. However, Nancy doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics.  
•  Ilene at Cancer Bus: Ilene writes expressively about life with Metastatic Breast Cancer. I resonate so much with her ability to put emotions on the page.
• Abigail at No Half Measures : Abigail writes with fervor and doesn’t hold back when she has a strong viewpoint on a topic. I appreciate the honesty she writes with on her blog and social media. 
• Dr. Beverly Zaveleta :  Physician and Author of Braving Chemo. I appreciate her practical book about going through chemotherapy. Chemo wasn’t a part of my treatment, and I found her firsthand perspective engaging and informative. I like how she includes practical tips all along the way to get through treatment. 
• Mia and Sondra at BS Breast Cancer : They have been incredibly encouraging on Twitter as I’ve begun blogging. I appreciate the inclusivity both on their website and in their messaging. I often read a tweet from them that makes me smile and enjoy the everyday moments a little bit more.

There are many others I could mention, but these are just a few off the top of my head.  

2. What’s been your biggest blogging roadblock this year, and did you come up with a way to get around it? (If you didn’t, that’s okay too. We’re here to support you.)

This year I have found it challenging to maintain a consistent pace of blogging. At the beginning of 2021, I began work on the second draft of my manuscript. This ended up being a complete rewrite of the book I had penned at the beginning of 2020. My original work read more like a journal entry rather than something that would be helpful to someone facing DCIS. It was therapeutic for me to write, but it was unorganized and raw. 

I was able to keep up my twice-a-week blog posting schedule until mid-spring. Then I decided it was too much. I wasn’t able to edit the manuscript and keep writing blog posts. So, I pulled back and essentially took the summer off of writing. My eldest son graduated high school in June 2021. We had many amazing experiences such as going to Dodger games, enjoying the beach, visiting with family, and getting back to Disneyland. 

All of this fun was colored with new medical challenges for me. At some point in the spring of 2021, I had herniated a disc in my cervical spine, which was why my left index finger and thumb had gone numb. It took months to get to a diagnosis and a workable treatment plan.

It is now fall, and I miss writing regularly. In addition, my manuscript is in the copyediting phase at this point. I’m ready to find a workable routine that involves writing and editing. I have decided to try to have at minimum one writing session and one editing session a day. This seems to be a workable plan, especially as I’m still dealing with medical challenges and many appointments in my schedule.  

3. What’s something you accomplished with your blog this year that you’re proud of?

This is a tricky question because I have placed the blog in the back seat as my life has become more complicated. I guess then I would say one thing I am proud of is focusing my writing on one main topic. Because my first book will be about DCIS, it makes sense to have my writing be in that genre.  

4. What are a couple of your best blogging tips?

• Have patience while you’re learning: When I first started, I was learning everything, and getting a post ready took a long time. I struggled to understand how to structure my website, choose a theme, pick an email provider, and have an effective proofreading system. Everything took forever. Eventually, my skills improved and I was able to develop a workable process. As a result, I have a basic plan that I go through for my posts that reduces my time.
• Keep your Links Handy: I have a note on my phone that has the titles and links to all of my posts. When I want to share something quickly on social media, I go to that note and copy the link. Having a “Blog Links Note” makes it easy to share something without going directly to my website.
• Don’t Overthink: I can quickly get wrapped up in writing the “perfect” post (which doesn’t exist). Or, I will spend way too much time searching for just the right images to go with my posts. All that overthinking interrupts the publishing process. Getting a post out there is better than keeping it locked up on my computer. If I decide to edit a post or change a header image, I can do that later. The nice thing about blogging is that editing is easy.  
• Find a Social Media Scheduling Tool:  I like Publer. It allows me to schedule my social media in advance. Additionally, it enables me to post to multiple networks and integrates with my favorite graphic design tool, Canva.
• Use Grammarly : Grammarly  helps me with my editing. Since I have implemented this tool as a part of my publishing, I have made fewer grammatical errors in my post.

5. How do you handle negative feedback or comments?

I’m thankful to have had plenty of positive feedback about my posts thus far. However, I realize that there will be negative comments and feedback along the way. If I can reframe the concept of “negative feedback” to “constructive criticism,” I handle it better. I hope that I can grow to be more resilient as I continue to write. 

As I’ve been writing and rewriting my book, I have received constructive feedback from my editors. I’m grateful that they have pointed out the weaknesses in my perspective while affirming the overall value of the writing. I’m hopeful that I can take the lessons I’m learning through this editing process and apply them to the negative feedback and comments that will come.

6. Share a link to a favorite post you’ve written RECENTLY (since last year’s challenge perhaps) that you want more people to read.

I haven’t been very active on my blog over the summer, but before taking a break, I wrote some posts specifically on DCIS that I would love to share. One of the posts I’m quite happy with is this one titled “What is DCIS.” 

Nancy, thank you for tagging me in your 2021 summer blogging challenge. I have enjoyed writing this post, and I look forward to reading other blogs as well.

To read the other blogs, click the “Linky Tools List” down below and it will open in another window.