writing - Surviving and Thriving

Starting the conversations.

May 2, 2016January 24, 2014 by Donna Freedman

The demon malware has been vanquished at last. How odd it felt to be unable to write or check comments for a week. And, yeah, to look at pageviews. (Number monkey, right here.)

I missed you guys, and appreciate the Facebook comments saying you missed coming to the site. While the break certainly didn’t hurt me, given the sorrow and disruption surrounding recent events, it made me feel disconnected.

Even though I don’t post daily I’ve come to rely on the chance to put my thoughts out into the blogosphere – and to listen to feedback from readers.

For me the point of having a personal blog isn’t to make money. It’s to start conversations.

The Coffeehouse Cliche giveaway.

August 30, 2013 by Donna Freedman

As summer slips away we prepare to move more of our lives indoors. That is, unless we’re clever enough to live somewhere that’s temperate year-round.

Warm interiors. Hot drinks. Burning inspiration.

If you were ever going to write poetry, plays, short stories or the Great American Novel, you’re a lot less likely to do it when the weather is fine. No, fall and winter is when we head indoors and think deep thoughts.

(Or watch televised sports or “The Walking Dead,” or indulge in whatever nerdy pastimes make us happy.)

This week’s giveaway will give you two tools of the trade, or rather the accoutrements of the affected: a notebook and some coffeehouse scrip.

Another anniversary. Couldn’t have done it without you.

May 2, 2013 by Donna Freedman

Just over four years ago I started writing this site, even as I wondered (a) if anyone would care and (b) whether I could keep it up.

The answer was “yes” on both counts. Sort of.

I haven’t got the huge fan base and influence of a “name” blogger, and there have been times when I was too overwhelmed by my paying jobs to devote enough time to my avocation.

If I had more readers I could turn the site into what the kids call a serious alternate income source. It does make some money, but nowhere close to a living wage. More to the point, I’d like more followers because, well, what writer wouldn’t?

3 things I learned in 31 days.

November 10, 2015March 31, 2013 by Donna Freedman

My month-long experiment, aka NaBloPoMo, ends today. Thanks to all who read along.

Despite its having been a stressful month, I’m glad I took this plunge because it taught me a little something. Three little somethings, actually.

Thanks a million.

November 29, 2015March 18, 2013 by Donna Freedman

Another milestone: Some time between midnight and 10 a.m., Surviving and Thriving achieved its one millionth page view. I’ve been watching the site stats with great (OK, obsessive) interest, but didn’t expect to hit the seven-figure mark until the end of this week.

See what happens when you sign up for NaBloPoMo?

All kidding aside: I’m thrilled that people continue to check in. When I started the site back in May 2010, I wondered whether or not I could keep a website alive – and also whether anyone would care.

As I noted in “My first half-million,” a post about hitting the halfway-to-where-I-am-now mark:

If writers are the most insecure people on Earth, bloggers are proof that self-doubt has a sub-basement. Like the 2 a.m. disc jockey a whole lot of us wonder, “Is anyone even listening?

A two-day sale on FinCon13 tickets.

March 5, 2013 by Donna Freedman

I’ve written before about the Financial Blogger Conference, a four-day event that brings together beginner and veteran personal finance writers. This year’s event takes place in downtown St. Louis from Oct. 17 to 20.

And if you buy today or tomorrow, you can take advantage of a splendid sale price.

Live, and almost live: Advice on writing and personal finance.

January 18, 2013January 17, 2013 by Donna Freedman

You’ve got two chances to hear me talk, if you so desire. The first is archived and aimed at writers, and the second is personal finance advice done in real time on Google this Friday. (Edited to add: This, too, has been archived; see below.)

Those of you who missed the 2012 Financial Blogger Conference can catch some of it as archived presentations on the FinCon video page. My own speech, “Got voice? How to make your posts more compelling,” just went up.

I came up with the idea at the initial Financial Blogger Conference in 2011, after my “Write like a pro” presentation. Several people asked some version of the question, “How can I learn to write like you?” My response was, “You shouldn’t try – you should learn to write like you.”

I don’t think the problem is that bloggers aren’t creative. I think it’s that they don’t trust their own voices.

Help for would-be bloggers.

October 27, 2012 by Donna Freedman

Interested in not just starting but also “monetizing” (ugh — hideous neologism!) your own site? You need this week’s giveaway.

It’s a copy of “How I Make Money Blogging: The Beginner’s Guide to Building a Money-Making Blog,” an e-book by Crystal Stemberger. The author, who owns or co-owns eight sites, offers how-to advice on everything from choosing the right title to how much you should charge for ads.

Voting ends Sunday night. Can you help?

July 28, 2012 by Donna Freedman

Thanks to a lot of support, I am currently poised to make the finals of the PF Olympics, a writing contest that’s part of the Financial Blogger Conference. But I admit it: I’m worried that some other contestants will produce a surge of late votes that knock me out of the running.

That’s where you come in — I hope.

High-stakes self-promotion.

July 17, 2012 by Donna Freedman

Jo Seated on the Old Sofa from © by cliff1066™

For the second year in a row I’m speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference. This year there’s something new going on: the “PF Olympics,” a competition for the best personal finance writing.

The competition is kind of like being on “Dancing With The Stars”: It doesn’t really matter whether your footwork is as good as the other couple’s. As with just about any Internet-based contest, the determining factor is how many votes you get.

An element of skill is involved, if you get to the finals. But I’m not there yet, so once again I’m asking for your help.