Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings in order to discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging (and some slightly more personal matters thrown in for good measure). While Heidi is on an extended hiatus, there are five of us who are hosting it and providing the questions. The current team is composed of Berls at Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen at That's What I'm Talking About, Karen at For What It's Worth, Linda at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Roberta at Offbeat YA. This week's question is...
WHAT ARE YOUR BLOGGING GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR?
I have already covered them in my 2020 wrap-up, but this post will allow me to elaborate a little further...
- I mean to be consistent with my posts, but I'm not striving for big numbers. My three latest blogging years have been a crescendo - 59 posts in 2018, 64 in 2019, 72 in 2020 - but I want to avoid burnout, not to mention I have to study for the infamous public examination that should take place sometime in 2022. I'd be contented to reach 52 posts - one per week - and anyhow, I swore to myself I'll never, under no circumstances, force myself to write more than 5 posts per month this year*. Well, unless one of "my" authors (the indie/small pub ones I beta-read for or I support) needs my help to spread the word about one of their new projects...
copy-and-paste from my GR mini-reviews, so there's practically no work involved...
- I'll definitely keep posting backlist reviews (not only because I get very few ARCs - I've been genuinely far more interested in forlorn and lesser-known books than in popular ones since I started my blog) and to support the aforementioned indie/small pub authors - I mean all those whose books sound appealing, not only the ones I know personally.
- I want to keep better track of YOUR posts in order to spotlight them in my Tooting Your Trumpet series. I've skipped a couple of rounds lately, and I feel guilty...
- Speaking of which, I mean to be better at commenting (which isn't strictly a blogging goal, but it does fall under the "blogger activities" umbrella...). I need to stay on top of your posts AND to comment more, also under reviews - which I sometime read without saying nothing, or I sometime DON'T read because those particular books are not my genre...but since most of you do read MY reviews anyway and are so kind as to comment, I should at least make an effort to reciprocate! Time is scarce sometimes, but heck, isn't it for us all?
Well, that's it for now. Did you enjoy this post? Would you like to participate in the meme on a regular or semi-regular basis, and get emailed the prompt list? Just head over here and fill in Jen's form! (Of course, you can jump in anytime you like - you are under no obligation to actually do all the posts, or even most of them, just because you signed up, and you can remove yourself from the list at any time). And if you're interested in participating in a more casual manner, or only in commenting, here is the TMST prompt list for the rest of January:
- January 12th: Resolutions/words of the year - do you do them? What are they for 2021?
- January 19th: Bookish jobs: if you could do something in the bookish world for employment, what would you choose and why?
- January 26th: Do you reread? And are you ever tempted to change your ratings when you do? (a question I submitted)
I'll be back on January 19th, but I'll visit your posts in the meantime!
Now tell me something...what do you want to accomplish in 2021, blog-wise?
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NOTE: I'm writing this life update at the last minute (the post above had been scheduled for weeks). Brace yourself...
So, in addition to the sudden and nasty pain in my lower back right side (see my previous post for it), which thankfully seems to be receding (after a bunch of painkillers and anti-inflammatory meds), yesternight I had the most horrible experience. After dinner (I was home alone because the hubs had the 14-to-22 shift), I suddenly developed fever symptoms and a HUGE tremor, so unbearable that I took some paracetamol and went straight to bed without even checking my temp, because I was feeling so awful I couldn't even get to my thermometer - let alone handle it. Guys, I was shaking like a house in a earthquake and my teeth were clattering. Never felt so bad in my whole life. After a while, the med kicked in, and I started feeling like a human being again. It was then that I finally managed to check my temp, and it was at 38°C...that is, 100°F. So, it must have been at least at 40 (104) before. Of course I started to worry about the damned Covid, because that's what you do. Anyhow, my temp kept lowering, and by the hour I went to sleep it was at 36℃ (96.800℉).
This morning I had no fever - anyhow, I called my doctor, and she said to wait it out, because basically, with Covid, one shouldn't be able to force their temp to get lower than 37.5℃ (99.500℉), which I did. Nevertheless, I'm worried - even if this this afternoon it's been hovering around 36,5 (97.700). Also, we don't now yet what caused the spike. Of course I didn't go to work, and tomorrow is a holiday here. I still have the appointment with my doc scheduled for Thursday, and right now I would love to lose myself in one of my new books/ARCs, and to chat with you lovely people on your blogs, but the best I could manage was some tweets and a couple of short comments. So please forgive me in advance if I end up missing some comments and stuff these days (despite what I was saying in this very post...). My heart (more like, my head) just isn't in it. I promise to make up for that in the (hopefully near) future.
Do you use Feedly? It's a great way to keep track of posts.
ReplyDeleteI don't like aggregators because they show you the whole post even when the blogger gives you the truncated version, and I think they don't have the right to act as a substitute for your own blog, so to speak. Anyway, it's not about keeping track of them - it's only that I can't deal with the whole thing these days. I'm feeling too bad and tired. And if I should go back and comment on tens of posts in a few days, I would simply break down. I'll do what I can until things get back to normal in the health department...
DeleteI use Feedly and you can change the settings to have truncated versions in the feed. I have mine set to "magazine" view, which only shows a few lines. But if the blog has it set to truncated, I only see what they send, I cannot see the whole post, even for the ones I have set to read the whole post. May be different in different countries though?
DeleteAnyhow, I hope you are feeling better Roberta - what a scary experience!
DeleteMy blogging goal is to keep blogging! Lol. I would like to have new posts every Sunday - Friday.
I'm not sure how Feedly works anymore LOL. I think I tried it after a couple of years since I started blogging...it might be different now. Maybe I'll try it again, though bookmarking posts works for me. My problem right now is that I'm feeling so tired that I can barely deal with my own comments...I hope to make up for lost time as soon as I feel better.
DeleteThanks Jen! And I love your blogging goal LOL. It's so honest 😉.
I'm too lazy to make any blogging blogs but I do also like to leave more comments on other people's blogs.
ReplyDelete'Time is scarce' I think since by the time I'm up to doing anything, it's already the next day. So I think you don't even have to set any goals at all.
I hope you get better real soon. Take the day off, heck, take a lot of days off if you can.
Have a lovely day.
"I think since by the time I'm up to doing anything, it's already the next day."
DeleteHa! It does feel like that sometimes...or often.
I'm glad that you like to leave comments - if I should judge from the ones you leave on my blog, it shows 🙂. And thank you! I had already requested a week off starting from the 11th before I got sick, so hopefully I'll have more time to recover.
Avoiding burnout is a good goal, especially since you have to study!
ReplyDeleteLOL, yeah. I started reading the source material, but the way I'm feeling right now, it will take time until I can use the word "study".
DeleteMy goal for 2021 blogging wise is to stop procrastinating writing blog posts. I usually forget until Thursday every week to write a post, and then I'm scrambling to publish on Friday. I want to be on top of my blog posts weeks in advance!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals, Roberta :)
Having a schedule (as in, an actual spreadsheet where you write your daily goals) helped me a lot. I know it's not for everyone, but you can always try it 😉.
DeleteI like backlist reviews. And I'm sorry about that fever/ tremors! Sounds awful. I don't imagine that was very fun! I'm glad you're better though. I hope you don't have to worry about Covid, but I know when I had it I had an episode where I had chills so bad my whole body was shaking and I couldn't warm up- kind of a different deal but it was almost like tremors. It didn't last too long though and by and large my symptoms were mild.
ReplyDeleteAnyway that's neither here nor there. Bottom line I hope you are feeling better -it's good that your temp came down and didn't stay elevated like that! And that you have a doctor visit and hopeflly the can figure everything out you. Take care of yourself and be well!!!
"when I had it I had an episode where I had chills so bad my whole body was shaking and I couldn't warm up".
DeleteThat's what I meant with "tremors"...oh goodness. So you know how bad it can get. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I think with my temp now firmly around 36℃ (96.800℉), I can say it wasn't a Covid symptom, but this thing is so hard to pinpoint. Anyhow, let's see what the doctor has to say tomorrow. And thank you!
Even if I was bad at blogging I was always good at visiting and commenting but now I suck at that too lol It's just been A YEAR but things ebb and flow and I'll just do my best :-)
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
You'll come through! I'm sure we would die of boredom and loneliness without blogging and commenting LOL.
DeleteOh no, that was high, I had that last year when I assume I had the influenza since it was late Jan (but who the heck knows pre covid). I hope you check out is ok!
ReplyDeleteYep, lots of things seemed "normal" before Covid struck...I'm sorry to hear it happened to you too, It's awful. Thank you!
DeleteOh no, I hope you are feeling better that sounds scary. Hopefully it just goes away and doesn't come back, whatever it is. My blogging goals are to just keep doing what I've been doing for 15 years. Yeah I've been around for 15 years. lol
ReplyDeleteThank you - the fever never came back, but it was, indeed, scary...especially in the current situation, you know. Also, I'd like to know what caused that spike...I hope my doc can figure something out today.
DeleteLOL, I know! You talked about it on your blog. 15 years is a HUGE milestone. Congrats on never giving up!
I've just arrived here, and that temperature spike sounds incredibly scary. I'm so glad the temperature never came back - I read your replies in the comments - I hope that's still the case. If you feel comfortable sharing - what did your doctor say today? About the pain and this? I can't believe things are piling up for you right now.
ReplyDeleteTry to take it easy, btw! Not sure how stressed you are about commenting and things like that, but you did say you feel bad about tooting your trumpet and I'm here to say that you shouldn't!! I can see that you are worried about your studies and the exam already and I'm sure there are other stressful things in your life too. Try not to add blogging to that? You're a very supportive blogger friend and the last person who should feel like they aren't commenting enough. 😃 Hope you feel better and that you'll know what caused the temperature spike and the pain! :)
"If you feel comfortable sharing - what did your doctor say today?"
DeleteNot much - judging by the E.R. report, there must be an infection somewhere, but it's a guessing game right now. I have to get another bloodwork in a week (they did one at the E.R. on the 31st), and only then I can request the lung TAC scan, because the way it works now, if it's an urgent exam, they "should" call you in within 10 days, so if I place a request now, they "could" call me before the bloodwork is ready (very unlikely, but still). It's all madness around here. Anyhow, the pain receded, so maybe pneumonia tried to take my body and lost the fight? We can't know before the scan. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, the doctor ordered a Covid swab, that I'm going to book this morning.
"You're a very supportive blogger friend and the last person who should feel like they aren't commenting enough."
This - and your whole comment - is the kind of thing that brings happy tears to my eyes. I'm so glad I met you that day - who would have thought that we would become close buddies despite the age difference 😘. My whole life was a mess even without health issues, and blogging is usually my life-saver, but right now days are a blur and I'm so tired - and yep, a bit worried. I have posts scheduled for the whole month, but I also need to take care of 3 ARCs during the next one, because I don't want to let the authors and publishers down (thankfully, 2 of them I've already read once, and the other one I won't reread, because there's no time for that right now). And you all aren't less deserving than them. I hope to be able to come back reinvigorated (or at least not broken anymore LOL) soon...in the meantime...a giant hug to you, my friend 💚.
I'm hoping you can get the lung scan done soon-ish and that the pain and fever won't come back! I do hope it's not COVID, but if it is, then I guess your body is doing a good job fighting it, which would not be so bad, I suppose.
DeleteThe ARCs sound stressful, sending all the strength you'll need to deal with them. Thank you, *hugs back* 💚
I'm getting the swap this morning, then I'll have to wait at least 72 hours for the official results, but my husband says that, if you're positive, you get a call within 24 hours.
DeleteARGH. I'd never thought I'd hate ARCs LOL. Thank you!
I hope you're okay and feeling better now and that there is nothing too much to worry about? I like your goals - on not overdoing it and managing to stay consistent. I don't really set blogging goals anymore but I do want to kind of get one post up a week. And I love backlist reviews. I post them all the time :P So I would love to read some of yours. Personally I think you do a fantastic job with commenting. Much better than me, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling better, thank you - now I have bloodwork and a lung scan waiting for me though. And I'm really tired, but that's not completely related to the whole health thing. Also, I'm worried...and that IS. Anyhow, I'm trying to live one day at a time...
DeleteHa! I know you do! And classics 😉. Also, thanks! As soon as I feel better and less stressed, I will go back to commenting more consistently - and now that I've mastered the trick, I hope to be able to comment on your blog like I used to before WP started hating me 😂.
I hope you're doing okay and feeling better (or soon)! Don't stress yourself out too much - your health is more important, and self care is important as well. But let's be honest, you're definitely better at me than commenting 🙈
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm feeling a bit better overall (though I'm an old lady who wakes up with a new ache everyday ðŸ˜. And did I mention I'm always tired?).
DeleteHa! Every one of us has to deal with something and pay the price. I feel guilty when I manage to produce posts (thanks to my fabulous scheduling skills 😂) and then find myself short of commenting time...at least we can see that you're busy or stressed because you're writing few posts these days, so who can blame you for not commenting? 🙂
I don't think I commented on this yet? Those sound like great, doable goals :-) Yay for supporting indie books! I know you've figured out the health thing now, but yikes, that sounds awful.
ReplyDeleteIt was! And yep, indie books! Though I'm reading a ton of ARCs lately LOL. But I also have my authors to support and help!
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