Being a Blogger: Why do I blog?

After the reaction to my last, 'Being a Blogger' post, I've decided to do a few of these features, the next one I have planned is all about writing reviews, and I may also do a bookshelf tour, as I now have quite a large collection. I have seen posts about why people blog on a few blogs recently, including Queen of Contemporary. This time though, I really wanted to write about why I blog.

 

When I have a huge pile of ARCs, a list of blog posts to write, and absolutely no emails waiting for me when I get home, I always seem to ask myself this question. Right now, with so much revision that I have to put before reading, I always seem to be behind on my reading challenge, and the one thing I do for relaxation ends up being a chore. As I need to finish books to write the reviews, or I need to rush through them so I can reach my yearly-goal, I wonder should I just go back to reading for fun? Why should I put this much stress on myself? Shouldn't I just give it up until exams are over? Shouldn't I forget about it and focus on the schoolwork, as I lot of people have been suggesting? Maybe. But, I don't want to. I blog because blogging gives me things to get excited about, look forward to; people to talk and moan to(Mine and Hawwa's conversations about our impending GCSEs are very uplifting) and also I've achieved so many things because of this blog and I don't want to see these come to an end.

I'm really not sure why actually I blog. I think it's a mixture of different things - such as getting to write about whatever I want to and feeling comfortable to do so, making friends and talking to authors, and reading comments I never thought I would receive. The fact remains that this is my escapism, it's that one thing away from school, revision and all of the things that come with being a teenager in our society, and blogging means I can be myself - and nothing but that. I can freak-out over books, make jokes, and I can have my say as I now I won't be judged for that. Being a blogger has made me much more confident, talkative and passionate about reading, writing and books. Just by writing and getting good feedback, and being as creative as possible to try and think up good ideas, has really helped me come out of hiding. I was extremely shy before blogging, and blogging still makes me feel like I can actually do something.

Writing has also been something I have wanted to do - I can remember writing my first poems and feeling like they were amazing, only to look back at them now and feel my cheeks flaming-red just at the memory. Getting to write and have people actually read it is incredible. I adore writing - it's the one thing I just can't get enough of. It's like a really good book, once you're hooked, that's it. Until the final page. It's been my hobby for a huge number of years now, and through blogging, I've been able to do it a lot more. I never had a reason to write before, and hardly wrote, but now, I write everyday. Blogging is also addictive. You can't escape the hold it has on your life - and I'm not sure I want to. There's something about being a blogger that makes you feel extremely proud, and I blog because of all the opportunities you get. This year, I'm hoping to go YALC, and that's all down to my blog. 

The blogging community has been somewhat of a school for me, I've just learnt so much. I've learnt, firstly and probably most importantly, what a blog is, as I had no idea before I started this blog. I also never thought much - if at all - about how a book found it's way onto the shelves in a shop - just accepted it. Now, I know, and understand all of the hard work, and also the publishing-world, with ARCs, press-releases and reviews. I hadn't ever written a review before blogging, the first time I wrote one was for the second post on this blog, and I didn't know what happened exactly to have your review on the front of a book. I enjoy learning, and improving my writing, as reading other blogs makes me want to be better. Not in a competitive way, but because I want to be on the same level . Being part of this community fits in well here as I've never had better friends than other book bloggers.

 

I think I could sum up this whole blog post in one sentence.

 

I blog because I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

 

 

So, why do YOU blog?

Tell me in the comments!