Having just finished my third novel of the Frenchie Series and reflecting upon my skills as a blogger: I’d have to say that the books are road maps for an author who continues to evolve and improve one’s writing skill. For anyone who has not read my first two MG novels: Frenchie’s Best Friend- Follow the Blog and Frenchie X2- Follow the Blog; it may be no big surprise that there is a blog post at the end of most chapters. (You did catch the subtitle- Follow the Blog, right?) The blogs are written in the voice of a thirteen year old who is “gaga” over French Bulldogs and he blogs each night to his following of Frenchie lovers (French Bulldogs, for those of you not up on dog breeds) on his blog site: Frenchie’s Best Friend.
As a retired IB educator, I am reflective about my writing process journey while developing my skills. Over the last two years, sharing my novels with classes has had the sole purpose of entertaining students so that they’d be inspired to write blog posts themselves. In fact, West Vancouver’s School District (where I used to be a principal) actually has district-wide blogging contests. Isn’t that a cool idea?
I elicit from the students, elements of what makes a powerful blog. They are always able to come up with the criteria. The following is the key message that I leave the students with from my author visits: “Powerful blogs are usually written to provide useful information in an entertaining way.” Of course there is so much more complexity to blog writing, including: style, communication, length, interest, photos, and the purpose of sharing expertise and/or interests with others of common interests.
My contemporary fiction series is humorous! This is the hook used for keeping my readers turning the pages. They can relate to Ethan and his world of being a Frenchie owner wanna-be. Most of my MG readers are technologically advanced and writing blogs is another writing tool with which they are becoming familiar and using on a regular basis.
Take the Blog Analysis Challenge
Compare a sample blog from my first novel with another from my third, analyzing the two according to strengths and weaknesses based on one’s knowledge of writing powerful blogs. Has the style changed between Novel #1 and #3? Is there improvement? Is one more entertaining than the other? Why? Please give this a try and send me your analysis in the comment section of this blog. I would value your feedback! It would also give you a chance to read one of the blogs from my third book in the series (which will be published if I ever come up with the perfect title…).
Come on, take a stab at it, you might just pick up some valuable insight into writing your next blog post. Meet the challenge and participate… You know you want to….
Blog of Day 9 (Frenchie’s Best Friend-Follow the Blog) BOOK #1
Okay, my dedicated readers, I admit it, I am feeling somewhat smug tonight. Why you ask, would an amateur dog groomer be feeling this way? Well, I have to tell you that I performed a successful anal gland clean today on a Pug. As my trusty (and somewhat grossed out) assistant referred to as emptying out or “expressing” the anal glands. That’s correct my friends, this thirteen-year-old groomer performed a procedure during the bathing process that some people pay vets to do for them. Okay, so I feel successful tonight, so what? I’m sure my next humbling experience is just around the corner. As far as my best friend, I hope he has recovered from the gross ordeal that he witnessed, while reading the instructions to me from his laptop—you’re the man, Mikey! Well, all my fellow French Bulldog lovers, I am turning in early to gloat over my successful dog grooming venture of the day.
French Bulldog Fund: Day One $35.00
Day Two $35.00
Day Three $35.00
Day Four $40.00
TOTAL: $145.00
Determined and Entrepreneurial,
Frenchie’s Best Friend
Blog: Let It Go (BOOK #3)- (still undecided on the title)
After all the stress that Mom and I have been through this weekend, it was great to spend some downtime with our puppies, Mr. Cooper, and Prince Harry. Mom continues to surprise me. With all the stuff she’s handling, I couldn’t believe that she’d let Warren Cooper take us over by ferry to Bowen Island for a hike and brunch. She just went along good naturedly with the whole thing and we had an awesome day! You get off the ferry and have to walk quite a ways uphill to an artisan village. By the time we sat down at our outside table for brunch, the puppies were wiped out and just dozed at our feet. They were completely oblivious to all the adoring comments that were directed towards them by passers-by. I didn’t notice any other Bulldogs on Bowen, so the locals were really interested in them.
The weirdest thing that happened was some lady who kept gushing about how cute the puppies were and then looked at me and asked, “How did you ever convince your dad to let you have three?” Mom turned red, Mr. Cooper choked on his salad and I replied, “Actually, if I lived with my Dad I could have a complete zoo if I wanted it.” The woman realized she’d made an incorrect assumption and stuttered as she quickly moved on, “Uh yyes, I see, well then, sso nnice to mmeet yyou.”
All three of us broke out laughing at the ludicrous mistake the poor woman had made. How stupid can some people be!
Amused Frenchie Papa,
Frenchie’s Best Friend