Once upon a time, a tortoise—oops, I mean, a writer, started a blog called Middle Passages. She didn’t know much about following or commenting, so while all the hares—I mean other bloggers, skipped by her in readership, she practiced her craft in hope that someday the quality of work would cause readers to notice.
She composed essays she dredged from her heart, and each time she pressed “publish,” fulfillment surged through her, and the ensuing improvement in the practice she loved, developed her confidence. One morning, she pulled her head out of her dark, musty shell, risked commenting on other blogs, and experienced a wave of joy as one by one, folks started reading and following hers.
Still, as tortoises—I mean, cautious writers, are wont to do; she took her time, declining to hold contests to dredge up readers, instead hopeful that each measured word would act as a testament unto itself. By the third year, perseverance led to writing related employment, as well as publication of freelance articles for a local lifestyle magazine, blog contributions to a food related website, membership in a local writing group, the honor of reading and critiquing other writers' works, the dedicated (albeit slow) editing of her second (unpublished) novel, and best of all, the support and caring from a dedicated group of followers.
And then one day, she opened Middle Passages and found this.
Yes, it took three years to reach three hundred followers, and for this tortoise— oops, I mean steady writer, the finish remains ahead. But still, she's proud. Yet, no milestone stands alone. Here's to each and every one of her Middle Passages readers for keeping her on the path to a happily ever-after-ending.
Thank you everyone!
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
