Blog Post – Enthusiasm
This is a two part assignment for your blog.
Part 1- write a one sentence description of your blog that will appear on draketechlit.com. Include information that makes your topic clear and prompts the visitor to click on your blog. It should be informative and enthusiastic. Please email your description to rmilstead@tamdistrict.org and include:
>the words “blog description” in the subject line
>your first and last name
>the url of y0ur blog
>your one sentence description
If I were doing this for my own blog (readingwithmykids.blogspot.com) my description would be:
This blog chronicles the funny, warm and beautifully illustrated books that my children love.
Part II-Your next blog post: passion and enthusiasm
You have a choice for your next blog post. Blog about:
>your enthusiasm and passion for your blog topic. Go beyond, “I blog about puppies because they are nice” and dig deeper. What is it about puppies? Do you like raising a dog, training and guiding it so becomes a good companion? If I were writing this about my own blog my line would go like:
When I started looking for a new blog topic my thoughts went to my interests. What do I do everyday that brings me joy? Spend time with my kids. What happens everyday that makes them jump and down with enthusiasm? Reading books at bedtime. If one of my kids doesn’t ask for “one more book” then I get ready to call the doctor. This shared time is so special to us that I want to preserve this time and the touchstone that books give us a family.
>your other choice is to write about someone else related to your blog topic and their passion. Who is a significant contributor to your area of interest? A coach? An artist? An entrepreneur?
If you don’t know enough about someone in your chosen area then you are off to Google. Start by looking at other blogs related to your topic. Who are they writing about? Go to google and search for “innovative (businesswoman, painter, cake decorator)” and follow where it leads.
As for my own blog, it was a tough choice. So many children’s authors craft wonderful books that rise about the schlock of the bargain bin “Baby Einstein” knockoffs. David Small is one of those writers. We have enjoyed many of his wonderfully illustrated books but I know little of him, his background, what has led him to write and illustrate to over forty kids books. So I Googled “David Small interview” and clicked on video. There it was.
This interview was made when Mr. Small was nominated for a National Book Award as a graphic novelist. He talks about his book Stitches and what contributed to its creation. The books carries through the them of his other works where he treats his audience as intellgent and curious individuals (not just “bunnies are fuzzy”) and touches on issues of poverty, loss and the sweet awkwardness of life. Small takes a different tact in Stitches; this is a difficult experience that was brought upon the author by his own parents. It is deeply personal and, as revealed in the interview, is written out of respect for his readers and the awareness that confronting a difficult situation head-on is often preferable to ignoring it entirely. Mr. Small wrote this book for the youth/young adult audience to open the dialog and in such a way demonstrates a passion and love for his art that transends many other offerings in kids literature.
If you use an interview, blog post or article as prep for this post then include a link in your post. This further extends the reach of blog and gives your audience even more information about your focus.