Comments on: The Garden Blog Presentation at the GWA Symposium

By: susan harris

susan harris — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:02:40 +0000

Thanks again for your amazing hand-out, and your blog-coaching site. I’m linking to it!
Btw, I recently tried using WordPress and was amazed at how unusable I found it, as a nongeek. I finally gave up after having to consult help for every single element of setting up the blog. So yeah, it offers flexibility galore, but only for the tech- and code- and language-savvy. How frustrating!

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:09:12 +0000

I wouldn’t say you gave me fits. I was inexperienced and nervous, but also just as busy and trusted it would all work out–which it did.

By: Mary Ann Newcomer

Mary Ann Newcomer — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:49:23 +0000

DEAREST! Love that story and happy to have been a part of it! What a great morning that was……goosebumps and all. I know we gave you fits because we were so slow pokey to get it all together…….but you shined as the star you are and all went well. I, too, still use my handout from our discussion.

Hugs and more hugs,
MA

By: debra

debra — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:00:05 +0000

Greetings Kathy and Cold Climate readers….reading this entry puts a huge smile on my face as I remember feeling like a “proud mama” that my three panelists, including Ms. Purdy (aka the computer fairy), shared their perspective as garden bloggers. It was truly inspiring. I just listened to the hour-long presentation again on CD and hearing the panel’s warm, confident voices gave me goosebumps. Regardless of Kathy’s insistence that she was nervous and sleep-deprived (well, okay, she WAS sleep-deprived!), you wouldn’t have known it! Everyone of us was on our game that day – and I think it’s because the audience was with us. More to come, right Kathy?! x0x0dkp
PS, the CD is in the mail! Let us know what your mom thinks when she finally hears it.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:25:44 +0000

Common Weeder, the words Stumble It! are an easy way for people who belong to StumbleUpon to mark the post as one they find interesting. Those words are there because I'm experimenting with "Feed Flare" options in Feed Burner. For more information about StumbleUpon, check out Colleen's informative explanation and this one. Genie and Mr. McGregor's Daughter, thank you for stopping by. If you come across other great resources that should be in the "handout," let me know.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:09:18 +0000

mss, thank you for loving the detail.

Dee, it means a lot to me to learn the handout has helped you. You got the physical handout at the symposium, but I’ve added more to the virtual one, so stop by.

Carol, I have a fear of being late, too, but at that point I was so sleep deprived I didn’t realize what a tight schedule they had planned. I was “supposed” to get on the bus, so I did. In retrospect it would have been smarter to visit the botanical gardens, which were an easy walk from the hotel.

By: Mr. McGregor's Daughter

Mr. McGregor's Daughter — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:39:50 +0000

They say that public speaking gets easier the more you do it. I don’t know if that’s true because I made my living writing, rather than speaking (a deliberate choice). Thanks for the great summary & the “handout.”

By: Genie

Genie — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:49:37 +0000

Kathy, thanks for the wonderful write-up and the link to the handout! That’s going to be a great resource (with a long tail!) for seedling garden bloggers to use. Congrats again on being selected to speak — you’re such a pioneer in this arena, and have so much knowledge to impart!

By: CommonWeeder

CommonWeeder — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:22:16 +0000

I wish I had been there! As a new blogger I learn something new every day. If would be great to build up a little more speed. And what does ‘stumbleit’ mean? I couldn’t handle a computer in the middle of the night but I do keep a pad and pencil by my bed because so many ideas come just as I am falling asleep – or just as I am waking up. You’ve also made a good point about the value of GWA meetings.

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 03:15:05 +0000

Thanks for the recap and the great handout you wrote up to introduce people to garden blogging. As one who fears being late, I don’t know if I would have even gotten on the bus for fear I wouldn’t get back in time.

I wonder how many garden writers, who often do have to write what editors or others tell them to write, are able to still open up and follow their own vision on a blog? Or do they end up self-editing, in case one of those editors might happen along and read their blog?