Entry #11: Dear Future Blogger,

It is with great sadness that I end this chapter of my blogging story. I have posted around 24 different blog posts this last semester. They were a culmination of both ENG101 and ENG102 writing posts. The many topics posted challenged my abilities as an author. I had to stretch my comfort zone and really embrace the idea of blogging my ideas publicly. My purpose in blogging was to entertain and present scientific topics that were fun to read about. Hopefully someone saw a post and got excited about science and did more research into the subject. I would like to end my final blog by doing a little Q and A for future bloggers or students.

Q: What advice would you give a future blogger?
A: I would tell a future blogger to follow their passions. I would tell them to write about things that interest them and to chase after topics that make them curious of that generate questions. It is always easier to write on topics that have strong emotional connections with the topic. Look into those. As you develop and get better you can learn how to spin assigned or "boring projects" into works of art that are uniquely you. I didn't always get a topic I enjoyed writing about but I most definitely took advantage of placing my own voice into the writing piece.

Q: What helped you to stay on track and focused for this blog?
A: I used my time wisely. Assignment would be posted far in advance. I used this time to make lots of drafts before publishing. I would draft many different subjects and assigned topics and I would add a little bit each day. I would then publish them when they were completed or on the day of the deadline.

Q: How did you push yourself past writers block?
A: That's a great question! For me, it was finding a balance. You have the ability to write about any topic under the sun. Make it a valuable experience find your voice and let it shine. When I didn't know what to write about or how to start a topic I would think about my blog purpose/theme. It was something science related. I would then think about different topics that interested me either currently or in the past. I chose a topic and I ran with it. I remembered to try and be less intense with the subjects and to be more applicable, What would my audience understand. If I didn't know how to start my writing I would just pick any aspect of the topic and I would start to write something about it. That something would grow and develop and eventually I could make it my own.

Q: How has blogging changed you?
A: It has changed me dramatically. I was not very passionate about writing before taking ENG101 and ENG102. Now I think it's one of my favorite topics. I was given the chance to develop my voice and I could write to an audience that I chose and I didn't have to write to a professor or an a very rigid subject. Blogging is like the ultimate freedom for writers to express themselves. I loved the challenges and the rewards gained from blogging and I would easily do it again.

Q: Do you like the social media aspect of blogging?
A: Yes! The social media aspect of blogging was great. Just getting to watch and see my classmates develop in their own writing was amazing. You could easily start to see what topics interested who and how that played into their character. You could see their voice shining through in their writing. It was also encouraging to know that everyone was really in it together.

Thanks for all these great questions. I have enjoyed blogging and I think I might just continue to do it in the future. I might use the platform to give research updates as I continue through my Undergraduate studies. Thank you to anyone who has enjoyed reading the posts and I wish you all good luck on your own blogging adventures.