How I Blog Now

After watching this interesting and informative vlog by Adele of Persnickety Snark, I decided to take up her challenge to do a post on how I review. I have expanded on her theme a little so it's turned into more How I Blog, with visual aides and lots of useless information. My motivation behind this, much like Adele's, is that I am really interested in the process of writing anything – finding the time, choosing a style, actually sitting down and doing it... I've added pictures because I want others to do the same. I have no real reason for doing so other than the fact that I am really, really nosy and if you all post pictures I can happily voyeur my little heart out.

I started blogging in April of this year while on the run up to my final assessment of the year (I'm studying on a long distance degree programme). Yup – not the best timing and I wasn't particularly organised. I would read a book then put it in a pile next to my already overflowing desk marked “TBR” - to be reviewed. Then, once I had my studying done, I would blitz through that pile and write reviews for about six books at once. It was all very tiring so I worked out a study and blog timetable which allowed me to settle into the routine that I now use

Firstly, I look at my to be read pile and schedule the books in order of release date – particularly if I have received titles from publishers. While I never guarantee that I will review a book by a certain date, if I can I always try to review the week of release. The rest of my to be read pile I tend to review in order of what I fancy reading first. This is my current to be read pile... Well, some of it. The ones at the top of my reading list tend to live in a pile next to my couch.

I rarely make notes when reading, but do use an index card as a bookmark so that I can jot down anything that comes to me, or note a section of the book that I want to specifically refer to. I recently received this lovely box from my delightful mother and use it to store these cards in and also to store swag.

Immediately on finishing a book, I now review it. Well, I review it after Lady M (my small and somewhat sleep shy daughter) has eventually retired for the night. Like Adele, I use the publishers' blurb - I'm no good at writing a synopsis and would rather use my brain to fully analyse the book itself. I can generally write an 800 word review in about 20 minutes, depending on what I want to say.  I find negative reviews harder to write for many reasons. When I first started blogging, I was absolutely adamant that I would be honest in all reviews and I have stuck to that. Saying that, I always try to ensure that my criticism is well founded and can be backed up. For a while I felt guilty every time I wrote a less than glowing review, but then I had an author comment on a review that I did for her book. It wasn't a great review, but it was balanced (which I believe is really important) and she actually thanked me for taking the time to consider all aspects of the book and comment on them constructively. I've never looked back. I still worry when I review a book badly – particularly if I have accepted it from a publisher, but feel that all my reviews would lose credibility were I to be less honest about the ones I dislike.

I tend to write my reviews long hand in a yellow legal pad that I am really quite attached to. This pad sits on my desk and also use it to note down books from everybody's Mailbox posts that I think look interesting, or to note titles that I have seen reviewed and want to read. It also has further thoughts for posts, and currently is very occupied with my upcoming Week Of The Living Dead. 

Once I have the long hand down I then type it into a text document where it sits until I transfer it to Blogger. After floundering at a desk covered with books, psychology textbooks and children's toys after commencing my blog I finally got organised. I have an address book for contacts and desk diary for scheduling which sit next to a noticeboard of useful information.

Once the review is in text document form, I move the book to my shelves.

And yes, I am aware that in terms of bookshelves, I really need a bigger boat. There are also books under the bed and on another bookshelf elsewhere in the house, but these are a combination of my favourites and those I have read in 2010. God only knows what will happen in 2011...

And there you have it – that is how I review and blog. My university course starts again shortly and I am relieved that I have finally settled into a pattern that allows me to do both. I would invite you all to take a look at Adele's post and take her up on the challenge to share your process for reviewing. And add some pictures – just for me...