February 28th is sometimes called “Discouragement Day” because so many people have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions by then. But Gretchen Rubin suggests reframing February 28th as “Determination Day,” a day to figure out what’s working so far and what’s not, and if something isn’t working, decide how to fix it.
This year, February 28th fell on a Wednesday, which is my day off of work. I decided some self-reflection was in order, so I took myself to Barnes and Noble, where I sat in the cafe with a notebook and a cup of tea, evaluating 2024 so far.
In some ways the year has been a train wreck (I’m looking at you, sprained ankle!) but some of my goals are still right on track. Sleeping has been better! And I’ve been keeping up a decent reading schedule. The only thing I didn’t do at all, which I wanted to, was participate in Gretchen Rubin’s challenge, “Write 24 for 24.” To make it less daunting, she gave the option of either writing for 24 minutes a day, OR 2-4 minutes a day. Other than blog posts, I did neither. But it’s never too late- Determination Day seemed like the perfect time to start.
It just so happened that earlier in the day I was listening to this episode of The Mom Hour podcast, “Living a Writerly Life” where the hosts talk about their writing careers and how they’ve evolved over the years. One thing they said stood out to me: don’t confuse your writing identity with the platform you’re using. For example, instead of thinking of yourself as a “blogger,” you should think of yourself as a writer using blogging as your platform.
The thought of saying “I’m a writer” kind of makes me cringe. But then, I think about people who say “I’m not really a runner” because they don’t run races, or they think they run slowly. No! If you run, you’re a runner. I’ve never had trouble calling myself a “runner,” even though I’ll never be on the same level as Shalane Flanagan. So why can’t I be a writer? I’m not saying I’m J.K. Rowling. But I write, so I’m a writer.
Why make the distinction between “blogger” and “writer?” If you identify as a “blogger” it can be tempting to get caught up in what blogs are “supposed” to be like. You might compare yourself to other blogs, or think “this is too long for a blog post” or “a blog post should have photos.” But we all know there are endless variations on blogs. If you identify as a writer who blogs, it frees you up to do it the way YOU want to do it.
My trip to Barnes and Noble turned into a little blogging retreat; I thought about where I started and where I want to go next. Before I started my own blog, I read a lot of fitness blogs and finally decided to join in. At first I followed more of a fitness blog format and posted on certain days so I could join various linkups. Now, over three years later, some of those are working better than others.
Every Sunday I join the Weekly Rundown, hosted by Kim and Deborah. I LOVE this linkup! The community is so supportive- I get a lot of great advice and workout ideas. It also keeps me accountable on days where I just don’t feel like going to the gym. If I know I’ll be posting my week of workouts, I’m much less likely to skip any.
Some of the other linkups aren’t working as well for me. I’ll have something I want to write about, but will struggle to fit it in the form of a “Runfession,” for example. So I’ll probably stop participating in that one (although now watch- this month I’ll probably think of a dozen “runfessions” and end up linking anyway. I’ll keep it flexible.) I also have some other ideas for regular weekly posts which will be unveiled shortly!
In case anyone is interested, here’s my very first post from October 2020. Eh. It’s not quite as cringe-y as I thought it would be, but it’s just kind of boring. As Gretchen Rubin would say… “Onward and Upward!”
If you have a blog, do you think of yourself as a writer?
Is anyone else doing Gretchen Rubin’s “Write 24 for 24 challenge?”
Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash
38 Responses
Oh no, don’t skip the runfession link-up! These posts are so much fun to read!
You’re definitely a writer-blogger and your style and contents appeal to runners and non-runners alike. Great job, Jenny!!
I can see how the Weekly Rundowns are motivating. However, depending on the blog, it can be quite repetitive and tedious to read, especially when the main topic is the weather. I like it when the writer adds something specific that happened in that week, it makes it a lot more interesting.
Yes, I know what you mean about the Weekly Rundown posts. I’m very fond of all those bloggers, but some of them get repetitive. I’m taking this as positive feedback, and will think about making those posts fun to read (as well as fun to write.)
Positive Feedback indeed! You’re already doing a great job at getting variety into your Weekly Rundowns!
Wait, you’ve only been blogging since 2020? Really?!
I don’t participate in any linkups but I think it’s a very fun idea! I do my weekly Happy Things posts and appreciate the continuity of that, but even that sometimes can feel tedious! I say drop whatever doesn’t feel fun anymore. We are all writers in this space but most of us are writing for enjoyment and that’s what it should be. Also, it’s okay to skip it sometimes and do it when it feels like you have something you want to say!
Your blog is one of my absolute favourites and I am always so happy to see it show up in my feed <3
Aw, thanks Elisabeth! I have to say that every Friday I get excited at the thought of reading your Happy Things post! And yes… I started in 2020. I’m a newbie compared to a lot of these bloggers.
It’s interesting: if you asked me out of the blue, “Are you a writer?” I would probably say no, automatically. And yet one of the reasons I started blogging was to give my writing a kick in the butt for over-editing: just write it and be done with it! So kind of maybe yes? But it feels like a weighty label to apply to myself.
Yes I know- it sounds like if we’re “writers” we should be publishing our novels. But I say, call yourself a writer if you want to. The “writing police” aren’t going to come around to enforce it.
I read a lot of running/fitness blogs but yours is the only one I comment on regularly! I really like your writing style and getting a peek into your life, so I hope you continue to blog, even if you don’t participate in all the linkups.
I blogged a lot in college and for a few years post-college but kinda gave up in 2020-2021ish because the jobs I’ve had have all been pretty writing-centric and I just don’t have the brain power to want to write more on my downtime. But I do miss it because it was a way for me to share about the things that matter to me in life. So I may start blogging again…
Don’t worry Ashley, I will DEFINITELY continue to blog.
I can see why you wouldn’t want to be blogging right now- but I think you would have an audience if you wanted to start again. I definitely want to read about your trail adventures in AZ!
I do think of myself as a writer first, to be honest. I spend a lot of time crafting my posts and thinking about writing. I’ve always loved writing and I do think of myself as a writer with a blog. I love the blogging community, and I absolutely love writing. Each of my posts takes hours to write, from the time I think of what I’m going to write about, to the actual writing, to all the polishing I do. It’s really important to me to get all my words “right” and to say what I want to say. Even for Five for Fridays or Favourite Things, I try to make it fun to read and interesting to the reader.
I’ve had a blog since 2008 and I don’t think I have ever done a linkup! If I have it was so long ago I’ve forgotten. It seems like a good way to build community.
Yes, I was pretty sure you consider yourself a writer, and I can see the care you put into your blog posts. Each one is like an essay and I can tell you spend a lot of time on it. Linkups are a GREAT way to build community- I think I had zero comments on my blog before I joined those linkups. After a while they can get kind of constricting though- not all of them, but if you’re linking up TOO much then I feel like you’re following someone else’s blueprint for your blog.
Definitely not a writer… don’t have time to do what I need to do each day… but I can throw together some posts… most are written way in advance (when I have extra time)
I have blogged since 2008 and plan to continue until I stop running… if no one reads my blog, that’s ok. It’s my running diary.
Well, you definitely have a lot of readers! It’s funny because I know you like to talk (I’ve met you a couple times in person now!) but your blog posts are NOT wordy. But I like that- it’s your own personal style.
I guess, our personalities are not always reflected in our writing. My blog is written on a time crunch and I just like to get it done (like my running LOL). I do love reading all the details on yours. My life isn’t as interesting.
I love this, Jenny! If you had told me a few years ago that one of my favorite blogs would be a running blog, I would have laughed! But your writing style makes everything such a pleasure to read, and I look forward to all of your posts, no matter the content.
Aw, thank you Suzanne!!! That’s high praise, coming from you, because of all the people in our blogging world, you actually ARE a writer! For real!
I love this post and how you compare runners with writers, and I can see the same-ish thing with photographers and musicians, where there is also that BS that you are not “allowed” to call yourself a photographer unless you make money from it, but my opinion is still that if you take photos with intent you’re a photographer, and if you play music you’re a musician. And so on.
I couldn’t agree more with your standpoint about being a writer! I also totally relate to what the title “blogger” seems to include… with all the “shoulds” (that almost made me quit bloging). I feel the same about it. I don’t call myself a blogger either, but I don’t see myself as a writer (maybe later), I just say that I write a blog.
I agree- the same goes with photography and music. And so many other things! Saying “I write a blog” is a good way to describe yourself.
I think of writing and blogging as separate— I dash my posts off in a second, for example, and save the thinking about form and structure part for other writing. But I really like this comment thread and hearing how everyone else sees themselves.
I can see how people who actually write for a living, or as part of their job, could consider blogging separate. Your blog posts are the “just for fun” part of your writing.
I was surprised to find that you’ve only been blogging since 2020!! I assumed you were a long time blogger! But you are relatively new to blogging and have built a great community in a short period of time. I’m kind of an OG blogger since I started back in 2008. I think I would cringe if I went back and read my posts from that time frame… I remember sometimes I would post multiple times IN A SINGLE DAY. What in the world. Now I’m kind of a 2 posts/week kind of person.
All that said, I don’t know that I think of myself as a writer, but this post makes me think that I should. I did skip that mom hour episode because I thought – whelp, this doesn’t apply since I’m not a writer! But you are write – I am a writer although so much of what I write on my blog feels more surface level compared to when I was a single gal who only had her story to tell. now I have to protect the innocent (ha!) and keep things fairly high level. But I always try to balance not oversharing with “keeping it real” because I don’t want my blog to come off as a social media “everything is awesome” PR campaign.
Lisa, I knew you were OG because so many people have mentioned yours being the first blog they read, back in the day. I also remember you mentioning in a post that you got the job you had now (I think?) because someone recognized you had a mind for finance AND you could write. So I definitely think you should say you’re a writer.
I also didn’t realize you’ve only been blogging since 2020! In fact, my blog is older than yours! I started mine in April 2020. I guess I often don’t think of the writing I do on my blog as “real writing”, since I often write very fast, in an unpolished manner and am generally not worrying about things like sentence structure or having a cohesive theme or topic sentences or anything of the sort. BUT, I write a LOT on my blog. So, I think it’s like the “if you run, you’re a runner” thing. We are writers, too! I’ve always really enjoyed writing, even as a child. (Fun fact- I wrote for the elementary school newspaper when I was only in 5th grade.) I definitely think of writing/language as a big strength of mine and an area that I excel. I often have the thought that my actual paid work doesn’t actually play as well to my strengths as things that involve language/ writing and sometimes wish that it did! Finally, I feel like the term “blogger” has sort of a weird connotation for me. I mean, I think I would say that best describes me- I’m not a “writer” in the sense that I am not getting paid to write for a journal or other publications. “Blogger” seems most accurate. But blogger sometimes sounds almost cringey or silly to me, for some reason. I am not sure why. Like I feel like I might feel funny telling someone in real life, Oh yeah, by the way, I’m a blogger. Does that make sense? Can’t really pinpoint what I mean.
Yes, “Blogger” does sound kind of weird. And btw I always enjoy your blog-writing style. You sometimes go into a lot of detail (which I love- I like hearing details of people’s lives!) but it’s never long-winded, it’s always coherent and fun to read.
Since your paid work doesn’t involve a lot of writing, I think you’ve picked the perfect outlet for your writing skills!
The funny thing is that I’ve kind of gone out of my way NOT to be a writer cuz writing is hard. I used to be a technical writer but then I escaped by becoming an accountant. And yet what do I do in my spare time…you guessed it…I write! And thank goodness that you write, because you have so much to say.
I think the worst thing that a “blogger” can do is to try to fit too strictly into a theme. The nice thing about a running blog is that your topic can stretch to anything that a person might think about while running, so you are never going to run out of things to write about. I’m looking forward to seeing your new weekly posts.
Hmm! You have a lot of skeletons in your closet. Weren’t you once a musician as well?
I agree about trying to fit to strictly into a theme. My early blog posts were all about running/workouts and man, was it boring.
Yes, I would consider myself a writer with a blog. That’s why I started blogging – to have a place to be creative and WRITE. Like Nicole, I tend to spend a lot of time revising and rewriting my blog posts. I’ve tried to lessen the pressure I put on myself when it comes to blogging, though. Not every post needs to be perfect or wordy or even grammatically correct.
Yes, I was pretty sure you identified as a writer! As a matter of fact I knew that would be your answer. Just look at the name of your blog!
I read this post this morning while I was eating breakfast and thought about it all day, but I didn’t have time to respond until now, so I have a lot to say.
I think of myself as a reader. I read, I think about books, I talk about books. I write only because I want to write about books, too. I mean, I do write about other things on my blog, but if I’m honest, it’s mostly about books. And unlike some other people in these here comments, I do not revise or review my posts very often, which is why they’re riddled with typos and sentence fragments.
But I do write more than a lot of people I know who pride themselves on “being writers.” I don’t know why I would happily accept the label blogger, but I shy away from writer. I guess it’s because I don’t feel like I have a lot of training in writing? And I’m not particularly great at anything beyond basic prose. But that’s fine for blogging, right?
Also, Jenny, you write about running and working out in such a relatable, vivid way. I keep thinking about that post-race post where I knew the DNF outcome, but I was still riveted by every word you wrote. That is not typical in a lot of fitness-y blogs, in my experience. Your writing is fantastic and I will read what you have to say about anything because if you are writing about it, I know I’ll be in good hands and you’ll make it something I will get invested in.
THANK YOU ENGIE. I really appreciate the support! And yes… the training aspect of it does come into play. I think someone is more likely to call themselves a musician if they’ve been formally trained, than if they just pick up a guitar and fool around. On the other hand… I’m pretty sure Paul McCartney had no formal music training (he didn’t even know how to read music) so obviously training isn’t the only criteria!
I always enjoy your writing and RARELY find typos in your posts. Everyone has a different style, and thank god for that- think how boring it would be otherwise.
What a good practice, to have a blog review date outside of the house. I will try that.
I have been blogging for over a decade and really enjoy the process. The topics shifted over the years as life priorities changed. I enjoy writing post as a way to organize my thoughts and review what has been good/bad in my life lately.
I enjoy your running, eating, reading posts a lot! Keep making them 🙂
Thank you Coco! I agree, the process of blogging really helps me organize my life! And it makes me more thoughtful, and it makes me notice things more and take more photos… definitely a good thing, regardless of the outcome.
This is really interesting. I love how you took the time to assess your writing and blogging, etc. I feel weird when I call myself a writer, but I’m in a writers’ group and they all told me I’m a writer, so I decided to embrace that. I’ve had a few of my stories published. I like your comparison of people who run but don’t do races, not necessarily calling themselves runners. I wish I had more time to write. I find it so cathartic. No matter what is going on around me, I can usually escape everything and go to where I want to go inside my head to write. I’d like to have more defined time to write and I’d like to be better about setting aside a specific amount to time to blog and then other times to strictly get working on my writing project, my book.
HOW can you feel weird calling yourself a writer when you’ve had stories published?! I think that would be the defining moment for some people. And I agree- it can be very hard to set aside the time you need. Especially since you have SO MUCH going on in your house right now! Hopefully there will be a time in the future where things will settle down and you’ll have more time to “escape.”
I love this!! I don’t think of myself as a writer but perhaps I should lean more into it. In fact, I absolutely should. My blog has just turned one year old (started it in March of last year) and I’m happy I did. I’ve been reading other blogs for a long time, then finally I thought- why not me? 🙂
Yes, that thought was what finally got me started on my own blog. And I say call yourself a writer! The writing police won’t come and arrest us.
Jenny, of course you are a writer! You write in such an accessible way. Coming to your blog is like a rest for my mind, which is saying a lot because I spend SO MUCH time reading things for work and life. I am not a writer. I am someone who blogs periodically, and in unstructured and incoherent posts. I’m grateful that people spend the time to slog through them!