Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

September 1, Blog Birthday Bastion 2025

Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2025

Prompt 1. Sept 1.
25 years of Writing.com. Let’s celebrate!
Guide us through your writing life at WdC. Ups, downs, hiatus? What happened with you being part of this wonderful community?

I did not join this writing community until March of 2013 after I completed my first NaNoWriMo in 2012. I wanted community. I had a local group, but it was not enough and the guy in charge was getting busier and not able to keep it going. The joy of in person not always being consistent.

So I joined Writing.com and was immediately overwhelmed by the layout of the site. I lingered and lurked but did nothing. Then Birthday week presented itself. I think I ventured onto the site and started to explore a bit more seriously. By the end of August I bought my first Premium membership and got more involved. That birthday celebration was a blast. Several of those writings are still in my portfolio.

Those first contests gave me confidence and the community welcomed me warmly. In fact, The Paper Doll Gang welcomed me into their fold and taught me the way of the site. With my confidence growing I entered more contests and was able to reach out to others to pay forward the kindness that had been show to me.

Since then I have endeavoured to be a positive, encouraging spark to those around me. I remember those overwhelmed feelings and find myself reaching out to new people to encourage them. I pay it forward to those newbies.

Even as I have grown as a writer, I still find comfort and support in this community. It is my online writing home and I return to it time and time again to fill my need to belong. As the stress of the new school year crests the hill and supply days loom, I can be comforted to know I can find solace here. I can pour out my stories and find prompts and contests to get my creative juices flowing.

I am currently trying my hand at writing 52 short stories in 52 weeks. Quite the challenge, but I love these kind of challenges. I currently have 26 stories written. so I am a bit behind, but not too badly.

I have also enjoyed the I Write challenges that have me doing a contest a week for many weeks. These two challenges get me writing each week... sometimes I knock it out of the park and sometimes, its a dud, but either way I have had fun and let my imagination run wild.

I have also met many wonderful, like-minded people. People I would consider friends. I have never met any of them face to face, but they warm my heart and I am grateful for their friendship.

I am glad Writing.com is part of my life. I had tried other similar communities, but only this one held my creative interest. For that I am very grateful.

My word count is over 467 words.