Working through Confusion

Around here everyone is hunkered down on a snow day. I’m thinking it might be a sign to some that it’s a perfect day to start a blog. (If you’re not on a snow day, you’ll have to find another sign to start a blog. I’m sure there’s a sign for you to start a blog…you just have to squint enough to find it!) After all the Slice of Life Challenge begins in exactly one week. You have to have a blog for the challenge.

The hardest part of starting a blog is naming it. Yes, I’m serious. This is the most difficult part. Try not to over think it, a definitely don’t let it keep you from starting a blog.

I’ve helped a few people start blogs. (This may be an understatement. Andy thinks it’s a good thing I push writing and not something illegal because I’ve hooked people on blogs.) After the name, the clicky-click steps of setting up the blog go rather smoothly. Then it’s done and you’re left feeling a little confused.

At this point, take a deep breath, grab your favorite drink, and remind yourself that you are the kind of person who can figure this out. Next call a friend who blogs. I’m sure they will be happy to help.

Another option is to send an email to one of Slice of Life Challenge Concierges. These are people who are willing to help you with getting your slices out into the world. We know it can be confusing to try something new and we don’t want anything to stop you from getting your story into the world. Your story matters. Bonnie, Elsie, Linda, and Carol are all seasoned slicers who believe in the Slice of Life Challenge SO MUCH that they are willing to help YOU get going. Below are Stacey’s guidelines for using a concierge.

If you’re like me, you might be apprehensive to contact someone. Trust me, they are some of the kindest people you will “meet” in the blog world and they are looking forward to helping. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Simply send an email and wait for a response. Trust me, you’ll be glad you worked through the confusion and learned to put your stories in the world. Not only that, but the rest of the slice community will be glad too. Our stories make the world a better place. I’m glad you’re going to join us this year.

From Stacey —

Concierges: Four members of our community are available, via e-mail, to answer general questions about the upcoming adult and classroom Challenges. Each person who is a concierge has participated in at least two month-long Slice of Life Story Challenges and has been an active year-round participant. Therefore, they should be your first point of contact if you have specific questions about the March Challenge. The following four women who will help in this capacity are:

If your last name begins with A – G, then your concierge will be Linda Baie. Linda’s e-mail address is lindab414[at]gmail[dot]com.

If your last name begins H – M, then your concierge will be LeAnn Carpenter (aka: Elsie). Elsie’s e-mail address is leannecarpenter[at]sbcglobal[dot]net.

If your last name begins with N – S, then your concierge will be Bonnie Kaplan. Bonnie’s e-mail address is blkdrama[at]mac[dot]com.

If your last name begins with T – Z, then your concierge will be Carol Wilcox. Carol’s e-mail address is carwilc[at]aol[dot]com.

A few contact guidelines to keep in mind, which Ruth and I will republish on our daily calls for slice of life stories:

• Each of these women are volunteering their time, but have other obligations. They will write you back at their earliest convenience.

• Please do not cc- Ruth and I on your e-mails to Bonnie, Carol, Elsie, and Linda. They are very knowledgeable and can probably answer almost any question you ask them about the Challenge. (They may also point you to past posts we’ve written, which will give you an in-depth answer to your question.) If they cannot answer your question, they will contact us on your behalf and we’ll send them a response to forward to you.

• If your link doesn’t post automatically on the first three days of the Challenge, please do not e-mail your concierge immediately. Most likely it’s being held in moderation since you either new to the Slice of Life Story Challenge or you included two or more unique URLs in the body of your comment. Ruth and I will be moderating comments every few hours. However, if it’s been 12 hours since you posted a link to your slice of life story and it doesn’t show up in the live comments, then please e-mail your concierge.

  • Sometimes comments, including those of long-time Slicers, get thrown into our blog’s spam folder. Sometimes this happens when you post the same comment more than once. Sometimes it happens for no reason. Please know I check the spam folder often and will fish out your comment if it lands there.