Development:
Blogging is a lot like a child learning to walk. There's a pattern that I've seen in everyone, including myself. First you learn to crawl. You set up your blog with a few graphics, a review and a meme or two, and start slow.
Soon you meet other bloggers on twitter or goodreads and they hold your hands while you stand on your feet and learn to take the first few steps into scary things like discussion posts, readathons, and negative reviews.
Before you know it you're standing on your own running, coming up with fresh new ideas and experimenting with new types of posts. You're not afraid to start a new feature or plan an event because you know you'll have the support of those awesome bloggers out there. At least this has been my experience. If it hasn't been yours you're not meeting the right people...so let's be friends.
During the last Bout of Books readathon I randomly started talking to a few ladies on twitter about our love for cookies and coffee, which has nothing to do with books. But we've been chatting every day since and call ourselves the...wait for it...Book BFFs! Now we're hosting a 24hr readathon, having google + hangouts, readalongs (June= The 5th Wave), and so much more. I feel like meeting them has already taken my blogging experience to the next level and it's only been a few weeks. They've helped me get over my fear of vlogging and have inspired me to share a little bit more about myself instead of hiding behind the computer screen. In the future I want to get into more web and graphic designing!
