A new beginning?

This last year has been tough...in so many ways. For everyone. And, despite desperately trying to keep up with this blog for a number of years, I began to find that doing so was too overwhelming for me.

I was finding it hard to enjoy reading, finding it hard to see this blog as anything but a chore, and putting far too much pressure on myself to complete. reading challenges. My output was becoming quantitative with no real quality. And I was feeling very downtrodden because this blog provided my life with a lot of structure and purpose, and when the enjoyment of that left, it affected my mental health quite badly.

I realised I had to do something drastic, and so that unfortunately resulted in me jumping ship without saying 'goodbye' or 'see you soon'. I am sorry about that. I don't think I expected to be gone quite so long. And I won't pretend that 2020 has been the amazing year that has offered me a fresh perspective on everything.

It has got me to a place where I am ready to return to this blog, and have finally found that I am missing it! What I want to do, and know I can be much better at doing now, is do so at a more relaxed rate.

- I will post not because I have to, but because I want to.

- I want my content to be exciting, different, and worth reading.

- I will not put pressure on myself. Period.

So that said, you may not see a review for every book on here, or an update on any challenges I decide to join. I'm going to ease myself back in. But I am excited to see how this progresses!

How Do I Make My Blog Better?

This is a question I've been asking myself for a little while now. In fact I mentioned way back in May that I had some exciting ideas I wanted to share with you all, but never got round to doing so until now. The thing is, despite continuously coming up with posts, taking part in challenges and writing book reviews, I've felt dissatisfied for some time. The problem isn't that I don't enjoy writing these things; I do! In fact I love it! The problem is that I feel like my Blog doesn't really have a whole lot of personality, or anything interesting that makes it stand out. Some of the best Blogs I read have really interesting discussions and debates, promote books, talk about events they have attended in great detail and do a whole host of things I don't do. I'll explain why:

• I've been busy. The fact is, I have a full-time job now that takes up five of my precious seven days a week. I have to blog around my shifts, as well as do a ton of chores, try and read books and of course have a social life. It's hard to fit it all in.
• I've been lazy. Despite the aforementioned hectic schedule, there's no denying that the fault is also on my part. I fall behind on posts all of the time, and I fail to try and sit down and think of ideas. Instead, I've become stuck in a pattern of doing the same memes repeatedly alongside the book reviews. Enough is enough.

All I want is for this Blog to become more 'me' again, rather than being a repetitive chore that I do when I can. Of course I love taking part in the Memes and that will continue but I also want to feel like I'm a part of the community more.

So how do I improve?

Well firstly, more discussion posts! I love reading them so much, why not write some of my own? I do have some ideas, as well some response posts to other discussion posts I have seen on Blogs that I follow. I've been holding these back for far too long!

Next, I plan to get better at Blog design. It's time my blog had a make-over I think. It has always been very basic in it's template because I'm personally a little naff at making headers and using HTML etc. If I can learn to do a better job, I'll think I'll be happier overall.

Book tours, cover reveals and blitzes are also a huge part of the Book Blogging community and up until now, I have rarely got involved. Not just because I worry I'll 'do it wrong' but because I didn't want to commit to something, only to disappoint. Well worry no more everyone, I am on the case! I've signed up to some sites and hope to kick things off very soon!

Do you know what else needs improving? My 'Shenanigans' posts. I need to do more things where I live. This one is hugely important to me because I live in London! I should be making the most of that and finding fun things to do so that you all have fun things to read about (preferably Bookish things)!

These are just a few ideas of mine but there is one more that I'm a little unsure about, and would really like to hear your thoughts on. Some of you may remember this Top Ten Tuesday post on my very own imaginary Fairy Tale Book Club. It had a lot of comments and was very well received as an idea. The books I chose I am so desperate to read too, and I thought 'Hey! What if I actually make this...a thing?'. People would have to be on board with it though to make it work, so please let me know what you think!

I guess this post really kicks of my Discussion post idea. What top tips do you guys have for writing a better Blog? Are these ideas good ones? And what do you think of a Fairy Tale-esque Book Club? Write in the comments below and thank you all for being such wonderful followers!

A motivational speech to myself.

Well Readers, the time has come to make a change to my life.

After far too much procrastination, forgetting about and downright laziness I have decided to make a decision about this blog. Either get rid of it or commit. And I mean commit. After much thought, I have realised that the problem lies with my inability to find a reason to write this blog, and bad time management. I am quite busy with my Final Year at University, and when I'm not, I never feel that I have anything truly worth saying. The lack of definite purpose makes it very difficult for me to dedicate time to it.

This decision making process has come at a very important time on my life. After three years studying Performing Arts, I have realised now that what I enjoy most in life is writing, in particular plays and fiction. This is what I have decided to do with my life and in order for it to work, I need to once again show commitment. Sorting through my room recently, I have rediscovered piles upon piles of dusty, unfinished books that I started and never completed (a theme that seems quite prevalent within this post) and, after much persuasion from my sister (who is far more organised than I, her blog can be found here: http://tutusandballetshoes.blogspot.co.uk/ , I would recommend a read! She actually regularly updates!) I am attempting to sort my life out and read through them all.

Reading and writing have always been a passion of mine, and something that I would like to consider myself fairly good at. I have spent too long worrying about being good at things I no longer truly enjoy, and not long enough engaging in and practicing the things that I do. On a recent shopping trip with my previously mentioned sister, we visited several Charity Shops and ended up coming away with a good six or seven books each that were real finds. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed doing that. Perusing the titles, examining their front covers, reading those first few lines and finally deciding that this book intrigues me enough to hand over the cash and take it home. I want, one day, to have written one of those books that someone finds accidentally on the shelf while searching for something else. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to give someone else that feeling? To have someone want to read the words that I have painstakingly written?

Perhaps this is more a motivational speech to myself than a blog post as such. The point is, for my Final Year I am preparing a final piece that I must research and script for, tasks which I have thoroughly enjoyed and dedicated much time to. If I can put so much work into that, then I should be able to do the same with this blog by using it to review and comment on my favourite books or latest reads, as well as give updates on my own life and progress on my career dream to have my own book published. 

That is my plan. And I will stick to it.

Back again?

Well folks...

I can only apologise for my profound lack of blogging, and suffice to say, I'm feeling rather sheepish. Many many things have cropped up over a rather busy year which have prevented me from keeping this up...until now!

So let me start with a brief catch up of my second year at Uni, which I have finished. I originally planned to restart this many a time but never quite got round to it, partly due to the large number of assignments that were being thrown at me left, right and centre. Having finished those and receiving all of my marks (I've passed the year with a barely scraped 1st, very pleased) I decided to get involved with the annual UCF (University Centre Folkestone) Musical, applying to be in the Stage Management team. Having studied both Production Techniques and Stage Management as part of my course this year, I've found that I've really enjoyed these subjects and am very much considering a career in this kind of work. Having Stage Managed a devised piece for one of the Third years (Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqczYHSpOd8 I highly recommend giving it a watch, the entire thing was written and directed by a very talented student who has just graduated) and helped back stage with a number of different shows which the University have put on, the Musical would definitely be the biggest I have done. 

This years chosen Musical was 'The Witches of Eastwick', one that I had previously heard of and became very excited about! Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Despite the huge stress levels and bruises it entailed, it has been by far one of the most fulfilling and fun things I've done for a while, and has made me many new friends. For those interested, more pictures were taken by Jason Dodd and can be found here. 

All in all, the whole thing was a wonderful way to say goodbye to not only the students leaving this year, but to the UCF campus as we are all moving to Canterbury. It's been an emotional rollercoaster, but well worth it (though it is nice to sleep again).

Perhaps this post was a little short but I'm tired. I am off to London from tomorrow for a few days to visit the Harry Potter Studio tours and to watch Matilda the Musical, which I hope to blog about when I get the chance! I would like to thank my little sister for getting me back into this finally (though it's now beginning to sound like an Oscar speech), and just a bit of shameless promoting, her blog is here. Give it a read, she'd be ever so grateful!