Posted in Blogs, Fibromyalgia, Uncategorized

Message In A Bottle

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/To me, blogging is
a version of the
old-timey message
in a bottle.
The blogging world
is a vast ocean,
we throw our
message out there
and hope against hope
someone finds it.
Some of us are trying to
connect, share, find others,
teach, or maybe even
send out an SOS.
So how do you start
your own ‘message in a bottle’
and make it reach others?

 

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

1. Don’t think about if your readers will love what you write or you’re going to be discovered, just make sure you love it, then hopefully, they will. If not, there’s always chocolate.

2. Remember as you send these bottles out, those you’re trying to reach are never far from the madding crowd (hearing people mispronounce the title, Far From the Madding Crowd is actually more fun than the book/movies, is that wrong?). People are busy, so when they open their email to see a hundred billion bottles washed up on their shore, it can be overwhelming.

3. In this same vein, posts can be vampires, sucking away time. Or maybe sometimes a vampire is just a vampire.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

4.  Posts can also be zombies, shuffling into our readers or mailboxes, taking bites out of the day. I don’t know if I Fear The Walking Dead so much as opening my email, in other words, know your audience…it can be a grave error to write long or many posts if your readers don’t have time to read them. You make your readers snooze, you lose.

5. Adding images to posts amuses me, makes me laugh, makes a point, or just makes me happy. Hopefully they resonate with others.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

6. Sometimes readers won’t get what you’re saying or don’t agree. Sometimes your jokes fall flat. Maybe they haven’t read the same books, watched the same movies or TV shows…Some are trolls, actively dislike you, perhaps even use your Gravatar at which to throw darts – the internet is built on people being offended, appalled, shocked, and downright grumpy. Just do what you do.

7. How can you expect people to have a deep relationship with a shallow person? Be real, write your own stuff, if that makes people think, learn, laugh, smile, cry, or even spit their coffee out…they’ll want to read more.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

8. Like it or not, successful blogging has a degree of popularity. Let’s jump back to vampires, they depend on brooding, pouting, sparkling, hotness, intensity, and overacting with a penchant for black clothes, especially black leather, but blogging can’t all be about flash and no substance.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

9. Get out there, enjoy other blogs, find those messages in bottles and answer them, don’t be timid about liking, sharing or commenting – let others know you’re out there. Make them feel like they’re not alone in being alone.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

10. Most of you are part of a large, sprawling, at times dysfunctional, human race family, so you’ll be part of the blogging family. Like vampires, family can sometimes be a pain in the neck, but still we hunger for the connection.

11. When the unexpected or unwanted happens, say, your computer breaks, you have a dental emergency, you can’t get a song by The Police out of your head; out of town company; Fibroflare; anxiety about a coming event; a sinus infection and the list goes on…um, write a blogging advice post?
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/04/10/im-hooked-on-a-feeling/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/05/12/i-cant-make-you-love-me/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/06/09/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/03/26/why-i-will-never-be-freshly-pressed/

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

12. Wow, that advice is bloody awesome…or terrible, depending on your point of view. Forget all of it, just do whatever feels right to you.

And I hope that someone gets your…I hope that someone gets your message in a bottle. Here’s mine.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/

Author:

Very me

394 thoughts on “Message In A Bottle”

  4. This was cute. You mentioned chocolate and put up a picture of “Damon” (sigh). Ok, I’m good for finishing the rest of the day in a content state. Message in a bottle…love that thought.

    Reply

  10. Hmmm, so my stories about vampires became zombies in mailboxes. .. seriously well put. Nothing we write is guaranteed to be understood as we mean it. And sometimes that’s good

    Reply

  11. Great analogy (I now have that song stuck in my head) I literally begin most blog posts with absolutely no idea where I’m going and it probably shows!

    Reply

    1. Thank you kindly and yes, that song really stays in there, doesn’t it? 😉
      I think we all go where we need to go…I, for one am glad you go where you go, Jan. 🙂

      Reply

  16. I love the blog community and the message in the bottle works for me. I’m old enough to even remember pen pals and that could also apply to a certain age group. 🙂 My theory is if you take the time to write a post, I take the time to read it. That being said, I can’t effectively follow someone who blogs 2-4 times a day. I just can’t do it if I want to live in the real world and that is priority number 1. So if a blogger posts 4 times a day s/he better have a really great title to catch my eye. 🙂

    Reply

  17. Out of the hundreds of messages in bottles that I receive everyday, yours can always bring a smile to my face. Some are easy to overlook, others are often too complex, and still some are too depressing to read for very long. Yours always have the right mixture of humor and encouragement. I need to get back to writing myself. Been procrastinating so much lately. Just can’t seem to get motivated. You’re right though… there’s always chocolate and I’ve been eating plenty for everyone. 🙂

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad we were able to find each other’s bottles, Michelle and as for the chocolate, remember, it’s actually salad or so I keep telling myself. 😉

      Reply

    1. Aww Teagan, you’re too kind, but I’ll take the compliments!!! Thank you, sweetie, I hope this week is being good to you. Megahugs!!! 🙂

      Reply

    1. Yours too, David, hope this week is treating you kindly, can’t wait to hear how Mike and Joey are and how Reuben’s birthday celebration went. 🙂
      Massive hugs! 🙂

      Reply

  25. I did a cover of “message in a bottle” , just to see if I got any “likes”. Perhaps that breaks rule #7, I did not write the song, but I did a good take of it, my take. Even tho no one really heard the message. I heard it, and that was cool enough for me.

    Reply
  29. Pingback: Message In A Bottle | Santa's Reindeer

  33. Reblogged this on ' Ace Social & Media News ' and commented:
    #Donnnamzing post sometimes people do not understand fear and not understanding what caused it – stops them understanding in the end it’s is the fear itself they fear. A friend once said feel the fear and do it anyway, l may disagree with that in part but know everyone who is scared or fears needs a friend and blogging is a way to find friends who expect nothing but for you to hear them and have understanding of their fear – then you forget your fear as you are doing something for someone else. Have a good day Ian 😀

    Reply

    1. Thank you kindly for this lovely reblog, Ian and the wise words, I’ll try to remember them today as I have something really important to do that scares me… alot. 🙂
      Hope this day is treating you well. 🙂

      Reply

  38. I do like your “message in a bottle” analogy – perfect. Sometimes I’m really running behind and just hope I don’t miss the bottle before someone else picks it up.

    Reply

      50. it was funnier the first time… haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

      1. You are very welcome, that was beautifully written and needed to be shared, Danny and another that I know also did the same. You deserved recognition from near to far.

      2. Thank you so much, Michael. Yes, I see this bottle is being tossed back into the blogging ocean, so pleased and grateful. 🙂

  49. Donna, after reading this post and thinking a bit on it, I feel you hit the nail right on the head. Many of your points about blogging truly ring true. Like you suggested, when we put a message in a bottle and send it out there we hope someone will find it. The beauty of it of course, is when we get a positive response. It reinforces the hope that whatever we posted
    was appreciated by someone else. And how can that not be rewarding. :o)

    Reply

  50. Great analogy… The Police´s well known song “Message in a bottle” popped up as I read your post… I am nodding in agreement with you, giggling as well… Number six is certainly well stated! Ha!… All my best wishes and happy week ahead. Aquileana 😀

    Reply

    1. I couldn’t get the song out of my head so I thought I’d share it…didn’t work, it’s still there. 🙂
      Yes, #6 is the internet, for sure. 😉
      Thank you kindly for the best wishes and hope this week treats you well, Aquileana. 🙂

      Reply
  51. Pingback: Message in a bottle – reblogged | Old Dog… in The Land of BLoZ

    1. Thank you Kathy for finding this bottle and tossing it back out there. So pleased it’s being found.
      Thank you Michael and Sarah as well. Wow, this is lovely. 🙂
      Hope this day is treating everyone well. 🙂

      Reply

  52. Where do you find all of your moving photos?
    I loved this post. I never thought of a message in a bottle when I send out a post and yet, that is what we are doing. Granted …our posts usually find their way into someone’s email or get posted on wordpress for other blogger to discover.
    This was an awesome post.

    Reply

    1. From all over the place and some I’ve made…
      Thanks for finding my bottle and hope you find more and I’ll find yours. 🙂
      Thank you kindly. 🙂

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for finding my bottle, and then throwing it back out for others to find. 🙂
      Loved your Meet and Greet and link shares, etc. this weekend! 🙂
      Hope this day is treating you kindly. 🙂

      Reply

      1. It is my pleasure. I always love how you provide a neat spin on something I’ve read about one million times. You have a creative mind!

  54. I am a sporadic reader and writer. My heart is in the right place. I decided early on, books didn’t need pictures to capture my attention. I love art in photography so I follow many who write poetry and use photos or art. I enjoy your sense of humor and honesty, too.

    Reply

  56. I LOVE this…I love blog that have humor in them, especially when it’s my kind of humor:) Especially love the dinosaur meme

    Reply

  59. Never thought of it that way before which is a really good eye-opener for me. These are words of truth in the blogging world. Nice comparison! 🙂

    Reply
  62. Pingback: Blogging – And How I Got it Wrong | Barrow Blogs:

    1. Excellent post, Judith.
      Blogging, like life calls for some self-reflection at times. I’ve been doing a lot of it myself and made a lot of changes. I think you hit the nail on the head.
      And thank you kindly for the mention. I hope this day is treating you well. 🙂

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for finding this ‘bottle’, Sally, and then sending it back out and with another kind message attached. 🙂
      Hope this day is treating you well. 🙂

      Reply

  67. What a fabulous message in a bottle . . . this is something I have only recently begun to learn about blogging but since I have it has made sending out the messages and finding messages in return so much more fun.

    Reply

  68. Hello There,

    Loved reading this. It’s one of the most inspiring posts I have read so far. Such beautiful message expressed so comically well. Love your originality.

    Have a great week ahead.

    Anand 🙂

    Reply
  69. Pingback: An Inspiring Message In A Bottle! | Blogging 101: Alumni

    1. Thank you so much for finding my ‘bottle’ that Becky was kind enough to throw back out once she’d found it. 🙂
      And thanks for throwing it back out there for others to find! 🙂
      Hope this day treats you well. 🙂

      Reply

    1. You’re quite welcome and because you came here, I found your bottles and happily so. That’s for finding mine and hope this day is treating you kindly. 🙂

      Reply

  72. This post was epic! i love gifs and memes and anything that mocks vampires! You did both Yada…yada (can I call you that? Let me know )

    It is hard to keep putting messages in a bottle but I got to thinking that sometimes people pick up your bottle read the message and stick it on the wall. When their friends come over they tell them the story about how they found this message in a bottle…

    They never come back to tell you that they got your message yet your message changes the lives of people – your message ripples through the lives of others.

    your point 9 is resonating with me right now. Yesterday I read a LIFE CHANGING (allow the drama) post on leaving wonderful comments on people’s posts. I saw for the first time the value that the comments section can bring! Now I can see that you already have a very healthy comments section – but i learnt yesterday that there is no reason not to drop in and join a commenting party when you see one!!!

    Thank you for this post its like gelatine to my weak jelly inards! #IWillComment

    How did I find out about this post? – Becky reposted it and Anand from by blogging Alumni group shared Becky’s post and here I am *tips hat*.

    Side note: far from the madding crowd? Thank you for putting that in bold I never noticed that it wasn’t a maddening crowd. I was those people – so happy I never had to study this book for english lit.

    Reply

    1. Thank you kindly. 🙂
      Feedback can really change someone’s minute, day, week, month, life…sometimes people need to know someone got that bottle, and the message. 🙂
      Yes, I saw that many people not only found my bottle, but then tossed it back out for others to find, so lovely, I was thrilled!!! 🙂
      I giggle when reviewers or news people say it, it’s not like it’s a common word anymore, maddening is much more so, but when a snotty reviewer is explaining how much they know, etc. then pronounce it incorrectly, it’s fun. You may like the book, I just find the movies always portray the heroine as a twit.
      And now you know why my tagline is vague meanderings…thank you for finding my bottle and I’m glad I now can find yours. 🙂

      Reply

      2. Yes, it feels like someone has trapped me in a sauna and the dial is just going up and up, wait, that might have been a Murder She Wrote episode…they’re not predicting cool for awhile, yuck. Thank you sweetie and stay cool, think Arctic and ice cream and lemonade and snow and Canada when it’s cooler, eh. 😉 Big hugs, Donna xo

      3. Yep, it feels exactly like that here, too! *LOL* Hey, it does, doesn’t it, Donna? *LOL* Ah, bless! Thank you, my dear! I am thinking cool thoughts! There, that’s better! No doubt, eh? 🙂 Big hugs to you, Cher xo

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