At the Florida Comedy Film Festival just weeks before the COVID pandemic broke out in 2020 (not my fault!)
A special panel made up of Oprah Winfrey, Mahatma Gandhi and Justin Bieber has conferred upon me the coveted Blogger Self-Recognition Award. I will be lavishly fêted at the upcoming Oscar, Grammy, and Nobel award ceremonies, and then viciously tweeted about by Donald Trump and hacked by Vladimir Putin. I am beyond words!
OK, so I’m lying a little a lot completely. You might have been able to tell by my choice of title, or nominators (at least one of whom is dead), or the fact that I said I was “beyond words,” which is a statistical impossibility.
However… I used to accept blogger recognition awards (nowadays I leave them to new bloggers), so I know how they work. First, they always have a set of Rules. After thanking the blogger who nominated you (Me! Thank you so much! I am so totally, fauxly honored to receive this nomination!), you’re supposed to do something like this:
Briefly Talk About How You Started
I’m a writing silkworm and needed a place to store my silk (raw silk, but, hey, silk is silk). Nevertheless, I experimented quite a lot with content at first. Most How-to-Blog sites advise you to laser in on a specific theme, e.g. Kenny’s World of Ferrets, All About Egg Whites. Yeah, no, that didn’t work for me. So I went with what I just naturally do, i.e. telling stories and offering unsolicited advice. Hence…
Offer Advice to New Bloggers
1) Work out! Your blog site is your gym (I’m actually being serious here). The more you write, the more you’ll find your voice. My other writing (fiction, drama, screenplays, memoirs) becomes less flabby the more time I spend in my blog gym! Also, read and analyze those bloggers who are eminently readable, figure out why, and revisit them often!
2) Use the Reader, Luke! You can build your following by entering tag words on the WordPress Reader to find others who post on the topics you do (love, travel, ferrets). Then go to their sites and like a post or two (not twenty 5 seconds apart), and consider leaving a comment that shows you actually read what they wrote, and aren’t employed by Putin. Then, suddenly, bam! (OK, so it’s a slow bam, but a bam, nevertheless), this will happen:
- Many will visit you back
- Some will actually follow you
- Some will genuinely like what you write and return again
- And a few will even become bonafide friends — now that’s worth celebrating!
Select Your Nominees
Hello? This a Self-Recognition Award, so if you’re reading this and you graciously choose to accept, nominate yourself!
Mitch Teemley 
Sage advice of BlogGuru!
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I gladly accept this honor in accepting all these wonderful tips from an Oscar winner in my book! Thank you, Mitch!
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Congratulations, Karla!
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🤗🤍
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Here’s one I learned from a guy named Mitch. For crying out loud, tell people a story! And don’t make it all about you. A good story is always, somehow, about the reader.
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Now that’s a useful tip, David!
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That’s how I met you!
Your noticing my blog is probably the greatest validation of my writing I have ever received (to date :-).
Thanks.
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Aw, that’s so cool, Dr. Ernie!
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Or so sad. 😂
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Congrats! I run from those things too 😀 LOL…funny.
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I’d only qualify if there’s one for hodgepodge! Because of the books I was/am working on, mine were heavily WWII, then stories from the Great Depression. The WIP is set 100 years ago, so those are more prevalent. But some pop up just for fun. I do have a few followers who’ve been with me the entire time and have become friends. I’ve noticed that some of them have started following you, although I don’t know which of us “found” you first. It’s become a delightful community for someone whose largely housebound.
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So I gather, Joy, and I’m grateful to be part of your community, even if I’m not technically housebound (although I do practically live by my keyboard).
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I because especially aware of this precious online community two years ago, with a brand-new total reverse shoulder replacement and looming Covid. People became so divided over everything, but as soon as I “unfollowed” them and tweaked who I followed, the most gracious and uplifting posts emerged. Just what I needed. (I can’t figure out how to follow the 1stoplight gal. She just used the work “knucklehead”! I need her!)
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Hilarious!
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In my mind I have graciously accepted TONS of awards….
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;>)
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Excellent advice, Mitch. Keep hanging out at that keyboard, but not enough to turn your cells to mush. Thanks again for your thoughts and pointers. Bob
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My pleasure, and a pleasure to know you, Bob.
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Being recognized by your blogger peers would be very rewarding. But, entertaining others is the absolute best! Ironically, it’s difficult to know without the recognition.
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😂
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Keep ’em coming, oh master of entertainment, information, and inspiration!
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;>) Thanks, Grant!
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Good advice! Engagement and building community is what blogging is all about.
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Amen, Liz!
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That made me laugh and learn a wonderful combination! Thank you!🤣👏🙂
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I had this happen to me years ago. After reading all the rules and the hoops I had to jump through to get it I said, No Thank You!
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Thank you for the advice. Thank you for the smiles you brought on my face on a sad day when humans are at it again. Doing what they are best at. Destroying themselves and the planet, for greed. Greed of power and money.
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I dearly wish you’d just made all that up, Michael, but alas it’s true.
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Unfortunately so.
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CONGRATULATIONS, Mitch! And thank you, thank you very much, for the self-recognition nomination. I graciously decline. 😉
I know the covid pandemic was not your fault. It was my fault. Well, mine and my fellow jurors. You see, on March 11, 2020, the day that the WHO officially declared the covid-19 pandemic, I was serving on a jury trial. My eleven fellow jurors and I unanimously agreed that the defendant in the trial was not guilty of the serious charge, but he was guilty of the second, lesser charge.
Our verdict, rendered after only twenty minutes of deliberation, threw the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney into visible confusion. We left the courthouse before the dinner that had been ordered for us had arrived, walking out into a strangely changed world that has yet to return to normal.
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If only you’d been there to save us, sis!
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I know, right? But I had to do my civic duty.
You mentioned Oprah Winfrey as being on the special panel that conferred your self-recognition award. I don’t believe I’ve ever told you that I was on the Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2000, featured in one of her Remembering Your Spirit segments. Seriously.
It was quite an experience.
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I’d love to hear more, Linda. Did you ever write a blog post about it?
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I haven’t written a post about it, but I did mention it in this blog, written back in 2019:
https://ablogabouthealingfromptsd.com/2019/09/16/23-random-questions/
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Mitch, I wish I could have read this 10 years ago. After my first year somebody hit my “like” button and I had to look it up to see why someone’s little picture appeared. The other day I found the “reader” button and the world (in my head) spun faster. Here I have been looking up people who comment well all this time to connect. There are some really great people out there and they flock to your posts…
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Blog on, my friend!
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Congrats on the award, Mitch 😅
But seriously, these are good tips for newbies. One is not to overwhelm yourself because you will grow into it. It is only important to interact. The inspiration and information cannot be stopped then anyway!
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Very true, my long-time blogger friend!
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🙌
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Okay, I accept your challenge. I went to the WordPress reader and searched for “ferrets.” this post came up first followed by maybe a few hundred more.
Therefore, you are right, I should start blogging about ferrets …
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You can thank me later, Andrew.
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If only Putin was a blogger. He’d make better use of his time than going to war, and get a better understanding of the world around him. He might even get a blogger award! 😎
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Yea leaving comments is the way I finally got my first reader after months and months…and blogging on a schedule helps.
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Well, you know I’m a fan, Max!
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You have one of the best quality blogs and writing I’ve seen…It’s so cool that we have this community on here…well I strayed off topic!
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Aw, thank you, my friend.
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Congratulations on the nomination! 😉
Mitch, thank you for liking an early post of mine. At that time, in my naiveté (well really paranoia) I Googled your name wondering, “Who is this guy and how did he find my newly started blog? A blog being read only by family and friends–people I know.” Seriously, you were my fifth follower outside the latter demographic.
What an honor to have someone I did not know (especially a famous movie producer) read my post. My nonstop internal dialogue, “But is he legit? Maybe he’s some computer hacker stalking you, pretending to be the movie producer. Rent the movie and maybe it will make more sense.” I rented the movie, wrote a beginner WP review/reblog combination, and learned more about WordPress in the process. Your “like” launched some great lessons for me and took me through some unjustified fears. May you be blessed with many more awards, leader of the blog pack!
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Aw, bless you back, Manette! (“Leader of the blog pack?” ;>)
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Love the blog gym idea!!
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Congratulations dear.
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Thank you, Anita.
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You my gosh – Mitch. You made me laugh throughout your blog! I especially loved “I’m a writing silk worm…” Such fun and spirit! Thank you!
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My pleasure, WD.
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Nice
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“consider leaving a comment that shows you actually read what they wrote, and aren’t employed by Putin.” Does that mean I have to send back all the payments he sent so far? 😂
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‘Fraid so. In fact, now might be an especially good time to do that.
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That’s excellent advice! And also a very funny blog post….
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Thanks, Ann.
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Great content…👍
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Thank you.
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Some tremendous advise! Thank you for sharing🙏🏼
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My pleasure, Josh.
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Big Congratulatory hugs to you, Mitch! Although, I was a little disappointed you weren’t holding two ferrets in place of the trophies.
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;>)
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Congratulations 🥳
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I believe it was the wise philosopher, Groucho Marx, who said “I would not want to be part of any club that would have me as a member.” In that light, I wonder if I would want to win an award that had me on the nominating committee.
The advice to new bloggers is priceless.
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;>) Thanks, Michael.
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Thank you for advice
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*Thank you for the advice
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Congratulations! A well-deserved award. 🙂
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;>) Thanks.
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Good advice and done with a nice touch of humor!
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Thank you!
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Lol.. this is so nice
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