My Valentine's Day as a Single Gal

Hello Everyone,

The last week brought the annual hell for single girls all over the world: Valentine’s Day. Now I thoroughly believe in the whole idea of Valentine’s Day (although it can be agreed that it is another Hallmark commercialised holiday) because it allows people who wouldn’t normally be romantic to be so. And it allows me to indulge in clichés that would be otherwise socially unacceptable. Although I have never had a relationship that has fallen on Valentine’s Day, I have had several great Valentine’s Days. This year was especially memorable as although technically I did nothing special, it seemed more special because it was Valentine’s Day. (Again with the unacceptable clichés, I can’t help it, I’m a romantic!)

My friend and I were on our way to a talk about the chemistry of attraction (well, it was Valentine’s Day). We decided to walk there, and while on our way it started to rain. This wasn’t a surprise, I live in Scotland, it is always raining. Anyway, we had to pass along by the beach, so it was windier than usual. We got lost, and completely drenched. When we finally got back to somewhere we knew, Aberdeen Football Club, we tried to find some shelter to phone for a taxi. Unfortunately, there was little shelter, and because of the wind my jacket and skirt were blowing right up. So we went into the reception of the football club, and tried to phone a taxi. We only knew two company’s numbers, and both were very difficult to get a hold of. We were phoning for a good half hour, forty five minutes. And when we did get a hold of them, there weren’t any taxis available. Luckily, there was a wedding reception going on in the football club, and the guests were going to arrive in taxis. So we used one of these when they arrived. We got back to halls, having given up getting to the talk as a lost cause. Instead, we bought a whole load of junk food, and watched one of my favourite romantic comedies of all time, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Another one of my best Valentine’s Days was when I was about nine or ten. I spent the day with my best friend (who incidentally was a boy) in the park. I still have a photo of this day, one of the only physical photos I have of him. We spent the whole day playing in the park and I think I had dinner at his later on. He was a very sweet boy at that age, and because it was Valentine’s Day, he gave me a red rose (which I suspect was his mum’s idea). All in all, it was a very fun day, and I still remember it vividly.

Valentine’s Day is a day where single gals can either wallow in self-pity about the fact that they don’t have a relationship, or can celebrate their singleness with their friends and just have a great night doing whatever they wish. I love movies and ice-cream and hot chocolate, so that’s what I did. If you like going out, having dinner with friends, or if you’re lucky enough to have someone to spend it with, go for it. No longer should Valentine’s Day be restricted to those who are in a relationship, but to all. Valentine’s Day is a day about love, but not specifically romantic love. So don’t let it get you down, take the night into your own hands, and do something that you love.

Gracexxx

How To Write Your First Blog Post

Hey Everyone, 

Now, as this is my first blog, I was rather apprehensive about writing my first official post. "What should I write about?" and "What will people think of it?" were just some of the questions running through my head. So, I did what any student does when they need answers: I Googled it. 

Now, as I found, I clearly wasn't the first to do so, as when I was typing "how to write your first blog post" into the search bar, that was one of the suggestions Google gave me, as well as "how to write your first CV" and "how to write your first novel". There were over 1,110,000,000 results. (I've included links to the blogs I found most useful at the end.) I wasn't alone in this being a big deal. I wasn't alone in having no idea where to start. And I’m sure as hell not alone in writing about How to write your first blog post.

I should say at this point that I am referring to personal blogs and not product blogs, although some of the ideas are transferrable. Product blogs are blogs which represent a product, or brand. Their blog will promote the products and answer questions that customers had. This is their niche, what their blog will revolve around. Personal blogs are different because you have to find your own niche as you go, unless you have a clear idea on what you’re going to write about in the first place. Unfortunately, I don’t, I just like to write. So there will be reviews, rants and ‘rticles. (I know, I know, really bad pun.)

After thorough searching through my results (looking at every result on the first two pages); this is what I discovered: Just Do It. Now I know that sounds like a really bad Nike ad, but it’s true. So many people when writing their first blog post spend ages on choosing a subject, not enough time actually writing so that when they finally do post something, it’s lacklustre and uninspiring. Most bloggers say that they look back on their first post and are embarrassed. That’s fine, as long as it got them going. One post will lead to another and before you know it, you've got a blog.

One general tip for writing posts is to check grammar, punctuation and spelling. Blogs are written in informal English, but that’s no reason for sloppiness. Incorrect grammar and punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence, so be careful. And awful spelling doesn't give a good impression to your readers.

There are plenty of other tips on how to keep your blog going. Plan how many times you are going to post, because consistency and frequency are important. Don’t post multiple times every day for a week, then nothing for a month. Write multiple posts on word documents at one time, and then stagger posting them online over a month or so. Listen to comments and emails, but not religiously. If they’re changing what you are about, then ignore them. But some may have useful insights, so don’t discard them.

The point is, if you want to write a blog: Just Do It. Don’t wait around for some singular spark of inspiration to hit you and you become the most read blog around. That’s not going to happen. The only way to get traffic and therefore a noteworthy blog is to just start writing. 

Gracexxx

http://www.socialnomics.net/2014/01/15/precautions-for-writing-first-blog-post/

http://www.chadrallen.com/2013/11/26/quick-start-guide-writing-first-blog-post-6-steps/

http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/04/04/11-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-my-first-blog/

http://47leads.com/6-easy-steps-to-write-your-first-blog-post/

Who am I?

Hello Everyone,

I'm Grace and I'm a first year English and Legal Studies Student in Aberdeen University. I recently moved to the 'Deen for university from Glasgow, and am loving it. I want to work in the media, specifically writing. I love to read, write, shop, spending time with friends, essentially everything any normal student loves to do.  

Recently, I was posed with the idea of creating my own blog, which allows me to write about exactly what I want to write about. So that's what I've done. I'm going to write about anything that inspires me,  about whats going on in my life, and my views on it. I'll try my hand at everything and anything, and when I've got something that I really enjoy writing about, I'll stick with it. So if you can, let me know what you enjoy, and I'll try to repeat it.

Now, got to go to class, will post again soon,

Gracexxx