Milestone: 100--and Still Counting

A writer has many successes.

Each new word captured.

Each completed sentence. Each rounded paragraph leading into the next.

Each idea that sustains and then develops.

Each character who, like a wayward

adolescent, leaves home and finds a life.

Each new metaphor that, like the exact

error it is, somehow works.

Each new book that ends--and so begins.

Selling the piece is only an exclamation point,

a spot of punctuation.

--Jane Yolen, Take Joy,

A Writer's Guide to Loving the Craft

I've made it to 100! Yeaaa...

Not years. At least not yet--ha. But 100 blog posts in 14 months. I didn't know when I started blogging how rewarding the endeavor would be. I just know that, at the beginning, I said I would continue as long as it was fun. And it has been that--and more. So, for even more fun, I tried brainstorming to see if I could come up with 100 words about the blogging experience. The result?

5...10...15...20: Play. Stretch. Push. Accomplish. Go. Try. Press. Breathe. Challenge. Learn. Celebrate. Visualize. Detail. Laugh. Question. Doubt. Experiment. Create. Stumble. Regroup.

25...30...35...40: Research. Quote. Hesitate. Listen. Cheer. Meet. Change. Discuss. Read. Surf. Stir. Hop. Pop. Color. Shift. Glean. Glow. Switch. Leap. Flow.

45...50...55...60: Study. Absorb. Reflect. Draw. Sparkle. Pause. Revisit. Recharge. Re-examine. Replace. Renew. Prioritize. Relate. Release. Connect. Comment. Feel. Fuss. Fritter. Flitter.

65...70...75...80: Associate. Appreciate. Balance. Choose. Convey. Critique. Give. Encourage. Plot. Imagine. Improve. Master. Observe. Persevere. Persist. Practice. Remember. Revise. Risk. Paddle.

85...90...95...100: Sharpen. Wonder. Show. Spread. Begin. End. Suggest. Surprise. Jump. Dedicate. Help. Inspire. Prompt. Tip. Dance. Tweak. Smooth. Offer. Hope. Grow.

There, I did it! And to honor the idea of a 100-post milestone, here are links about 100s you might find interesting:

• Ultimate Writer's Toolbox--100 Tips, Tools and Resources
• 100 Stimulating Videos for Beating Writer's Block
• Top 100 Authors of All Time Voted by Regular People
• Top 100 Authors of the Last Decade
• How to Write a Novel in 100 Days or Less
• 101 Habits of Highly Effective Writers
• 100 Best Books (Children's) of the Twentieth Century

It's been quite a ride so far. I've gained more, I believe, than I 've given, because of all of the camraderie, exchanges, dialogues, tips and links that have crossed my path since the start. Hats off to you all.

Now--on to the next 100!

What words would you use to describe your blogging journey?

"For me, writing is exploration; and most of the time, I'm surprised where the journey takes me." --Jack Dann