Blogging | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I have this funny kind of writing relationship with my mother. I write about my mom…and she doesn’t think it’s funny.

Oh, lots of other people do. People like editors buy my funny essays and publish them in books or newspapers or magazines. But the one time I shared a humorous published story about mother dear, she wasn’t very dear at all.

It started out well enough. She laughed a bit at the beginning of my mother-daughter tale. She thought it was funny when I poked fun at my foibles. But somewhere between the middle of the story and the point where I explained how I’d learned everything I (didn’t) know from my mom, things turned a bit dicey.

So, if you ever come across anything I’ve written, and Mom’s in the piece, I hope you’ll laugh–and love my funny mom as much as I do. But don’t mention it to her, huh? ‘Cause when it comes to my writing about Mom and putting it out there for all the world to see…well, mum’s the word.

What’s my Mother-Daughter writing relationship have to do with anything today? So glad you asked! Today I’m participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women on Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We’re celebrating the release of Therese Walsh’s debut novel today. The Last Will Of Moira Leahy (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit the Muffin to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese’s website (www.theresewalsh.com) to find out more about the author.

Therese, by the way, is the co-founder of Writer Unboxed, a blog for writers about the craft and business of genre fiction. I’ve learned an awful lot about writing from Therese and her cohorts on that blog. I didn’t learn the trick to writing about a mom, I guess. But I did learn that to get published, one must write and write and write some more. And then one day, your finely-written debut novel can be the subject of a mass book blogging! (Warmest congrats to Therese Walsh on The Last Will of Moira Leahy!)

Have you ever taken the Meyers-Briggs personality test? The one where you find out if you’re extroverted, or introverted, thinking or feeling, and such? Way back in the day, when I was (apparently) a different personality, I took the test. I came out ENTJ, which was affectionately called “The Field Commandant.” Hmph.

When I took the test (online) today, I came out ISFJ or ESFJ, depending on which test I want to believe. Either way, I’ve changed personalities. I suppose that’s what thirty years of living with the Beneficent Mr. Hall will do to you. I’ve completely lost my bossing around skills. (Um, not even I believe that.)

Most writers tend to be introverted, I think. And probably most fiction writers will score higher on the sensing, feeling side of the test. We have to have that imagination factor in order to write spiffy stories. Blog writing, on the other hand is completely different. Maybe that’s why my blog scored a different personality than me. (I don’t want to get into a whole Frankenstein thing here, but it kinda weirds me out that I created this blog that’s gone and developed its own personality.)

Try it yourself with this Meyers Brigg personality test for your blog. Turns out Cathy C.’s Hall of Fame is an ESFP, known as The Performers. We’re fun and entertaining blogs. Maybe I’m not particularly fun or entertaining, but wheee! My blog is!

Of course, I had to check Cathy on a Stick’s blog. That blog came out ESTP, The Doers. They’re the active and playful types in the blog world. Now, that’s just scary accurate, isn’t it?

Many thanks to Shrinking Violet Promotions, which I found this week, for providing me with this info on the Typealyzer. If you’re looking for a fascinating blog for the shy types, (or any types, really) Shrinking Violets is packed with promotional stuff for writing types .

Now, fly, fly my blog buddies, and find out what type blog you have! And maybe you could share your blog’s personality with the rest of us. (I’m keeping an eye on the old Hall of Fame. It’s already got a personality. Next, it’ll go get a mind of it’s own. Talk about scary!)