It’s Game Time!

Ah, who doesn’t love a party game? And the lovely new Paper Fury site being up and Cait hosting this lovely party (and giveaway!) is a grand reason for having some bloggish fun. Extra special, this gets to be all about ME! Fun topic, of course.

‘BOUT THIS BLOGGER

1. Why did you start blogging?

I had blogged, for some time, on a personal blog that was mostly about my kids, and my awkward attempts at parenting. But then I discovered book blogs, and well, I love me some books. I had been on Goodreads for awhile, but I needed to say ALL the things. So, here I am! (Incidentally, after a few months, the personal blog kind of died. It’s here if you want to see it though, for funsies.)

2. What’s the story behind your blog’s name?

This was seriously the only name I didn’t abhor, basically. My blog started off as (no joke) “Shannon Hearts Books”. What now? That is just awful.  Anyway, then I decided I needed a name change if I was going to venture out into the Blogosphere so… I asked friends and family for suggestions, but it didn’t go well. So I don’t know, one night I was up ridiculously late reading and such, and it hit me: Combine my love (obsession) of The Hunger Games, and the nonsensical time that I read and/or blog, and boom: It Starts At Midnight. Because basically, it does.Kiki-Falls-Unto-The-Bed-Tired-In-Kikis-Delivery-Service-Gif

3. How many designs have you been through since you started blogging? (Pictures! We demand pictures!)

A lot, but they haven’t all made the cut. I changed the design like, daily when I first started out. The only picture I have is of this abysmal gray number.  Then I settled on the black starry one for a long time, basically because it looked like midnight. And my last Blogger style was an Etsy purchase. Now I still use the same color scheme, but I like to pretend it is somehow better. I think it may be time for a bit of an update though. Maybe a darker blue? Silver-ish? I don’t know, we’ll see!

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4. Have you ever switched blog platforms? What made you move? If you haven’t ever changed…why?

I have. Basically, Blogger errors made me switch, combined with “WP is sooooo much better” peer pressure. It was the BEST choice. Things are easier over here in the land of WordPress.

5. How long does it take you to write a post? What’s your postly process like?

I wrote a discussion post about this very thing once. Here it is. Not much has changed, though I have been trying to do reviews a bit quicker. The actual writing part is quick, but getting myself to actually start said writing is a different story.You-ever-have-so-much-to-do-you-just-decide-to-take-a-nap-Jim-Gaffigan

6. Have you ever been super nervous about a post? Why?! What was it?

Yes! I mean, I am a bit nervous about pretty much all of them (Will people comment? Will they think I am the dumbest blogger who ever blogged?) But discussion posts are the hardest for me because I usually have put something out there that was kind of scary for me.so-excited-sbb

7. Do you have a blogging schedule?

Bwahahaha. Cait, you funny. Right now, it is 10:41 pm, Eastern Standard Time. This post will be scheduled for exactly one hour and nineteen minutes from now. I only read Cait’s post with this little game in it about an hour ago. When I tell people my schedule is flexible, I am not kidding. You want me to post a different day? Not a problem. If I had to scrap this right now and throw something together, well, I do that often. Two insane small people who are very needy force me to kind of figure it all out last minute, sadly.

8. Do you tell people In-Real-Life about your blog? Their reactions?

Yeah, people know. I mean, I don’t walk up to strangers and say “Hi, I blog about YA books!” or anything, but people know. Some of my friends enjoy reading it, as they are readers themselves, some could not possibly care less, and my dad tells me it’s stupid.

9. Top ten blogs you read/comment on the most! Go! Go!

This is like Sophie’s Choice! How?! Ugh, fine, I will do my best, but if I leave you out, refer to #7, okay? And this is in absolutely no order (other than I copied it from my Blogoversary post, and it was in no order then either). Also, I cheated. Sue me. Nothing wrong with having an extra few blogs to love, right?

10. If you could change/improve things about your blog, what would they be?

Is this like a genie with three wishes? In that case:

  1. Organization (my personal organization, not the look of the blog) and scheduling things ahead of time. This has always, always eluded me. On the off chance I do end up with some posts scheduled, catastrophe strikes and I end up behind again.
  2. Fanciness. I want more fancy, but I don’t know how to do that, so hopefully the genie does. Realistically, I do want to step it up, design-wise.
  3. Access to the ARC Fairy. If there is a genie, there can be an ARC Fairy, okay? She works with all major publishers, and gives me access to books that may not even be written yet. It’s a win-win, as you would all learn about really great books. Right?tumblr_lrdv19o9X91qlkfe5o1_500

This was fun, thanks Cait! And HUGE congrats on your lovely new site, we’re all glad you’re back! Everyone, go forth and check out the prettiness at Paper Fury! 

Have you done any blog name or style changes? Or are you (like me) itching to do some changes? 

Posted December 4, 2014 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Funsies / 25 Comments

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25 responses to “It’s Game Time!

  1. I love posts like this and finding out more personal details about you lovely ladies hiding behind book blogs.
    ARC Fairy! 😀 Love it!

  2. Haha, hook me up with that ARC fairy when you find her 😉 I also want more fancy for my blog!!! 🙂 I really want to make my blog look 10 million times more fancy, but I suck at design. I have contemplated buying one or hiring someone, but I don’t know! It’s hard to decide.

    • I will! I’ll hook up all my blogging friends, it’ll be fun! And seriously, it is so hard to design AND look clean. I guess that is why the pros make the money. Of course, I think to get fancy AND readable, you need to PAY. Like, not just Etsy premades. Which sucks, because I don’t have that kind of money, as I am sure most bloggers do not. I do plan on giving it a shot on my own soon, but ugh, I need time! (Another thing that none of us have enough of, right?)

  3. ARC Fairy – I need it! Can she bring me a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses? Please? That would be the greatest thing ever 😀

    And I’m actually a bit envious of your ability to be flexible! I have ZERO ability to change at the last second – half the time I’ve got the next month of posts planned, though maybe not written. I’ve definitely got to work on that!

    • It’s on its way! As soon as I hunt and capture said fairy, of course 😉

      Now see, I am jealous of your ability to plan so far out! Together, we would make one very balanced blog plan, no? I even have two calendars- one by my desk, one by my bed, so I can plan, and make notes, and… yeah. It works about, 3% of the time.

  4. Cait always comes up with the best game survery thingos! I’m definitely going to post this on the weekend I think…or sometime soon. Who knows, really? I really love your blog name. 😀 And an ARC fairy? Now THAT would be amazing! Maybe you could give me her details when you find her? I never screenshotted my original blog designs, and I really wish I did now, especially with my blogoversary a month away today. I’m so glad I made the change to WP. While I didn’t experience any problems with blogger during my short time with them, I knew that if I wanted to blog for the long-run, WP was the way to go. Loved reading your answers, Shannon! 😀

    • Indeed she does! I am looking forward to your answers 🙂 I will most definitely get you in touch with the ARC Fairy. You are so right about WP being the way to go. I wish I hadn’t waited a full year to switch!

  5. I’m going to do this one this weekend too. It’s so fun! Looks like you and I are two peas in a pod when it comes to organization – I just wrote a post all about how miserable I am at this aspect of blogging. I scheduled it for Saturday!! Woo hoo! Of course, I still haven’t gotten together the post that I’m supposed to put up tomorrow … so … Thanks for listing me as one of your favorite blogs!! 🙂

    • Hahah, I am so, so bad at it! I once read about a blogger who had scheduled (not necessarily written but scheduled) SIX MONTHS out. I don’t know what I am doing six hours from now, forget six months! The funny part is, in everyday life, I am a pretty big planner. But not with this, and I think that it might be a good thing. I do need SOME better organization, but I don’t want to get too obsessive, because then I feel like it’ll lose its fun 🙂 I am looking forward to your posts!

  6. I’m glad you discovered book blogs! Names are so hard to come up with! It Starts At Midnight is perfect for you! You bought a blog design on Etsy? I never would’ve thought of such a thing. Yes! People just don’t understand how I could have stage fright from blogging, but I manage. Yay I made your top blogs list! Thank you so much! I wish for organization too! (and ARCS)

    I’ve changed my blog design minorly quite a bit in this last year. My title was just my name, then it was Woven Magic when I named my story that, then when I started reviewing books I tried out some different things and wound up just sticking ‘books’ on the end.

    • Aw thanks! Yeah, the design was only $20 on Etsy, and the girl I bought it from could not have been nicer and more helpful. It was kind of awesome. She only does Blogger blogs, but there are tons out there for WP too if you’re ever interested!

      I love the way your name came about, that is so fun! I really like it, I think it is perfect for you 🙂

  7. I want to meet the ARC fairy too…that totally need be a thing. YAY! This was so awesome to read. And your middle design? With the night-time and the owls? I HAD THAT ONE TOO ONCE!!! (Obviously we have epic taste). I couldn’t find a screenshot of it anywhere and I couldn’t find the template again. *cries* But I did so like that design (just not how limiting it was. heh)
    I’m sad your dad says it’s stupid. 😐 Super encouraging, isn’t he? My dad reads my blog! Although today I was explaining about the name change and they might need to refollow and he said he was a follower…and I had to explain that just reading the blog isn’t a follower. Eh. AT LEAST THEY READ IT. It makes me feel special. 😉 Also a little nervous. heh.

    Thanks for doing the tag and shouting out about my new url! I AM SO PLEASED THANK YOU! THANK YOU! (Oh and I created a little linky on my post…I don’t know why I didn’t think of it, but someone mentioned it in the comments and I was like “duh. Good idea.”. XD)

    • We DO have great taste! That design was awfully limiting though, the column with drove me MAD. I would try to somehow fix it, and then end up basically destroying the blog, and so on. Good times.

      I say my dad is stupid, so there. 😛 Okay he isn’t stupid but he… lacks social skills and the ability to communicate with humans, so I don’t put much stock in his opinions, generally. My mom thinks it’s cool though! And quite a few friends, so it works. And OMG- I had the same conversation with my mom about “following”. So confused, the elderly 😉 (She would actually kill me if I called her the elderly, she is only 60. That isn’t old. Because it is my mom. Right?)

      And thanks for letting me know about the linky thing, I added mine 🙂

  8. Yayayaya I love this Shannon! LOL SHANNON HEARTS BOOKS. That’s a good title right. AND LOOK AT THOSE OLD BLOGS HAHAHA. This is too good Shannon hahaha. Also I never tell people about my blog because I don’t feel like explaining it 😛 And yay thanks FOR MENTIONING MEEEE 😀 😀 I love it when you comment on my blog!

  9. Shannon Hearts Books isn’t bad, shhh. Though It Starts At Midnight is awesome, it so hard to pick a blog name though, I kept delaying blogging because I couldn’t think of one, so then I just settled with Studio Reads, because my schools art studio was my home. And I read in there, haha. I liked the black starry one. 🙂 Discussion posts are hell, and definitely the ones I get more nervous about too (which is why I haven’t done many) but my #LGBTApril Ally post scared the crap out of me. Yeah, people know. I mean, I don’t walk up to strangers and say “Hi, I blog about YA books!” HAHA! THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ARC FAIRY. THERE DOES. PLEASE.

    I haven’t changed my blog name (I am planning to, if I ever jump ship to WP) I had a placeholder before I set up my banner now, and I do like changing the themes on Halloween & Christmas. I do want to restyle the whole thing but I’m afraid to mess it up, which is likely. 🙁

    • That is exactly why I delayed interacting with other bloggers! Like, I was writing reviews and stuff, but not promoting or linking up or commenting because I felt too weird with my dumb name. So I decided I had to find something quickly, because I wanted to participate in all the fun, that was the whole point of having a blog in the first place!

      I LOVE your holiday banners! If I wasn’t so lazy, I would probably jazz mine up a little. And yes, I cannot tell you how many times I messed mine up in my transitions. Ugh. And now, I am itching to do it again, go figure. I guess I like messing up stuff? Ha.

  10. I totally just checked out your old blog. It’s so cute, YOU LITTLE FISHY. 😛 I also loved learning more about you and how you came to be a blogger. These are my favorite types of stories. And aw, you’re one of my favorite bloggers too (but I feel as if you already know this). 🙂

    You know, I’m always a bit nervous posting (especially when it comes to discussions and/or personal ones). But I don’t have anxiety over it, because I just love writing and this has become a passion and not just a hobby. Also yessss, to organization and the ARC Fairy! I need to be that person who loves schedules and color-coding and is always three months ahead. And I also want my own personal ARC Fairy, because who doesn’t? 😛

  11. Love the Kiki’s Delivery Service gif. I have been blogging about a year and have changed my blog design four times! Each time I thought the design was the best and now when I look back on them, ugh. I am happy you tell people about your blogging. My friends and family are pretty much like yours, they either think it is neat, or have no opinion at all. My sister is envious and wants to do a regular post on my blog on Saturdays. I am seriously thinking about letting her do it.

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