i’ve been doing a lot of forward thinking lately. (forward in the sense that i’m thinking of the future, not that i’m working out the complicated math problems teachers leave up on their chalkboards overnight.) this thinking has lead me to make changes in both my blog and twitter sites. most of these changes involve my name because that’s the most simple step i can take right now and, after all, doesn’t a journey begin with a simple step (after you’ve showered, dressed, eaten, and put on your shoes)?
what’s my journey? the path to publication.
which is why i’m known as myself on twitter and now, here, if you look up at the URL, what does it say? yup, abigailmumford.com. i did have to give that one a little thought because since i’m now known as abby everywhere on the interwebs, should i have made that domain name? well, my thought was this: IF i ever reach that elusive holy grail of publication, i’m going to use my full name. the name my parents bestowed upon me when i was a wee tot. (and boy, do i mean wee. i was premature and weighed in at a mean fighting weight of 2lbs, 6ozs.) so anyways, that’s why i registered my blog as abigail. but don’t be skird, just because my blog is getting all dressed up and looking spiffy doesn’t mean it’s going to be all serious and stuffy and boring. just sometimes. when necessary. but not usually.
another thing i can/have begun to change is the content. i’m sure you’ve already noticed the differences (what? you’ve haven’t read EVERY SINGLE POST from 2003? i’m shocked.) so, umm, for the laymen, i originally started cataloging my digital thoughts as a blahg. (a what?) (oh, sorry, read this post by kiersten white, which includes a very important quiz about one’s blogging style). so it started as superficial, but when i moved the O.L.D over here to wordpress, i started to whip it into shape. to whittle its waist and fine tune its tummy so that when it steps on a scale, BLOG is the read out instead of blagh. i’m not entirely sure i’ve always been successful, but what rookie is?
and so the research continues. and since i’m nice and stuff, i figured i’d share my findings with you:
*every post by tawna fenske from the week of August 6, in which she celebrates her 6 months of blogging by telling all us schmucks how she’s so darn successful. except, she does it in a much nicer and yet, dirtier, way: friday. thursday. wedneday. tuesday. monday.
*make sure you create signature content by giving your readers YOURSELF. cause there are a lot of blogs out there, but only one YOU. so infuse your blog with eau de ME (except the me isn’t me, but you, you know?)
*natalie whipple’s take on HOW TO for social media (blogs are a part of that, you know).
in semi-related news (the news referring to growing up and stuff), i got an email from a friend (hi, hoss!) who is preparing to change apartments. she’s moving into a place where she’ll be living on her own. a very adult move, if you ask me (and her). but the most awesome part? how she ended her email:
“i hope you are well and on the verge of a life upgrade yourself.”
a life upgrade. i like it. and, you could say, i’m working on it.
Abigail Mumford 
Nice upgrade! I’ve enjoyed getting to know “Abby,” and I look forward to someday meeting “Abigail” on the shelves at my local bookstore. :)
i too would like to get to know this abigail of the bookshelf fame.
and thanks! you rock.
Life upgrade. I like that! Cheers, kudos, and a loud hooray for the new digs!
i know. a life upgrade. it’s oddly uplifting and it makes it sound manageable. i like manageable. particularly if i can take baby steps.
You know I am so on your side when it comes to this and I hope you got the analytics to work. Good Luck!
it is so awesome to have you in my corner! thank you!
and actually, no, i didn’t get analytics to work because that means i’d have to purchase another upgrade and frankly, i can deal without it at this juncture in my life. (though, it’s certainly not for a lack of trying.)