Beneath the Surface of Blogging with Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts

Today is the last of my guest posts with bloggers going beneath the surface of book blogging. It has been incredible to hear from so many bloggers, both those who have only been blogging for a few months, and some who have been going for nearly a decade. Between them they have offered support, hope and advice and above all reminded us that everyone has frustrations and insecurities and to never feel alone in that.

So today I am incredibly lucky to introduce Faye from 'A Daydreamer's Thoughts' to talk about why she loves blogging, how she's dealt with the slumps and insecurities and the changes that she's making to her blog to stop it from becoming a burden.

How did you start blogging, were there any blogs you followed that got you thinking this was something you wanted to do?

I started book blogging because I had been on Tumblr for years and was starting to want a little bit more. Then my friend on twitter told me about her book blog. I read a few of her posts and thought it looked really fun. Without researching anything else, I jumped on the bandwagon and created my own blog, but I wanted to do something different as I knew there were so many book blogs out there so I initially started mine as a book and film blog, and it was supposed to focus on adaptations. I realised later I should have done more research before jumping into it but I learnt on the go and have never regretted my decision to start.

What do you hope you achieve through your blogging?

Simply to share my passion and love for books and films. Everything else, including the multitude of friends I've created, have all just been amazing bonuses and probably the reason I keep at it. But mostly I just want to share things with the world.

What are the most rewarding parts of it for you?

Aside from sharing things with the world and potential changing peoples views or creating discussions, the most rewarding part are the friendships I have created and hope to create in the future. The people I have met through blogging have all become some of my closest friends - one even became my flatmate!

And the most frustrating?

All the drama. I know a lot of it happens in America but it really puts a strain on blogging as a whole. I also do get a little stressed out about reading and reviewing books on time but I'm getting a little better at this!

Have you had reading slumps/insecurities/times when you felt you weren't good enough and wanted to quit, and how did you pull yourself out of them?

Yes. Quite a few, unfortunately. Especially recently where work and my social life have been incredibly stressful and then blogging became that too and I just wanted to curl up and not do anything. I've also had moments where I wonder what the point is because I have a lack of motivation and it seems like nothing I do matters to anyone else. To get myself out of it, I would sometimes go on a blogging break and then realise I miss it like crazy. Or, what I did just recently is decide to change my blog. I'm no longer a book blog but more of a lifestyle blog where I can talk about all the things I love in the world.

Have you taken a break from blogging at any point and if so how did you get back into it?

I have. Mostly in my first year when I was about to do my final exams at university. I jumped straight back into it because I missed it. I've taken shorter breaks as well and mostly I just get an idea or finish a great book that I HAVE to share with the world and just great straight back into blogging. It's a lot easier to come back then to go in the first place.

Any tips for dealing with the self imposed guilt that comes with a blogging and reading slump?

Just try not to let it get to you? Reading and blogging are hobbies. If you're not feeling them, then just take a step back and do something else. I guarantee that after a while, you'll miss it. And if you don't, so what? We should never feel forced and pressurized into doing a hobby. The world will not stop moving if you stop reading or blogging for a few months.

How do you manage to juggle life outside books and blogging?

To be honest, I'm still not really sure! Mostly I don't have a TV so I don't get sucked into it but I do have Netflix and that can pull me in. But really, I just try not to stress about it. If and when I have time to blog, I will and if I don't, then it doesn't matter. I do try to schedule a few posts in advance so I'm not blogging everyday. I read on my commute and when I'm home relaxing but I don't worry if I don't read. I guess, I just do?

The blogging world is constantly evolving, any changes you'd like to see start to happen?

I don't really know. 

Any advice for new and old bloggers alike, particularly if they are going through a down slump at the moment?

Don't take it too seriously. Your blog is yours and followers may seem to beg you to come back or beg you to post but honestly, if they're that excited by you and your posts, they'll wait for you to come back. But also, do not stress about the numbers. The biggest piece of advice I usually give is to think about why you're blogging in the first place. If you're hear to gain followers or receive free books, then I guess you should worry about the numbers but if you're blogging to share your love of books then do that. If your passion shines through, people will find you - even if it's only a few. Every follower counts. Honestly, I'd probably still be blogging if no one was following me because I just love it so much. 

Thank you so much Faye for stopping by! Don't forget to check out Faye's blog and find her on twitter