It has been SO FUN to read the guest posts Engie has been sharing as part of her blog’s twentieth anniversary celebration. As you already know, Engie is a treasure. (And if you don’t already know, please go read her blog.) I have been reading her blog for nearly fifteen years. I was delighted when she asked me to write a post… and then I kind of psyched myself out about what to write. I had an initial thought, and then I wrote 1,290 words on that idea, and then… stopped because it was dumb.
With the deadline bearing down on me (she only gave me five months to write a post) (Engie, I hope you know this is me poking extreme fun at myself), I came up with some potential post ideas:
- Twenty things I did twenty years ago that I don’t do any more
- Twenty things I’ve learned about myself and life in the past twenty years
- Twenty of the best foods I’ve ever eaten
- Twenty of my favorite books
- Twenty of my favorite book series
- Twenty books about which Engie and I disagree COMPLETELY (I am only assuming that we have this many books we disagree about)
- Twenty of my favorite Engie posts (how could I possibly choose only twenty????)
- Twenty favorite musical moments
- Twenty of my favorite gifts
- Twenty things I cannot live without (I mean, I probably could but I wouldn’t want to)
- Twenty words I wish I could work into conversation more regularly (“adumbration” is currently up there near the top)
- Twenty ideas for novels I haven’t yet written
- Twenty stories about pets I had in my childhood
- Twenty things to try when you can’t sleep
- Twenty of my favorite poems
- Twenty weird things that make me anxious (writing a guest post for a blogger I admire, apparently????)
- Twenty of the best rules for writing (and life???)
- Twenty things about my life today that would surprise twenty-years-ago me
- Twenty of my top pet peeves
- Twenty reasons blogging makes me a better person
(Why was I so completely fixated on a LISTICLE? Why couldn’t I come up with BETTER IDEAS? Doesn’t the word “twenty” look absolutely bonkers now? Twenty. Twenty.)
I DID write a post, and I hope it’s not too dumb. If you haven’t already popped over to Engie’s blog to check it out, I’d be honored if you did so.
Oh wow, I think I came up with one idea? This is kind of an amazing listicle, and I think I could have also written a 20 books that Engie and I don’t agree on too! Going over there now to see what you did write.
I love love love that Engie and I have such divergent views on books. It helps me decide whether a book will be for me or not. Plus, it’s DELIGHTFUL when we find those rare overlaps!
Preach! I have listicle paralysis and I came too close to the deadline for my own comfort. My potential ideas were 20 things to eat, 20 places to go, and 20 things about having a puppy…and here you came up with two lists of 20 things! And we get two posts from you in one day!!!
I think it would be fun if the Cool Bloggers (aka anyone reading this who has a blog or who would like to start one) took your 20 list and wrote a few bullet points for each of these 20 things. Let’s make that a thing!
I AM IN
Ooooooohhhhhh I am HERE for this, Birchie! Great idea!
I was thinking the same thing! I am in too!
I would have HAPPILY read any of these, and you should do them all when you’re out of post ideas. I am similarly choking under the Engie-post pressure, especially with all of the awesome ones that have come before. And you know it’s going to be a list.
Right?! It feels like it HAS to be a list, even though there is NO LAW! I think it’s clear we all just adore Engie and want to do our best by her. (And wow, EVERY ANNIVERSARY POST is so fascinating, I have loved them all!)
I had no idea this was so stressful! No pressure! Just write 20 words on what you’re looking at and it would fit the brief!!
I love a good list. You should see my NaBloPo ideas list. These are some really good topics though. Maybe that list will he-you if you have writers blog. Ok… off to see what you did write.
Oooooh I would LOVE to see your NaBloPo ideas list!
I was stuck on France as my idea, as my guest post was Bastille Day. Then I panicked and tried to think of something else but couldn’t, so I came back to it. WHY THE PRESSURE? Certainly Engie didn’t put it on us. I like the idea of taking YOUR list here and posting one or two items from it, that sounds like fun. Coul be the Cool Bloggers List Post (OK, there has to be a more clever name than that…)
I loooooooved your France post, so I am really glad you stuck with that topic!
This list is AMAZING. I am bookmarking it for post ideas. I needed this post today, my friend. ❤️
This is such a great list of ideas!! I’m saving it for later, and it sounds like fun to see what other bloggers write using these lists.
Wow, I should have come to you when I was trying to come up with my 20 things list! I debated a few things but feared I could not come up with 20 so went w/ 20 ways blogging has made my life better. It was challenging to get to 20, though!! Your post was wonderful!!
I love a good list of lists! I am totally going to use some of these when I get bogged down, if you don’t mind. But I like Birchie’s idea too, or we could all coordinate and do a list from time to time! I’m off to see what your list actually ended up being!
I like lists and think you’re very brave for writing a guest post. I would be too intimidated.
Thanks for ruining the word Twenty for me.
🤣
I do love lists, and only you could come up with twenty lists of lists and that is saying something.
Okay, I thought my idea of “20 books Engie and I disagree on” was SO UNIQUE AND FUNNY and now to see I’m not the only one who had that idea, hahaha. In the end, I was like “that’s going to take too much time.” I loved your guest post!
I definitely came down to the deadline, too!
The listicle thing came from me, I think. I sent everyone an email that said (and, yes, this is a direct quote) “If you don’t have anything you’d particularly like to write about, you could do a fun Top Twenty list to fit with the theme of the anniversary. Maybe X, Y, or Z” and I tailored the X, Y, and Z to each person I sent it to. It’s all my fault! I’m the one who started it.
Anyway. Thank you for doing the guest post! It was so fun and I’m loving hearing what everyone has to say about it.
I went through a whole list of blog ideas before committing to something LOL but definitely not twenty… you had some great ideas there (and I really enjoyed the topic that you chose for the actual guest post! So interesting to learn about life with a physician! 🙂