It’s time to dust off that LiveJournal, babyyy. We’re doing tag-a-friend blog questionnaires again, and I got tagged! This actually came at a great time for me because I’ve been halfway through my annual Skirts Awards post for two months now and would love to abandon ship and find something else to do. (If you’ve been watching my Twitch streams lately, you’ll know that my favorite kind of map marker in a Metroidvania game is the “come back to this when I’m a better person” map marker. Because sometimes, putting things off is the best way to get things done—even blog posts.)

Anyway, two of my friends—Beep and gRegorlove—have published their answers, and if you decide to share yours, please let me know, so I can add the links here. (Edited to add: Lauren and Justin have joined the fun, too!) And extra thanks to gRegor for being the one to gently “nudge” me to join.

1. Why did you start blogging in the first place?

Keeping an “online journal” was wildly popular at my high school, by which I mean that like three of my best friends started accounts at Diaryland.com, and I wasn’t about to be left out of the fun. We wrote silly stories about what happened in class and at home, like passing notes, except we didn’t have to worry about Mrs. Wright scolding us for it. I was sixteen years old when I published my first post, and now that I’m the ripe old of age of 112, I’m so glad I have all of those memories. 

2. What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?

I had to give up my spot as one of the last three MovableType users in 2019 when they stopped offering a free tier. (This is a slight exaggeration, but it did feel like a very exclusive club there for a while, lol.) I’ve been a very, very happy Ghost customer ever since. My must-haves in a blogging platform: 1) I want to be able to host my own content because I am a control freak. 2) I want some sort of commenting system, so I can bask in feedback. 3) Anything but WordPress. I'd literally rather eat my own hands.

Because of the control freak element, I'm on the self-hosted (and free) version of Ghost. I was able to do a lot of the set-up stuff myself because I was raised in a nerdy household, but I also have enough nerdy friends on deck that I can get out of a sticky situation if need be. Ghost does offer a paid version, as well, which is much more accessible for the everyday blogger and comes with nerdy support from real Ghost professionals. I think anyone who wants a blog or a newsletter should at least consider Ghost, but whatever you do, stay the fuck away from WordPress (and Substack).

3. Have you blogged on other platforms before?

Long before I got my own domain, I was blogging anywhere and everywhere: Diaryland, Xanga, Blogger, LiveJournal, DeadJournal (yes, that was real), TypePad, and whatever other sites would take me. I also had more Tumblr blogs than should be legal, and if we count microblogging, sheeeesh. Someday, I'd like to archive the best of those posts here, maybe at a subdomain like vintage.rachelskirts.com. But for now, please know that I earned my Queen of the Internet™ nickname.

4. How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that’s part of your blog?

I write in the Craft app because it’s the best writing app in the world. Next question.

5. When do you feel most inspired to write?

Obviously, the best time to come up with blog post ideas is when you have no energy to actually follow through. I’ve been using this method for years and have no intentions of changing.

6. Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?

I want you to know that I sighed heavily and said, “ew, fuck,” as I read this question. What psychopath publishes immediately after writing? The sneakiest typos only reveal themselves after they’ve been left to do a bit of mischief overnight.

If it’s a weighty post of some sort, I first send a copy to my BFF, Tyler, and have him tell me how clever I am. If it’s something more lighthearted, I agonize over every word and every comma for an hour and then hit publish and immediately notice something stupid and race to fix it before my crimes get sent out to my subscribers.

7. What’s your favorite post on your blog?

I genuinely couldn’t choose if you threatened me or bribed me, so here are a handful of entries that make me smile:

• Sunshine and Walks, a reflection on caretaking for my grandparents
• A Teeny Tiny Moment, a favorite memory from a complicated relationship
• Almost Been Kissed, the story of five pivotal moments with five friends

8. Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?

A redesign is long overdue, but I’d gladly put it off for another decade if it meant I could use that energy to do more writing. I share a lot of my stories on live-streams these days, but I always have more to say—especially now.

The world around me is seemingly on fire, and yet, I'm also finally hitting my stride in so many ways. I want to talk about that trip I took to Charleston, SC, last year and how I walked away with a pile of phone numbers and a plan to make that city my next home. I want to tell you about the UX design class I’m taking and how I'm writing my notes by hand with a fountain pen because I lost my mind in October and bought a bunch of stationery from Japan and Italy. I want to spill the tea about the books I'm hate-reading and let you in on how much fun I’m having as a streamer. (Blasphemous II is so weird and so good! Free the Daves!) I want to have a safe space to scream inside my heart, and I want everyone else to hang out in the blanket fort with me.

Anyway, that’s a pretty big wish list, and I hope I get what I want. Until then, know that I love you fiercely and might love you even more if you leave a comment. 💕 K byyyye!