Our Attendee Spotlight is:
Mark Chappelle who's blog is Junkyard Salvation
What do you hope to experience at Blogging While Brown 2013?
I got pulled out of my shell and met a lot of friendly and brilliant people at BWB 2011 in Los Angeles. They expanded my perception of the black blogosphere. I hope to do that again!
Why did you decide to start a blog?
I had a some really bad experiences as the co-founder of a successful church that caused me to shift from love to hate when it came to Christianity. I knew I'd be experiencing some major personal growth, so I knew it'd be good for me to document the healing process. It would keep me from repeating mistakes and maybe save someone else from making them in the first place.
Are there specific types of bloggers you are interested in connecting with at the conference?
Faith bloggers, bloggers turned authors, and WordPress experts!
What are your top blogging tips for other bloggers?
Be invested in what you write. Anyone can list facts, define words, and be called informative. But when you're able to imprint a piece of yourself into your writing, people can relate to and embrace your writing the way strangers suddenly become your friends.
Where do you see you and your blog in 5 years?
I see myself settling into an assured life philosophy and solid spiritual belief where my blog will serve as the trail that helped lead to it, and my readers will be on their own paths right along with me.
Do you need something from your fellow bloggers to take your blogging to the next level?
Of course. I started with a small readership that started to expand on its own. I'd love to find out how I can improve on what I've already got re: content, promotion, interacting with readers, and developing a community
Do you have something to offer bloggers to help them take their blogging to the next level?
I think so. I started off without a lot of direction in blogging, but I found out that I'm a better writer than I thought. I've since picked up on a lot of devices for telling a complex story in a simple way, and making dark and touchy subjects more easily approachable with lightness and humor.
Welcome back to BWB !
