Image Credit: icebreaker694

Thank you so much to the incredible icebreaker694 for nominating me for The Blogger Recognition Award for the fourth time!

Here’s the link to the post where I was nominated:

• The Blogger Recognition Award 4!

The Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
2. Write a post to show your award.
3. Give a brief story of how your blog started.
4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
5. Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
6. Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

How Hot Shot Headlines Started

The origins of Hot Shot Headlines started in 2009. As part of my Communication Studies, Mass Media major at Longwood University, I was required to take a class called Computer-Mediated Communication. To be honest, I wasn’t all that excited about it. I was a junior, I was feeling a bit burnt out. Junior year is notorious for being the worst! I felt it was more geared toward the other COMM major – Public Relations. And, I had never had the professor before – Dr. Bill Stuart, a.k.a., Dr. B.

Luckily, I started to come around, and eventually warmed up to the class. One of the assignments was to create a blog – It could be about anything that we wanted – And have it peer reviewed by our classmates throughout the semester. I ended up loving what I picked – Movies that people had never heard of / never seen – and I continued that blogging effort for several months after that semester ended.

Fast forward several years, and a few other failed blog attempts along the way, and I landed here. I came up with “Hot Shot Headlines” early on – I knew wanted to carry on my journalism efforts / contributions after deciding to not pursue it as a career. I missed working on The Rotunda, Longwood’s student newspaper, so much after graduating in May 2011. It was something that I basically lived and breathed during my four years at Longwood.

My posts officially start as of March 2014, but over the last 18 months, this little blog of mine has skyrocketed. I’m deeply appreciative of everyone who has taken the time to read, comment on, like, and spread the word about my posts. I am a very humble and happy blogger here in Virginia.

Advice

1. Write for yourself. – What I mean is, your blog is YOURS. Don’t feel pressured to fit a mold, or to write what others are writing about. Write what you feel is important to you. That’s all that matters.
2. Reach out to other bloggers. – One of the biggest things I do is I read other people’s blogs. It’s expanded my world significantly. There are so many people in the U.S., and around the world, that are talented and articulate writers. Personally, I’m attracted to book blogs, and those who write about writing and publishing. When I find a post that I like, I like the post, and I also try to comment on it. It’s a great way to interact with others! I’m delighted when bloggers email me, too!

Nominations

1. Candace Robinson
2. social underground
3. The ThinkTheorist
4. Teri again
5. Holistic Wayfarer

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂