This blog started six years ago today. In that time, I've made 374 posts, pretty much one a week.

I learned that kind of discipline from Al Schroeder (among other places). He used to have an online journal called Nova Notes, which he updated every single day. Because I think that's one of the most important things in any kind of writing: the discipline to sit down and do it on a regular schedule. Now Al does a web comic called Mindmistress, which he updates three times a week, plus other projects. He's been doing Mindmistress since 2002, and in the process the art has improved from this to this.

Plus, of course, I learned from Dave Sim and Cerebus.

I started making my writing available online over twenty years ago, back on the BBSs, and then on the internet some time later. My movie review site (www.u-town.com/movietown) has been up since 1999, and I had sites before that.

I said in that first entry that I wasn't selling the novels, that I was giving them away (but keeping copyright, of course). Well, now I am selling A Sane Woman (for those who prefer real books), but I'm still giving it away as well, including for the Kindle.

Meanwhile, Maggie of Maggie Madly Writing tagged me with the "Seven Links Challenge":

For the challenge, you’re supposed to find your own posts under the following seven categories (or you can make up your own categories) and link to them, then tag several others so they can do the challenge as well.

I decided to make it six categories (in honor of the six-year anniversary) and I'm altering the categories a bit (I'm not sure I've ever written a post I'd categorize as "beautiful" anyway).

Here are the categories and the posts I chose:

1. A popular post: Write What You Don't Know

This one was easy to pick

2. A helpful post: Keep a-Goin'

This one was easy to pick, too. I link to this all the time when commenting on other people's blogs.

3. A controversial post: You Know my Methods, Watson

It seems that my methods not going to be universally adopted. Oh, well.

4. A post I wrote for a very small audience: Ninety-NIne Years On

Some of the people who follow this blog knew my father, but very few.

5. A post that didn’t get the attention it deserved: Chekhov, Weapons Officer

And it has that clever title, too.

6. A favorite post: I'm going to choose two (so I make it to seven after all).

1) They Draw Your Eyes Up

2) Arrival

I'll quote Maggie again.

Now for the tagging part… because I’m lazy, I’m going to go ahead and tag anyone who’s listed in my blogroll to the right. You guys are my favorite bloggers and it would be interesting to see what you can bring to the challenge!

I couldn't have put it better. I look forward to seeing what people come up with.