Name: Chelsea Thorpe
Blog Reviewed: 100 Ways to Write
Her favourite post: https://100waystowrite.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/the-cinderella-project/
Down in the spreadsheet where blog review requests are made by bloggers was an entry that captured my attention from the moment it was added. One hundred ways to write, I thought to myself. There are actually that many ways to write? Yes there are different genres and styles, but one hundred?
Needless to say, as both reader and writer, I was particularly looking forward to reviewing his blog. But I stuck to my system of going through the list chronologically until finally, I reached row 26.
My first thought: What? I have actually reviewed 25 blogs already? I counted; apparently so.
My second thought: Ouuuuuuh!!!! THIS blog! And kissed my Saturday morning goodbye.
Chelsea explains that “100 Ways to Write has not only guided me towards maturity, but has also consistently been around to help and listen to everyone who wants to be heard. The 100 is not a lifestyle blog or a fashion blog or a food blog. The 100 is a mesh of witty voices reflecting on the world and sharing those thoughts with anyone who is willing to listen.” She delves even more into the reasons behind her blog in a post dated last summer which proved invaluable as a lens through which I explored her blog.
So Chelsea’s blog is NOT a writing blog persay, i.e. it isn’t filled with tips on writing. With a magazine-like layout to its home page featuring a menu bar with six options other than the “Home” option, as well as a pull-down “Category” widget bursting with options on the right-hand menu (a little low which make it both hard to find an hard to use, but still quite useful), it is one of the easier to navigate blogs I have reviewed as of late.
Under the main menu option of “Topics” are “Advice to Life”, “Guests Posts”, “I like Leftover”, “Love & Appearances”, and “Us + the World”. It seems like they are, in order of appearance: a broad rand of tips on how to lead a better life; a broad range of guests posts on anything from reflections on the self to dating; what seems to be reflection by Chelsea on her own experiences; a couple of posts about relationships, love, and dating; and reflections on various aspects reflecting the state of the world.
While I’m not sure how to define what is filed on the main menu option “Jubilees”, “Mega-Writing” the fourth main menu option, is pretty self-explanatory. Chelsea shares poetry under the submenu option “Coffeehouse”, photography under the submenu option of that name, and has a fun word of the day series under the option “WOTD”.
Chelsea explains under “Reviews” in the main menu options that she reviews just about anything she might get her hands on. From books to music and movies, Chelsea has some interesting and in-depth thoughts to share. These are not your typical “OMG THIS BOOK/ALBUM/MOVIE WAS GREAT” so-called reviews; these are deeper discussions about what was understood from the media consumed, reminding me somewhat of the wonderful Maeve’s movie reviews.
In a little under two years, Chelsea has put together quite the list of content that one should enjoy on a lazy Saturday morning with a hot cup of coffee. And be ready to post comments; there is something delightfully conversational about most of her writing. I found myself focusing more on sharing comments that reviewing 100 Ways to Write more than once! You can also find Chelsea on Twitter.
Add to your blog reader? Yes.
First published on Sahar’s Blog on 23 April 2016