Whips, Spurs and Assorted Horseplay

I tossed around a few different titles for this review. For instance, Back in the Saddle Again, and Git Along Little Doggies, or the Tumbling Tumbleweeds. I finally settled on the above because I thought it might lead to some interesting Google hits and was titillating enough for the miscreants lurking around these parts.

Mongoliangirl is a feisty farm girl, living her dream with her better half and more animals than I can count. She's in recovery, so as our resident lush (DirtyPirateHooker) likes to say, "She's one of those people." Much like her horses, she also comes from good stock which makes for a pretty interesting back story.

Mongoliangirl, you remind me a little of another feisty farm girl, and that is a compliment of the highest order.

Let me lay it on the line as far as the writing goes. It's nowhere near perfect and you'd definitely benefit from a little ruthless editing. However my dear, you have the trump card of the blogosphere that forgives every spelling error or grammar snafu, you have voice. Your writing clearly reflects who you are. You are thoughtful, funny, quirky, and vocal. You are slightly odd, grateful, and you overshare in sometimes gross, but always likeable, ways.

You also have some great friends, and yes, we sit firmly at the top of your blogroll, but I would have given you a bare back spanking on that ample saddle of yours had you deserved it. So, all of you ne're-do-wells who think we play favorites around here can kiss my Appaloosa. You have varied subject matter, you post regularly and you don't play it safe. This particular cowgirl gets it.

I sincerely abhor your header but to be fair, I am planted firmly in the anti-purple camp. Your header would have more visual impact if the image is at the top with your cusp verbiage beneath it. Better yet, scrap your header and start over. Show a picture of the splendor you live among, show some of your menagerie. Consider an interchangeable header image that reflects you better, your blog deserves it. Check out some of the design links here and get yourself a prettier pony or download a basic Wordpress template that allows you to load your own image. Otherwise, the template is clean and uncluttered with good use of tabs. Miss Missives is not a fan of continuing posts, I think in the process of clicking to read more, you lose the flow and continuity of a good story, so I'd eliminate that.

With my bridle and whip firmly in hand, here is what you need to work on. You know how we shun the little emo twentysomethings and their limitless capacity for angst and self reflection? Well, you have lived and learned and you've earned the right to navel gaze. I challenge you to at least once a month, pick something you are afraid to write about and write about it anyway. I think you have stories to tell that you're not telling. What happened on that small cliff in Greece? Who was Mongoliangirl? What's recovery like? You also need to vary the length of your posts. It's okay to have lengthy posts if they're interesting, however, some shorter posts break it up and make the longer ones more palatable. You, like most everyone else need to edit, edit, edit. I know you are a thrifty girl so think of words like money, only spend as much as you need. You are funny and poignant and editing to the meat of your stories will make you even better and more delicious.

You may not be able to let others always have their good juju but here's yours:



(with a promise of more if you dig deeper).