Apparently this questionnaire has been going around the web with several bloggers, and I’ve been tagged by my lovely friend Candy to share my take on my writing process. Candy is a fellow blogger whose writing style I love and totally relate to, and I so enjoyed reading how her writing process works.
I personally love reading about how other writers think, feel and go about their writing. It helps me feel a little less crazy and a little more like a welcomed member of the writing community. If you’re a writer in any sense (whether you blog, write poetry or even just journal for the heck of it), maybe you’ll find something you can relate to, too – and hopefully you’ll feel a little less crazy.
Here we go:
1. What am I working on?
Truthfully, my blog has taken a backseat to my Etsy shop as of late (I gots ta make the money). I realized at some point that creating and selling my work was more important to me than trying to become a pro blogger. I still love to write and always will, but it currently comes second in my work life. But when I get really excited and amped up about something, I will write about it and put all I have into it (like my “Capture the Little Moments” series from earlier this year). Right now I am just writing on whatever comes to me and waiting for the next big idea to hit and run away with. Creating and selling e-books is definitely on my to-do list, but it won’t be happening for quite some time. Perhaps when the babes get older and I can actually sit down for more than 5 minutes at a time!
2. How does my writing differ from others of it’s genre?
I’m not sure I’m a niche writer, I just kind of cover whatever topics I feel like (usually under the broad spectrum of parenting, fashion, and crafting/DIY). For a while, I thought this might mean I was doing something wrong, like I should pick one thing I’m good at and focus on that… but then I threw that idea out the window. After all, I should be able to dictate what I write about on my own blog, right? And whatever it is I write about, I try my best to be real. The best compliments I receive are when someone says “that post was funny” or “I can totally relate!” Humor and sarcasm are a part of my everyday life and I love to make people laugh. When my jokes come through my writing as I actually intended, I am thrilled! It is so hard to tell how you come across when you read your own words, so when I hear it from others, I feel like I am doing something right. The last thing I want is to sound disingenuous on my own blog – it’s the antithesis of why I write! I go a little crazy when I can tell that someone is pumping up a product on their blog just because they got paid to do so, or when every other sentence ends with an exclamation mark and I feel like I’m being yelled at by a giant smiley face. Perhaps it works for some people, but it just doesn’t make me want to return to read more. Good writing takes so much work, and I strive to be good one day. I want every post I create to have some meaning for someone – even if it’s about last night’s enchiladas. For now, I’m just practicing – but trying to remain true to myself while doing so.
3. Why do I write what I do?
It’s therapeutic, I suppose it. I don’t always write about personal things, but even when I am putting together a fashion post, I find it calming and enjoyable. And the beauty of the internet is that we get to have conversations with people we never have before; people from different corners of the world. I can receive a comment from someone in Paris about how she, too, loves Scarlett’s style on Nashville and glad she isn’t alone in her style obsession (true story) and feel like – wow, I was able to connect with someone on a different continent and we have something in common – I love that! And as a mother, I have grown over the years to realize how important it is to share stories, tips and lessons learned with other mothers. Being a mom is the HARDEST thing I have ever done, and I need help. So to be able to share my trials, successes and failures with others (and even to ask for answers from my readers) is a blessing to me, especially if it sparks a conversation. That right there is reason enough for me to write.
4. How does my writing process work?
One of the reasons I always felt so crazy as a writer is that I write a lot in my head. A LOT. If I get an idea for a post, I basically pre-write it in my head. I will literally be in the shower, come up with an idea, and start talking my way through it. I once asked my husband if he thought this was normal for fear that I was a weirdo (FYI, he said I was a weirdo). But thanks to this “My Writing Process” series, I’ve started reading that other writers do this too – phew. Perhaps not so crazy after all. Once I’ve got the idea worked out, I sit down whenever I can (which is sometimes days later) and I spew all my thoughts out onto the screen. I type as quickly as my hands will allow, writing as I think and trying to remember how exactly it all went in my head. I then usually do no less than 4 revisions. Yes, I read and re-read and re-read and re-read. And the sad thing is, I always find something to change. But when it’s right, I know it.
So now that I’ve ranted and made you read my ramblings, I tag two other bloggers – The Scotts from Redeem Your Ground (a new blog whose message I can really relate to) and Claire from the Half-Hearted Housewife (whom I’ve followed since we both attended Blissdom 2013 and who cracks me up often). How does your writing process work?