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The following are a few questions regarding my journey as a writer/blogger…
1. How long have you been blogging?
Forever, it seems.
Since 2001? I think? Maybe?
BUT! (And there is a big but!) There is a difference between blogging and journaling. For at least 10 years my blogging was solely journaling. I really started trying to transform my writing to more of a blog style sometime after I got married.
2. Why did you start blogging?
I started keeping a diary sometime in elementary school. My mom let me read hers from way back in the 70s and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Then I read the Anne Frank Diary.
Soon after I began scrapbooking…
And finally, I started journaling online when one of my female friends showed me her blog. It was nice to never get to the end.
But it didn't stop there.
When I was in high school, the fad was having a LiveJournal. And I had at least 2. One was private and the other was not. I shared my most intimate thoughts and feelings with online friends that only a password could get you.
Then it was wedding planning …
And finally where I am now … somewhere between blogging and journaling.
One day I'll figure it out.
3. How many times a week do you post an entry?
5. It started as a challenge to myself. I thought it would help me become a better writer. It did get me more followers, but I wouldn't consider myself a better writer because of it.
4. How many different blogs do you read on a daily basis?
128.
Honestly I had never counted until just then. That number stresses me out.
I follow travel blogs, fashion blogs, financial blogs, cooking blogs, DIY/craft blogs, and photography/photographer's blogs. The travel blogs are the most important to stay up to date on because they offer to-the-minute deals on hotels and flights that I wouldn't otherwise know about. Effortless Anthropologie lets me know when my favorite clothing goes on sale. And the others … are just for fun. :)
5. Do you comment on other people's blogs?
Rule #455 in writing a blog is making sure to comment on others' blogs. Do I? Not so much. :(
During the upcoming April A-Z challenge I can guarantee you I will be commenting on at least 5 blogs a day. Stressful? Absolutely. But fun too. It's a good way to meet people.
One thing I try really hard to do is if someone comes to my blog and comments, I click over to see their blog and comment there too. It's only fair. :)
6. Do you keep track of how many visitors you have?
Yes.
I also know what country you are from, what operating system you use, and which browser you are checking from.
Scared yet? ;)
But seriously, if I don't keep track of the numbers, I don't get to host giveaways. That's all you read my blog for anyway, right? ;)
7. Do you ever regret a post that you wrote?
Absolutely.
There is a fine line between sharing and over-sharing. One of the author's of a blog I read commented that she felt comfortable sharing her own story but she was uncomfortable sharing others' stories. This really made me think: whose story am I sharing? Sometimes, someone else's story is also my story. But if I share too much of their personal information online without speaking with them first, how will they feel? Will they know? Will they care?
Honestly, blogging can be incredibly confusing. There are rules about picture usage, posting recipes, and in how you write reviews… It can be overwhelming and stressful when all you want to do is write!
I typically get Justin to read over my blog every single day. If he's uncomfortable with something I post, I edit or delete. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he rarely thinks there is a problem, even if my gut disagrees. Typically, I follow my heart in those cases. This is why, occasionally, you will see a blog post there one day and gone the next…
8. Do you think your readers have a true sense of who you are?
YES.
I am a big advocate for honesty, especially with regards to who I am and how I express myself. If you were to meet me in person, you would find that my values are in line with the things I say on the blog. While I do occasionally stretch the truth or not reveal a whole truth, it usually comes from me trying to protect someone's privacy.
9. Do you blog under your real name?
Actually…
10. Are there topics you would never blog about?
I want to say yes, but I've blogged about at least one of those topics (as an answer to a question) very recently. In general I try to refrain from blogging about anything too personal. I love you, but sometimes it's simply none of your business…
11. What is the theme/topic of your blog?
I consider myself to be a lifestyle blogger.
Just think about all of the blogs I follow: travel, money, food, clothes, DIY/crafts…
It's all about living and, hopefully, living better.
However, if you were to form my blog into a book, I think, currently it would be a bildungsroman. I'd love to change it up, but there is something so therapeutic about writing that you can't always get from pure facts, lists, and/or DIY projects. My blog over the past few years has been about how I've grown and changed –the life lessons I've learned– interspersed with reviews and recommendations.
12. Do you have more than one blog? If so, why?
Not anymore. Except still.
13. What have you found to be the benefits of blogging?
Mostly that I am held accountable.
Getting to try new products, host giveaways, and meet new people…
And the therapeutic writing of course. :)
14. So, why do you continue to blog?
I wouldn't know what to do otherwise. :-/
Seriously, I love to write. Even beyond that, I love to take topics/ideas and transform them into something that fits me and my style. Heck, I even love to edit!
15. Where do you see your blog going in the next few years?
I'm hoping to gain more control over my blog within the next year. I've begun by creating topics I try to stick to throughout the week – Money Monday, Travel Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Throwback/Giveaway Thursday, Food/Fashion Friday. I don't always stick to them, but it's nice to have a concept I can fall back on. It lets me know what to write about, and you, the reader, only have to visit on days when I'm blogging about that thing that interests you the most. :)
Also, with regards to my writing and pictures, I'm hoping to improve.
So why do you blog? What is your writing background? Are you brave enough to tackle some of these questions on your own blog?
* The questions in this blog post come from StrawberrySingh.com
