Thank you to the fabulous (three) mothers at 4mothers1blog for inviting me to participate in a blog hop asking bloggers why they write.
Carol, Beth-Anne and Nathalie have already shared the ins and outs of why and how they write (here, here and here) and now it’s my turn.
1) What am I working on/writing?
I’ve been to a few funerals lately so I am planning some posts about cemetery design and environmentally friendly coffins and burials.
I haven’t written much about energy and water efficiency so far as it felt too much like my job but there will be more about these in future.
There’s also more to come about sustainable fashion, feng shui, water quality, philanthropy, air pollution and who knows what else?!
2) How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?
When I started this blog, I found advice recommending that bloggers should aim to inform, amuse, add value in some way (i.e. be helpful) and/or offer a compelling point of view or insightful reflection.
I hope that each of my posts does some or all of these – with a degree of originality (even if many of the facts are the same as you find in other posts and articles about sustainability).
3) Why do I write what I do?
Apart from my desire to make a difference in some small way, I just write about what I am interested in (which is most things).
However, I generally try to make some link (no matter how tenuous) back to environmental and social sustainability or technology and innovation (except in the case of random unplanned posts).
I had not planned to focus so much on Australian themes – but I guess it’s to be expected.
4) How does my writing process work?
Every so often I write a post in one sitting – usually when a comment morphs into a post in its own right. In these cases, I tend to just keep going until the post is published and I can get it out of my brain. (e.g. ‘Once a jolly swagperson‘ that started life as a response to a post about political correctness.)
For other posts, the process is a bit longer and resource intensive.
I constantly collect sources of inspiration and add notes, quotes and links etc to the virtual sticky notes that cover my desktop.
Most evenings I fill my brain with ideas and information by reading blogs, articles and books and watching documentaries on TV.
I let the ideas ferment at night and might top them up over coffee in the morning.
Next I get into my ‘magic’ shower and let my new blog take shape.
I am not quite sure how it happens – but before too long, usually dripping wet, I go in search of a pen and scrap of paper to scribble down the outline and other notes. (This photo is part of the outline for a future post about procrastination.)
At this stage the blog is more like a recipe.
Then I begin to source any missing ingredients (e.g. photos) and check quantities (key facts or figures) over the next few days or weeks.
If I can’t find suitable photos and images free of copyright restrictions, I take my own photos or do a dodgy drawing (e.g. the cans of witchetty grub soup and bogong moth cake mix in ‘Bush tucker 2‘).
(My neighbours were not sure what to think when they saw me walking up and down the street with my teddy bear taking photos for my ‘drop bear‘ post. I just wish I had been able to photoshop in some fangs…)
When I have assembled the ingredients, it is time to put them all together and ‘bake’ them.
Most of my draft posts are typed up in one go.
I like to let the draft post rest for a few hours to give me time to make edits – and decide if it is worth publishing.
Sometimes the post is a flop or resembles stock that is best frozen (saved) awaiting fresh ingredients that can make it a more well-rounded and satisfying dish.
Whereas other posts might just need some final garnishes (links, acknowledgments & tags) before they are ready to serve (hit publish).
Passing on the baton
Now it gives me great pleasure to introduce the bloggers who accepted my invitation to continue this blog hop. Both of these bloggers have provided inspiration for my own posts.
Sandy at Hoarder Comes Clean somehow manages to combine her overarching theme of decluttering with weekly photo challenges. Her topics are really easy to relate to and are complemented by fantastic photos. It is a real skill to take an old pair of shoes or a few postcards and turn them into an interesting and thought-provoking post.
Veronica, the Sicilian Housewife, writes a blog, as well as books, from her home in a tiny fishing village on the north coast of Sicily. I love the diversity of formats and topics – and how she provides insights about contemporary life in Sicily and its rich history. I am looking forward to hearing how she fits her blog in with scrubbing floors, ironing underwear, peeling prawns, cooking for hundreds and all of her other perfect Sicilian housewife chores.
Photo credits: Pip Marks
Categories: Social media, Writing
Sustainability soapbox 
Nice to read of your blog writing process Pip. My comics are usually from an idea that pops into my head or a situation I’ve observed. Storyline type comics are usually from an initial idea & I usually play it by ear as I go along. Now I gotta go see the dropbear post
Reading other people’s blog hop posts made me realise that I really don’t have a process!
I would love to be able draw like you (e.g. so I could have added different ‘eyebrows’ to a car for my car faces post. I decided that my chances of getting the expressions right were too low to bother.)