photo credit Evan via photopin cc
So a few months ago, a blog hop was started where bloggers were invited to post about why they write. I was itching to get in on the action so when the lovely Viv from Brunch with Viv asked me to play along, I accepted write away! (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist it!)
I’ve always loved writing. Even as a kid. I wasn’t really good at art, great at sport, a maestro at music or a whizz with numbers, but I could always hold my own with a pen and paper.
In the olden days, I spent many a year keeping diaries and writing epic travel journals on just about every trip I took. Even as an adult.
I just love words. They’re my best. I love playing with them, rhyming them, saying them and inventing them. I just can’t get enough.
Why do I write?
I guess given my love of the written word it’s not surprising that I used words as my weapon in my battle with cancer. The decision to start my blog brought about the word tsunamis. The words just didn’t stop. They just kept on coming. Writing about my experience was both cathartic and therapeutic. It was as much a window for me to look out of my world and make sense of what was happening to me, as it was a window into my world, for my family and friends who were trying to understand looking in.
However, even though the word tsunamis eased and my cancer is held at bay, there are still words. And lots of them. I guess for me writing is my creative outlet. I exhale with words.
How does my writing differ from others in it’s genre?
Well, I don’t know that my writing is in a genre. Because my writing is just me. And there’s only one of me. At least, there was last time I checked. When it comes to these here words on these here pages, what you see, is what you get, just me.
What am I working on?
One of my 101 things to do in 1001 days is to try and blog three times a week.
Finding things to write about isn’t a problem at all. But finding the time and energy to get down and do it is somewhat of a challenge.
Why do I write what I do?
I guess I write about my life and the things I love in it. That’s me. That’s what I do. My mum once said to me that she finds out more from my blog than she does from our conversations together. And we have a lot of conversations together. I don’t know how that happens or why I write the things I do. But when I’m writing, the words just come out. Some of the things I want to say, I would not want to verbalise, nor would I necessarily be able to, not as well as I could if I were to write them down anyway. There’s something about writing words that makes them more powerful than just saying them.
How does my writing process work?
I don’t have a process. I just have a think that I am thinking and then I write about it. Usually, I have my best ideas when I am running or when I am just about to hit Sleepy Town, which is really inconvenient. If I’m lucky, I’ll have some recollection of these writing epiphanies later and am able to turn my words into action in the keyboard. But mostly, I just empty my brain and turn my thoughts into words, with a tappity, tap, tap. I usually make at least one return visit to each blog post for a wee edit and a grammar and typo check. For the record, it doesn’t matter how many times I check my work, after I hit publish, I always find a mistake somewhere!
The Blog Hop Baton
So a blog hop is kind of like a chain letter, only without all the bits of bad luck. So now, I get to pass the blog-hopping-baton to three other bloggers who will tell us why they write. I’m pretty stoked to pass the baton onto a trio of three of my favourite bloggers… let me introduce you to Katie, Lisa and Jackie.
Jackie blogs at Hippie Mumma. She is an Aussie gal who found her inner hippie when she became a mum and loves to share her passion for living a healthy natural lifestyle with clean recipes.
Based in Sydney, Lisa is a passionate Mother, blogger, professional fundraiser, event manager and volunteer for many causes close to her heart. As well as the very serious side to her life, Lisa simply loves taking and sharing beautiful pictures, cooking for and celebrating with loved ones, painting her furniture white and using social media for good. She blogs at The Art of Joy where her mission is to create a life that matters.
Katie blogs at Katie 180 and is a straight talking nutritionist who always leaves room for cake. She loves to tidy, organise, make lists, cook, bake, exercise, read, write, learn and share.
Be sure to check out these blogs of awesomeness and find out why these bloggers write. They’ll spill the beans next week, Monday 21st July.
So I like to write. What do you do for fun?
