The other week I was very kindly invited to take part in the Blog Hop that's been doing the rounds. Although I've done quite a few tag posts, I've never done a hop before and this one is all about writing and blogging with questions that I've never actually stopped to think about before.
So a huge thank you to Zoe from Floral and Feather for nominating me. Zoe's blog was one of the first ones I followed a couple of years ago and then when I started this little piece of the internet, she was the first person to comment on here, only 5 days after I launched duck in a dress. I was so excited by that one comment - it was like getting a comment from a celebrity!
Zoe's other Blog Hop nominee is the fabulous Katie from over at Hook Line and Sink Her - someone who's truly lovely online and in real life and always manages to make me smile with her comments and blog posts!
So on to the questions...
Why do I write?
Okay, so the answer probably is 'I don't really know'. Not a good start to the questions.
When I was a kid, I remember making lists, keeping diaries, filling up notepads, writing my own books and even me and a friend trying to launch our own local newspaper. When I grew older, I loved all things literary and language-y (yup, I'm creating that word) but other than coursework, never sat down to actually write anything and be creative.
People kept telling me my life was kind of cool but I didn't really believe them (and I wasn't going to start putting rubbish on Facebook just to see who was right). Keeping a blog though means that you can share things with the world and if people are interested, then they can choose to read and if they do, then that's excellent.
I think it's something to do with leaving a kind of documentary record of what I've done with my life. I really enjoy taking pictures and thinking what to write about what we've done; and I really love the blogging community - the lovely people, the comments and all the things you learn from other bloggers.
Does that make any kind of sense?
What am I working on?
Blogwise: I really need to be a bit more active on Twitter and actually remember to take part in Twitter chats. I'd also like to learn to take better photographs, the whole 'framing a picture' sort of thing. I've always loved snapping away at things and also run a photography site with pictures of Somerset's Carnival processions but pretty much all the shots are of moving things. Of course, with an action shot you can't really take time to make the picture perfect so my experience of taking gorgeous pictures is rather limited!
Elsewhere in our lives: a change of bedrooms (complete with new furniture), a car port on the side of the house sheltering a vintage lorry, a Masters degree and maybe one day, a little duckling.
How does it differ from others of its genre?
It probably doesn't, as duck in a dress is *just* another lifestyle blog. The only difference to other lifestyle blogs is that naturally every blogger has their own eclectic interests and this means I end up blogging about steam rallies, IVF, theatre, Carnivals, vintage vehicles, cake and charity shops. In all the years I spent reading other people's blogs, I never stumbled on another one with quite that range of bizarre hobbies.
How does my writing process work?
Well, it's not as organised as I'd like it to be! I keep a loose schedule on Google Calendar of what I'm doing when and what to post about then I try and write down some thoughts a few days in advance of when I want stuff published. Lunch breaks at work are very useful although I quite often end up ignoring Andrew in the evening because I'm tapping away on the laptop.
I try and reply to comments at the weekend but as you might have noticed, it doesn't always happen!
So there you have it, my Blog Hop answers. Now the idea of the blog hop is to nominate two other beautiful bloggers except umm...went-on-holiday-for-a-week-and-forgot-to-email-anyone...yeah, that.
I will be sending off a couple of quick messages though and hopefully in a few days, I'll have two nominees eagerly waiting to publish their own blog hop posts next Monday.
I'll let you know who they are as soon as I find out myself! :-)
Zoe's other Blog Hop nominee is the fabulous Katie from over at Hook Line and Sink Her - someone who's truly lovely online and in real life and always manages to make me smile with her comments and blog posts!
So on to the questions...
Why do I write?
Okay, so the answer probably is 'I don't really know'. Not a good start to the questions.
When I was a kid, I remember making lists, keeping diaries, filling up notepads, writing my own books and even me and a friend trying to launch our own local newspaper. When I grew older, I loved all things literary and language-y (yup, I'm creating that word) but other than coursework, never sat down to actually write anything and be creative.
People kept telling me my life was kind of cool but I didn't really believe them (and I wasn't going to start putting rubbish on Facebook just to see who was right). Keeping a blog though means that you can share things with the world and if people are interested, then they can choose to read and if they do, then that's excellent.
I think it's something to do with leaving a kind of documentary record of what I've done with my life. I really enjoy taking pictures and thinking what to write about what we've done; and I really love the blogging community - the lovely people, the comments and all the things you learn from other bloggers.
Does that make any kind of sense?
What am I working on?
Blogwise: I really need to be a bit more active on Twitter and actually remember to take part in Twitter chats. I'd also like to learn to take better photographs, the whole 'framing a picture' sort of thing. I've always loved snapping away at things and also run a photography site with pictures of Somerset's Carnival processions but pretty much all the shots are of moving things. Of course, with an action shot you can't really take time to make the picture perfect so my experience of taking gorgeous pictures is rather limited!
Elsewhere in our lives: a change of bedrooms (complete with new furniture), a car port on the side of the house sheltering a vintage lorry, a Masters degree and maybe one day, a little duckling.
How does it differ from others of its genre?
It probably doesn't, as duck in a dress is *just* another lifestyle blog. The only difference to other lifestyle blogs is that naturally every blogger has their own eclectic interests and this means I end up blogging about steam rallies, IVF, theatre, Carnivals, vintage vehicles, cake and charity shops. In all the years I spent reading other people's blogs, I never stumbled on another one with quite that range of bizarre hobbies.
How does my writing process work?
Well, it's not as organised as I'd like it to be! I keep a loose schedule on Google Calendar of what I'm doing when and what to post about then I try and write down some thoughts a few days in advance of when I want stuff published. Lunch breaks at work are very useful although I quite often end up ignoring Andrew in the evening because I'm tapping away on the laptop.
I try and reply to comments at the weekend but as you might have noticed, it doesn't always happen!
So there you have it, my Blog Hop answers. Now the idea of the blog hop is to nominate two other beautiful bloggers except umm...went-on-holiday-for-a-week-and-forgot-to-email-anyone...yeah, that.
I will be sending off a couple of quick messages though and hopefully in a few days, I'll have two nominees eagerly waiting to publish their own blog hop posts next Monday.
I'll let you know who they are as soon as I find out myself! :-)
Fabulous post - love the look of your google calender and looking forward to seeing who you nominate (hope you had a lovely holiday!). Honoured to have been your first commenter! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Zoe! At some point I'll have some willing participants (everyone seemed to have either done it already or be on holiday at the mo!) :-) xx
DeleteYour hobby collection is fantastic eclectic; I love that I never know what I'm going to read next on your blog! xxx
ReplyDeleteAww thanks Katie! Perhaps that's what my blog theme should be - 'the element of suprise' :-) xxx
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