The Writer That Is Not

Hey y’all! It’s my last day in DC, but I am writing this before hand so hopefully I am thriving and surviving! But I thought it would be the perfect day to post my writing process/why I write. I was tagged by the beautiful lady Kristy over at Southern In-Law last week in the big blog hop that is going around the blog world right now! It seems like fun and I have loved reading all the other bloggers posts on this, so I hope you enjoy mine!

It’s to give a little insight on why we write and how we write since sometimes we don’t really talk about this. A little “behind the post” insight if you will. But I’ll keep intros short and get right to the good stuff. Ready?

Right now I am working on finding balance. I know I am going to have to majorly overhaul how I blog and the time spend with social media and techonology big time come August 23rd. I know I will be cutting back on posting 5 days a week to maybe just 3. I am also going to have to be more efficient with social media and reading other blogs. Gone will be the days of clearing my bloglovin’ every day. I am trying to write down as many post ideas as I can now and make and photograph recipes now so I will have a good stockpile for when I am getting acclimated to my new life.

I am also working on the media kit still. But it is coming along and I think it will majorly help when talking/working with brands. It’s all worth it in the end, right? Same with the prospect of getting a new design and becoming self-hosted. When I get back home, I am really go to sit down with a designer and get things moving. Speaking of brands I have also been working a lot more with Plant Fusion as the social media manager. We have some great ideas in the works and I am excited I get to be a big part of an up and coming company. (P.S. We have a recipe contest going on on the Facebook page! You should enter, it’s easy!)

This is an interesting question. I think my writing is different because it is simply just me. I am no professional writer, I am not even a writer. At least I don’t feel that way. My posts are simply what I am thinking in my head and how I would talk to you if you were sitting in front of me. How I write is reall how I am. I don’t try to hide behind a computer persona. I want to be real and this little blog is my place to do just that.

Additionally, I am a young fresh new 18-year-old. I am going to be a college freshman embarking on a new journey. In the healthy living/fitness/food or really any part of the blogging community, I am a very young blogger. Most bloggers are in there 20s and up. So I still and always will feel like the baby, but I think that gives my blog and my voice its uniqueness as well. I probably have a different perspective on things than an older blogger or might think of things differently. I also hope it makes my blog welcoming and a fun place to connect and just chat!

This is another hard one. I really always disliked writing. I mean, I love what writing is and what it can do, but I have always had such a hard time actually getting what I want down in to words. I come up with tons of great things in my head, but when it comes time to write it or even speak it, I always can’t find the words or the right way of presenting it. Although I feel that blogging has gotten me a lot more confident with my writing and has helped me get thoughts to paper screen and even helped me with speaking. I am slowly growing my liking of writing and what it can do for me. I really do love sharing these thoughts with all of you and writing is the only way to do it. So I write to share, to be connected, to have a voice and feel important/confident. I have good things to say and I don’t want to be hindered by the fact that writing is not my strong suit. I am a writing-work-in-progress!

I loved reading what everyone wrote for this one the most! Haha, most bloggers have scoffed and laughed at how they really don’t have a process, and I don’t think I do either. I think to be a writier, you really don’t have a solid, stick-to process. Things change and you might get an idea or a spark of creativity at the most odd time. Writing one way might work great for one post or book, but next time it could be something completely different.

I do keep a Google Doc with recipe ideas and things I want to make as well as a list of blog post ideas. I used to keep them all in a notebook, but that became to messy. When it’s on the computer, you can easily erase, edit, and add. So that’s how I keep things organized, but when it comes time to writing, I just wing it. I never pre-write a post anywhere except right here on the keyboard. I just sit my butt down on the weekends and write. It can be a bit forced sometimes, but it gets the job done. Writing recipe posts is easy because I already have the recipe, I just need to edit photos and think of a quirky story to tell. When it comes to other posts, I may think of some point in my head before time, and some things require a bit of research, but then I just go in and write.

Just like Kristy, my posts tend to be wordy and very long. Right now I am at a 1015 word count. But hey, I don’t like getting cut short! I have to say it all! I also hate editing posts. Whenever I do go back and really edit a post, it usually comes out bad and has even more mistakes than the ones I don’t! Just like when you take a test in school and you go back to check the answers. You second guess yourself, change an answer, and end up getting it wrong. Well I feel that way about posts too. I like to keep it how it initially was, because that is how my brain/gut told me to write it so I should keep it that way! No looking back! It keeps things more authentic and honest too 😉

And now for the fun part! I have found a bunch of new bloggers to follow through these posts. Now it is my turn to nominate some lovely ladies to write about their writing and introduce them to you all!

Brittany from Delights and Delectables, is the beautiful new mom to her adopted son the adorable Baby D! She has such a strong commitment and love to her family and a lovely outlook on life. I love her upbeat attitude and her dedicated to living a happy healthy life!

Kiersten from CaNdY FiT, is a Canadian blogger, former figure competitor, and crazy baker. I love her insightful posts on being present and living the life you want to the fullest. She also is the wonderful host of #RecipeFriday, which you all should link-up to some time!

Lindsay from Cotter Crunch, “Crazy Cotter” is the wife to Kiwi Cotter, a professional triathlete. She is fellow gluten-free-er and the creator of Healthy Bites (damn I still need to try some!). She has a strong dedication to health, purpose, and being bold in blogging and life! I always look forward to what Lindsay has to say!

So tell me:

+ Do you think you can call yourself a writer just because you write, even if you don’t necessarily like it? I guess that goes along with the “if you run, your a runner” thing.

+ When writing, do you just go for it or do you make a first draft, second draft, etc.? I always hated doing that in school. In elementary when we would have to hand in our first draft, edit, revise, etc. That is juts not how I work, I don’t have the time. My mind works best with in just one full swoop!

O and Happy July 1st! July!? This is crazy! Have a beautiful day my friends!

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