Interview With Robin: Award Winning Blogger
Recently I had the privilege of judging a writing contest for Shelly Tucker’s world renowned: This Eclectic Life blog. The rules were wide open, making it very hard to judge. They were to be stories of when you were “scared silly.” Some truly excellent and visual pieces of writing were submitted and I was very humbled to have to judge so much hard work and talent. But I did it! An amazing finalist in the contest, and actually the first place winner, was Robin at Around The Island who posted “Treed, or rather staircased.”
I was very impressed with her blog, and in the hopes of getting some of her talent and wisdom imparted to me (and you!), I asked her to do an interview with me for Postcards from the Funny Farm. I was very glad when she accepted. The interview shows Robin’s clever use of language and a few tricks she’s picked up about blogging. I’m proud to share a little of Robin with you on my blog today. Just reading her stuff makes me feel like I’m a better blogger:
1. Hello there! You were one of the 3 finalists in Shelly’s recent writing contest: Scared Silly. How did you get the inspiration to write your winning story?
It really is a true story, despite what my family says. When Shelly told me that the theme was “scared silly” I knew right away that I had to set the cow story free - after all, could you imagine anything more fitting for the theme if you tried?
2. No, indeed I could not *chuckles* Tell us about your blog: How long has it been around and what is it about?
I started blogging in November of 2006. The blog started out as more of a straight mommy blog just sharing pictures and cute stories, but I was even boring myself some days. When I decided to start responding to writing prompts I unlocked a muse I didn’t even remember I had. These days the blog is really much more diverse (a polite way to say that it’s an unfocused mess). My readers can never be quite sure what they’re going to find. It could be a pull at your heartstrings type story of life with a special needs child, it could be travel anecdotes or photos, or recipes, or fiction, or descriptions of life in Israel, or household tips, or a call for world peace, or even a story about getting chased up a staircase by a cow. What’s that Forrest Gump quote about the box of chocolates? You just never know what you’re going to get.
3. You sound very laid back, but you write some stuff that is very well organized for sure. It has to take a lot of work. So what do you do for a living, will we find any of your life in your blog?
In my non-blogging life I’m a markcom writer/editor and a lactation consultant (one pays the bills, the other provides little money but is incredibly fulfilling). You will find quite a lot of my life on my blog. I see my blog as an extension of myself and let it all hang out. You won’t find that much of my professional life there though. My 60+ hour week living on an airplane career track days are behind me. These days my work is what pays the bills and lets me live my life, it isn’t my life.
4. What is your philosophy on blogging?
I write straight from the heart, in my own voice. There’s no pretense. What you see is what you get. If I’ve moved you, whether to laughter or to tears, or just to shake your head in disbelief, or even better to leave a comment, then I’ve achieved my goal. I write for the conversation, for the community blogging creates, more than for the sake of the writing itself. I envision my blog as a place where interested and interesting people can sit together and enjoy some coffee and conversation.
5. Well thank you for talking to us today, is there anything else you’d like to add?
My folks are arriving for a visit in 7 days and my house is an utter and complete disaster aread. Oh wait, that’s probably not what you were going for, is it? Nevermind…
Robin’s First Place Story:
Url: “Treed, or rather staircased.”
Popularity: 9%
I am a regular visitor to Robin’s blog and I LOVE IT. Her prose really resonants with me……thanks for the awesome interview.
angie’s last blog post..Bolsa Chica State Beach
Hey, I have a fan LOL.
This was fun to do Damien, and thanks for saying such lovely things about me. I’ll try not to let it go to my head.
Robin’s last blog post..Bliss is…
Another excellent interview and I am so glad you did these.
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[...] Scared My Daughter Silly. Incidentally, you can read Damien’s interviews with both of them here and here. I’ll be contributing my own interview just as soon as I get my act [...]