My Writing Process Blog Tour

Have you heard about the My Writing Process Blog Tour?

It’s a great way to get to know a little more about our fellow bloggers, including how they approach their work. Instead of it strictly being about the product–what everyone sees when they hit publish–we get an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes.

I was invited by Jane of The Heritage Cook to participate, a wonderful lady whom I met at BlogHer Food last month. Jane not only took me under her wing, but nurtured me when I was super sick on the last day of my trip. Jane is a real pro in the blogging world, focusing on from-scratch cooking, influenced by cooking with her grandmother when she was younger. Her love for it shines through in her work!

Each week of the My Writing Process Blog Tour, a new batch of bloggers answers the same four questions. Then they pick 3 more bloggers to feature, who will, in turn, provide their answers the following week. What do we get out of this? Maybe a little insight into what drives a blogger to blog–why do we do what we do?

What am I working on?

I have a few brand collaborations up my sleeve right now that I’m working on. Some great projects that I really love and can’t wait to share with my readers. (But it’s a secret for now, so you’ll have to wait…shhh!) On top of that, I’ve started working with some lovely local bloggers (who you’ll learn more about later in this post) to help support each other with our endeavors. Virtual groups are great, but you need real live people, too, and I’m really excited about what’s to come with these women! Outside of the blog (but loosely related), I’m upping my game on my performance photography. I’ve found a wonderful local venue–The Desultory Theatre Club–with lighting that is to-die-for and there’s always amazing talent there, just waiting to be captured. I’m falling in love all over again with photographing gigs and loving supporting the local artists who are my subjects. This is providing great balance in my life.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I approach food from the average home cook’s perspective. I have no formal training, just a love for food, and I like seeing what I can accomplish in spite of this. Sometimes that means I need to perform a lot of research before attempting an idea; other times, I just give it a whirl and hope for the best. I like being a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen and find that each mistake is a great opportunity for education. And entertainment. If it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth doing!

Why do I write what I do?

I had a blog before Poet in the Pantry about my journey to starting my family post-miscarriage, but that fizzled out once my second child was born–no time to keep up with it with a newborn and two-year-old in the house. Before that, I had a couple Geocities websites (one with the main focus on writing and sharing other people’s work). When I started Poet in the Pantry, it felt inevitable, but I lacked focus. I feared that there were enough food blogs in the world–many far better than what I could offer as an amateur–and so I tried anything else I could. I shared my poetry from the Creative Writing course I was taking. I wrote about local events, like my friends’ band gigs. Eventually, I gave in and transitioned to a baking blog, and when I did, it felt entirely natural. It was a way for me to share with others what I couldn’t share in person, being home most of the time with my two kids. It was a way to create in a constructive manner, and hope that others would be inspired by my creations. It helped me combine a few of my loves–food, writing, and photography–into one package. And I still love doing it.

 How does your writing process work?

I am terrible at planning, I’ll admit that. I often wander aimlessly, hoping inspiration will hit. Sometimes it does, though not always when I want (like in the middle of the night I’ll wake up with an idea or while I’m driving home from work). And then I work feverishly until my idea comes to fruition–those are the best. Other times are more of a struggle. I have a topic and I know I need to find my way of adhering to that, but it’s not necessarily what’s on my mind. I’ve been finding freewriting to help a lot with that. I was introduced to it by Doug Anderson in my Creative Writing course in 2010 and rediscovered it at a BlogHer Food session and it’s been a god-send. Sit down for 5 minutes and just write whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to make sense. It’s basically stream of consciousness. It could be that I need to remember to go to the store to pick up toilet paper, or it could be a deeper examination of my feelings on recent events. Regardless, it seems to help empty my mind so I can focus again on the task at hand. After that, the ideas–and words–tend to flow much more easily.

Who’s Next?

I can’t wait for you to meet these ladies! I’ve chosen to feature all Connecticut bloggers–home state pride! They don’t all talk about food, but we also don’t spend our entire lives eating, right? I’d love it if you could check them out when they post their answers next Monday, June 30th!

Sami Jo Jensen – Poor & Pretty

Sami has actually been featured on Poet in the Pantry before: both in a post featuring the cupcake soaps she made and sold at a local boutique and when I wrote a guest post on her blog. I met Sami through a mutual friend–the biggest cheerleader my hometown had, Julia Sloan–and immediately fell in love with her. She’s crafty, she’s trendy, and she shows you how to have the whole package on a small budget. Sami is one of the ladies with whom I’m currently collaborating on a Connecticut content creators group to support others in the social media and blogging world. She is currently taking a cross-country roadtrip, so be kind if she’s a little late with her post. Loving living vicariously through her!

Latanya Barrett – Sprinkles and Booze

I met Latanya at the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival in October and she instantly made a huge impression on me. Like a moth to the flame, I couldn’t resist this vivacious woman! A self-proclaimed addict to glitter, unicorns, pandas, cupcakes, fake eye lashes, and bad puns, Latanya loves life, and it shows. As a lifestyle blogger, she covers local events, food, fashion, and just plain FUN (which she is a pro at accomplishing!)! Every day can be a party, and she shows you how with style! Latanya is the other lady with whom I’m currently collaborating for the Connecticut content creators group. I see great things in our future!

Natasha Samuels – One Woman’s Style

I don’t know Natasha as well as the other ladies I’m featuring–this is true. But I want to know her better! Natasha is a member of Connecticut Bloggers group, where she has been a source of invaluable information to help her fellow bloggers out. She is stylish, she is strong, and I just love her! Her blog, One Woman’s Style, started with a focus on fashion and beauty while she struggled with her image (I think a lot of women can relate to this!). She is now an inspiration for other women, with some food, technology, and travel mixed in for good fun!