I kept asking myself what I wanted to send out, whatever for and to whom. All the sites for starting up a blog had two little golden nuggets of advice,` be consistent in what you want to write about and’ I’m guessing what they mean is don’t jump about like some mad hatter and talk about whatever grabs your fancy…. alternating between wines, cats, books and smell of old books, travel and photography, moths fine dining on your cashmere jumpers etc. And then the next golden nugget, when you discover this special whatever that inspires you, write about it and write passionately. Well I put on my thinking hat, thought hard and long and drew a blank. Then I had a brainwave, I could ask my daughter, who’s figured me out after so many years and besides, she manages people as a profession, so why not manage me? There was silence on the other end of the line in Brussels……..any time now she was going to come up with something brilliant that her mum could write about passionately.
` Well, what are you interested in? ‘ she asked all very professionally.
I decided to seek help elsewhere. Yes, my niece, the electronic wizard who had kindly offered to set up this blog for me. I just needed a few pointers in the right direction. She got on it immediately, tapped on themes and they flashed more themes with pictures and graphics and options with toolbars which she dragged up and down all very fast and bewildering, with interjections of, ` and you can do this and that…’ and so on and all the while telling me not to get intimidated. Who’s intimidated???? Now not only do I need to find this subject and be all gushy about it and ensnare some followers in the process but I also need to navigate through this jungle of technology. Somebody please remind me why I’m doing this? Wasn’t my life all nice and boring before? Hey, I set up and ran a school before and did it passionately, mind you. But even that was a piece of cake compared to this.
So back to square ONE. What do I write about? I decided to ask myself the following questions:
Who are you really?
I am as it says above, a dabbler. I love books and especially biographies and true stories in digestible prose with a tendency towards humour, a snigger at oneself and anonymous others. I love wines and can make a big show of swirling it and sniffing it and keeping the waiter waiting a little longer before I say `yes’. I love travel and the smell of foreign airports, the first whiff of a country; herbs, cheese, curry, wet cats and dogs etc etc. Then there’s antiques and gardening and cooking and lipsticks and…..
So what do you want to write about?
Eureka! I’ve got it! I tend to observe our interactions with this whole dizzy array of subjects and what it triggers off, like the wines for example, how it brings out the other you…..the actor…the pretender……
Can you be passionate about it?
I’m already all fired up about the fine dining moths.
Who is your target audience?
Anyone who’s interested in watching themselves and others….and am I wrong to imagine it would include…..a walloping number of people? How shall I put it? It’s like sitting in a Parisian café and observing people, feeling the pulse of creatures like you and me.
What do you expect from your audience?
Chatty interaction! Please feel free to disagree or agree with a comment or an interesting anecdote. Don’t hold back. Go to town on it.
I think I’ve just about covered it…..
and on to the next post and may the tech forces be with me.
15 Comments
Love everything 💗💗💗
Thank you! ❤ ❤ ❤
You write so well Viola. And interesting to note we have lots of similar passions too. Would love to hear of your life in that beautiful country and crosscultural experiences.
Thanks Kim!!! We certainly have a lot in common! 💕
And coming from you, it means a lot,especially since you’re a well-known writer and have achieved so much. 😊
Kim’s suggestion would be a good starter I reckon.
Will certainly take that on board.Thanks!!!!!💕
Very interesting !!! Keep it up 😊
Thanks Maria!!!!💕
You could also write about beginnings? First day of school? First day at university? Or something smaller like first taste of Greek cuisine? Or any other cuisine… first attempt at speaking French with a stranger… etc… Can’t wait to read! You’ve inspired me!!
Great ideas Leona! I just want it to be a chatty blog….watching ourselves and others.Will take your suggestions on board. Thanks! ❤
To begin with, I love your workplace.
Enjoyed reading your starters already.
Can’t wait to read more
Yes I love it too. Can’t imagine working anywhere else in the house. Thanks! ❤
HI Viola! Very interesting.
Thanks Colleen! ❤