Why I Write!

The lovely Lisa from Bake Bike Blog invited me to join in with a little Blog Hop that's going around. The Blog Hop is all about Why you write, how you do it and what you're working on - so here it goes!

At the moment, much like Lisa, I'm not working on as much as I'd like to - well, in the blogging sense that is. We're six days away from heading off to Louisiana so I'm scrambling to get all of my "real work" done before we head off! 

Today that means writing a few magazine articles, a press release and finishing off some web content for clients. Then I get to put my creative hat on and finishing designing a gorgeous Custom Art Print for a client and a Personalised Invitation Set for a little one's first birthday!

As soon as we get back, however, it's all systems go! I'm working on a few little eBooks which are all very exciting and delicious and I have quite a few plans for the blogs that I can't wait to put into motion!

Whilst I am a professional writer, my work for clients and my posts on the blog are completely different. Southern In-Law is my little place on the internet where I can be myself - and I guess that's what makes me different. 

I am myself - and I'm not afraid to be. 

I often have emails come in from readers or other bloggers who think it's awesome that I'm so honest - but I don't know why that's such a big thing. For me, honesty is incredibly important. I'm not afraid to say how I feel because I know someone is feeling the exact same thing - they may just be afraid to say it. 

I don't like to fit myself into a box so really, my writing on the blog is more like rambling. Each post is how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking in that moment - I don't schedule posts, I sit there and type them out just before I click publish. 

I guess what makes me different is that I'm real - but I wish that everyone was that way! You should never be afraid to be yourself - nobody can be you-er than you ;)

This one is easy peasy!

I write because I love to write - otherwise why would I be writing all day long for clients and then writing in all of my spare time for the blog! I'm the kid who would write story after story, who loved getting essay assignments and who's favourite subject was English. 

I started working as a photographer, thinking that I couldn't be a professional writer without going to university - but I was wrong. The clients I was doing photography work for picked up on my flair for writing and before I knew it, I was doing more writing projects than photography. It's something that I've always loved and something that I hope I always will love. 

I write Southern In-Law because it combines all of my greatest passions. I'm able to write, share delicious healthy and allergy friendly recipes, share my faith, help people by sharing my own experiences, share my own silly little life and write whatever I feel like. 

This blog gives me an incredible amount of joy - to the point where I don't know what I'd do without it. Best of all? I still have so much to share - story after story, recipe after recipe - the desire to write more doesn't end and I even wish that I had more opportunities to share!

Who knows, one day I could be sharing the Southern In-Law story in a book of our own!

I wish I could tell you some elaborate writing plan (just because it might be more interesting) but the truth is, usually it's pretty simple. 

I either sit down at the keyboard to a new blog post page and type away - or I will have an idea when I'm walking/running errands/having a shower/trying to fall asleep at night/having a conversation with someone and quickly scribble it down on a notebook (there is always one in my purse) or type it in a note on my phone. 

I also start each morning in my big red chair in Jesse and my office. That's where I have a bunch of notebooks and pieces of paper and to-do list where random ideas often get jotted down. It's organised chaos - but it works. 

Sometimes I find myself not wanting to sit at the computer (actually, that happens quite a lot as I'm usually sitting at the computer working all day long) so I'll write out a post from start to finish in a notebook - complete with cues for photos/links etc and later on I'll pop it into a blog post.

I guess I'm a bit of a chatterbox because generally, I don't have trouble finding words ;P (Usually the problem is narrowing down said words so you're not reading a 3 hour long post).

And now, it's time for some bloggy friends to join in the fun! I've picked two ladies who's blogs I adore - Ellie and Rebecca! 

Ellie blogs at Fit For The Soul. She's Mama to sweet little Selah, an incredibly inspiring Christian woman (who has the best book recommendations), a healthy living lover with delicious food ideas and shares her life and loves on her blog. 

Rebecca blogs at Strength and Sunshine and  a fellow gluten free-er who like me, suffers from multiple food issues! She's a sweetheart with delicious healthy recipes and great healthy living tips and she's a serious yogi. 

But tell me, do you ever suffer from Writer's Block?
I've realised that I only tend to suffer from "writer's block" when I don't want to write something or I find it really boring - but then it's more of a procrastination issue ;)