Another fun interview for you today, and this one, is with one of my (Paula’s) personal friends!! We’re starting to accept new applicants for interviews, so feel free to check out this post and email us if you’d like to be interviewed!
Hello! My name is Alicia, the proud mommy of a rambunctious 2 year old boy. I blog over at A Sweet Fragrance where I write about all the things I learn while living abroad in SE Asia. Whether it’s cooking a recipe that requires me to substitute a lot of ingredients, figuring out how to do “tot school” at home to help my son with is speech, or gleaning from God’s Word, there’s always something to be learned!
How do you balance blogging time and family time?
I want my family to appreciate my love for writing just as much as I do. I never want my husband or my son to feel like my blog is more important to me than they are. For me to keep things balanced, I always strive to honor my responsibilities as a wife and mother. Keeping the house clean, cooking meals, sitting and playing with my son, watching Netflix with my husband when he’s ready to unwind–these are all important things as well and I don’t want to neglect them because I feel as though I need to be writing. I usually save blogging for the nap-time and nighttime hours, but if I must blog during any other time, I don’t hesitate to close my laptop and leave my desk when I’m needed elsewhere.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
If I’m finding myself at a loss for words, here are 4 ways I try to beat the block:
- I try to think of things I’ve been wanting to do around the house or recipes I’ve been meaning to try. Projects and recipes always make for a great topic to share with others. Not only do I have a new topic to write about, but I’ve also accomplished trying a new project or recipe!
- Another way I overcome writer’s block is by reading quotes or reading other articles. More often than not, I’ll read something that will get me thinking. Before I know it, I have a new topic brewing in my mind.
- I start a writing series and/or participate in a writing challenge. This motivates me to dig deeper and also to commit myself to an idea and see it all the way through. For example, I’m currently blogging my way through a Tot School series as I teach my little 2 year old at home. Each week I post about the activities, games, and projects we did for the letter of the week.
- If the first 3 ways still aren’t giving you any ideas, write a post that has a format similar to the way I’m answering this very question. People love a post that narrows down what seems like an infinite amount of information into bite-sized portions. “5 Tips for ______”, “10 Ways to _______”, “8 Verses of Scripture to Pray For Your _______”, just to name a few examples. It’s a style of writing that can be informative, heartfelt, and share-worthy all at the same time. The major plus, it gets you out of that writer’s rut.
Share a link to your favorite post you’ve ever written. Why is it your favorite?
I’m going to have to say my post, “Where Are My Keys?” is my favorite post. It’s a post I wrote right after we had to sell all of our belongings to move overseas. It was a really rough time, considering I tend to place a lot of sentimental value on a lot of things. The awareness of the weight of importance I placed on those possessions hit me one day when I handed over my last key to a possession I once owned and walked away without any new key in its place. I like to go back and read the post often because I’m reminded that my life does not consist in the abundance of my possessions (or abundance of pageviews and Facebook “likes”) but in the hope I have in Christ. Whatever lot is cast my way, I hope I can always say “it is well with my soul!”
I love Alicia’s blog! Starting a series is a great idea for overcoming writer’s block. Thanks for sharing.