Blogger Interview Joy

Every Friday we feature a different blogger on our site. If you’d like to be interviewed and featured on week send us and email at onthesideblogging@gmail.com so we can work out the details!

Hi! I’m Joy Adan. I’ve been married for four years and am mum to a fantastically musical 2-year old, and work as a freelance writer and editor in Sydney, Australia. I blog at www.themamaminute.com about the fun, weird, emotional and entertaining moments that come with motherhood and marriage, and things that make taking care of myself and my family that little bit easier. What started off as a series of vents and record of the early months of motherhood is now a growing website. I write for expecting or new parents who are looking for ways to balance the demands of their growing family and work life –  because there are only so many minutes in the day. 

 

What are your top 3 blogging goals and how are you striving to reach them?
Earlier this year I quit full time work so I could spend more time with my family and pursue a career in writing, which means I have more time to dedicate to The Mama Minute blog. 
My first goal for the year is to use the blog as a way of finding my “writer’s voice”. I’ve spent the last six years as a technical writer and editing online content, which require a specific style and tone that is a lot more formal or “broadcasty” than I really am. So I want to use my blog to practice writing freely, and to write about the things I really enjoy and feel strongly about. 
My second goal is to build my readership and connect with a bigger audience. When I started The Mama Minute I didn’t think much about audience (well, apart from family, friends and the mum’s I’d met in mother’s groups!) and I certainly didn’t have a niche topic (I was blogging about dirty nappies while reviewing fancy restaurants) but over the past couple of years I’ve met so many amazing bloggers and readers, and I’d love to expand that and turn The Mama Minute into something that’s fun to read and helpful for working parents everywhere.
The third goal would be getting paid to write. When I left my full-time job I took a chance to pursue my dream career, and it would be awesome to get paid to do something I really love while still being able to support and spend time with my family. 

 

 

 

How do you overcome writer’s block?
I’m the worst when it comes to writer’s block! I am superbly awesome at writing about everything except for what I’m meant to be writing about! When I hit a stumbling block, I put on some music and set myself a strict writing goal like “Write for five minutes straight, without stopping. No pauses, no edits, no checking or answering of phones.” Usually that’s enough to get me started, and I end up writing for 15-20 minutes, sometimes even an hour. A few years ago I wrote a post called Five Things after going through a dry spell and not writing a word in months. It’s about a simple exercise I started doing every day to keep myself alert for things that inspire, small blessings, and the often unrecognized stories behind ordinary life.  
If I’m really stumped with writer’s block but feeling lazy, I’ll pick up a book or magazine and read something until I’m inspired to write.
I think one of the biggest challenges about freelancing is it’s so easy to find something else to do that’s notwriting (there’s a lot of administrative work involved, or because I’m at home I will often find something that needs cleaning). So writing takes a lot of discipline – a lesson I’m learning very quickly!  

 

Awww that’s hard! Can I cheat and link to two? One of my favorites was written on my way to work, during a peak-hour train ride into the city. It’s called My Son is Making Me a Morning Person and it’s one of my shortest posts, but it reminds me of how much more fun life (and mornings!) can be when seen through the eyes of a child. My second favorite (Hey you! Yes, you! What the heck are you doing?) is one of my most popular posts this year and is about the moment my Dad said something so simple that made me re-evaluate my whole life. That post received a lot of great feedback from my readers, but also spurred me on to make the big leap of faith from my steady, full-time job to a not-so-steady but wonderful job of being a mum and writer.