Writing Process Blog Hop

Lyn of Little Blue Bottle introduced this blog hop to me. We have known each other since our wedding preparation days, and incidentally got hitched on the very same date in March 2007! Fast forward a couple of years and we are both now mothers with two little girls each. 

You can see Lyn's Writing Process Blog Hop blog entry here. Besides myself, Lyn has also linked to Life Is In the Small Things.

Just for the record, I do not usually take part in blog hops or linkys but was drawn to this one as it gives me an opportunity to take you "behind the scenes" of this blog. I hope that you enjoy reading my responses as well as the entries of other writers that are linked to this hop!


a. What am I working on? 
I am putting in place content ideas, mainly in the areas of health and lifestyle. After a few years of writing about children and family, I am ready to restart my engine to write about other areas that I am interested in and enjoy. You can expect to see more posts about living a healthy lifestyle, reviews of food places, and fashion posts!

Besides content, I am constantly tweaking the blog design, the sidebar banners, and other nitty gritty adjustments to make the blog read better. I have plans to grow the blog's community but have to wait till I have more time on my hands!

b. How does my work differ from others in its genre? 
A Dollop of Me has in recent years been classified as a family blog because (let's be honest) I cannot resist writing about my children and family life. One thing that sets my blog apart from the majority of family blogs is that I do not use real names, and I stop putting facial photographs of my children once they reach a certain age. Protecting their privacy is something that is important to me, and I believe I can still write good pieces and reviews without putting them out there. Happy family photos and close-ups of facial expressions are kept for private viewing! I am well aware that this decision may (and perhaps has) made A Dollop of Me less enticing to corporate sponsors, but that is something I understand and can live with!

c. Why do I write what I do? 
This question is a hard one to answer because the WHY about keeping up with this blog has changed over the years. Right now, it feels like this space has become so much a part of my life that it will be difficult to let it go. It has been years since I have written in a public space in a rather personal manner, and while the blog has grown tremendously in terms of readership and opportunities, it still feels like a safe and happy place to be. I write today because I enjoy sharing experiences, using photographs to tell stories, and having a conversation with the wider world.

d. How does my writing process work? 
I almost feel embarrassed to answer this question! In the past year, I have not been as systematic as I would like to have been with writing and publishing blog posts. It was a conscious decision to prioritize the family, in particular my two girls. That said, I am looking forward to July when Bun starts playschool and there will be a short window of time in the mornings to get work done!

In general, however, I will start a blog entry with an idea about what I want to say, and then put in photographs (or images) to complement the piece. I keep a list of ideas for blog posts that I hope to write, and will work through these ideas as and when I obtain the additional information (links, photos, quotes etc) that I need to write a post. Each blog entry can take a few hours to put together, including time taken to gather information, take photographs, and edit images and writing. The satisfaction of publishing a good blog post is my reward.

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Now, I would like to invite you to hop over to these lovely blogs that I enjoy:

1. Little Projects In Style
(Writing Process Post Here)

2. Bubsicles

3. A Happy Mum 
(Writing Process Post Here)