A Versatile Blogger

Thank you to Lindsay Bamfield for nominating me as a versatile blogger. I always enjoy reading Lindsay’s blog because she writes about writing in an informative, interesting and intelligent way.  

I've heard that to be a really popular blogger, it is better to concentrate on one subject. This has always been a problem for me as one of my blog articles explores: Writer? Activist? Writer? Activist?

I did not have a clue what I was doing when I first started writing a blog as you’ll see if you have a hunt through my old posts. I know I am supposed to concentrate on writing, and only writing, but my activism occasionally takes over. Why not have two blogs? Yes this would be the answer. But then that would take more time!

So as I’m not a number one blogger, or the Queen of Bloggers, like my first nominee Emily Benet, I feel I can get away with a bit of a mishmash or versatility! 

At the heart of my mishmash is passion. I often write when I feel passionate about something. This can include:

• ·         Libraries - I’m a Senior Library Assistant and books have always been very important in my life.
• ·         Books – A writer must read a lot to be a good reader. It is about learning the craft.
• ·         Care Leavers - I’m the Social Media Coordinator for Every Child Leaving Care Matters (ECLCM)
• ·         And of course Cats – lots of writers have cats. I have two, Muffin, who has a pathetic squeak and Waffle who is a killer; they occasionally get a mention.

My next task as a versatile blogger is to tell you seven random things about myself and then nominate another fifteen versatile bloggers, who are invited to do the same. The idea is of course to introduce our readers to blogs they may not have visited.

Now seven random facts...

1) I have a pink china cat that I won in a race when I was ten. It has a chipped ear where a friend dropped it on some stairs and a chipped foot where another friend dropped it on some grass – both times I was moving house.

2) I have a grandaughter who is twelve and grandson who is two.

3) I have my morning Jasmine tea in the same cup everyday. It has a picture of Queen Victoria and used to belong to my daughter, also Victoria.

4) I have written an autobiography and am now writing an autobiographical novel.

5) Reading fiction saved my life when I was growing up in the care system.

6) I have been with my current partner for 14 years the same amount of time I was married.

7) I’ve accepted a place at Southampton University to do a PhD in Creative Writing even thought I don’t have funding. I do however, have a lovely supervisor: Rebecca Smith.

Here is a list of writerly, and readerly blogs that I enjoy who I have nominated:

Lisa Cherry website and passionate ramblings

Angel Strand sexy writer

Dovegreyreader Avid reader

Emily Benet Queen of Bloggers (I think Emily was nominated a couple of years ago)

The Literary Pig Fiction writer (Nominated by Lindsay too!)

Jenni Fagan Writer and Care Leaver

Alice Elliot Writer

Joanna Penn Writes thrillers and non-fiction for authors

DaisyYellow A slightly different blog

Fellow Greenacre Writers:

Katie Alford Newly published author

Anna Meryt Memoir writer and poet

Helen Barbour Almost ‘perfect’ blog

Mumpuni Murniati A mystery reader

A very active blog from the famous Finchley fishwife Mrs Angry, who lives in the Tory run London Borough of Broken Barnet

Last but not least, a campaign blog from Every Child Leaving Care Matters who are persuading Government to let those young people in residential care stay until 21 the same as their foster counterparts.

Happy Reading!