#Blogtember Day Eight: The Writing Process Tour Tag

I was tagged by Sarah (Saloca in Wonderland) to do this tag post. Writing has always been (and always will be) a massive part of me. I studied Creative & Professional Writing at university, then went on to do a Masters in Creative Writing....Writing and me. We go together like broccoli and cauliflower. 

So, if we are all sitting comfortable, then I shall begin....

1. What am I working on? 

For the past few years my main focus has been on blogging. I spent quite a long time suffering from writer's (not blogger's) block, so having complete creative freedom to write about exact;y what I want, when I want and how I want has been amazing. I have also started contributing articles to Women Make Waves. I have been so inspired since starting this new branch of my creativity, and hearing all the positive feedback about my contributed articles that my writerly confidence is just growing and growing. 

Eventually I hope to go back to my love and finish some pieces that I have started but taken a break from. Mama Ginger is desperate for me to send things off to try and get published, and MG, you'll be pleased to hear that my confidence is nearly in that place! *starts the Hallelujah chorus*

2. How does my work differ from others of it's genre?

I don't know to what extend it differs, but I always write in my true voice. The narrative that goes through my head when I blog comes out completely unfiltered on the screen. That's why I can't plan what I'm going to say, I just have to say it in the moment. I think it used to drive my lecturers a bit potty because, when they would ask me where I saw a story going, I'd give them a weak smile, a shake of the bead and say I have absolutely no idea.

It's so important that I keep that sense of self in my writing. My blog is my baby and an extension of my personality, and the same for my writing. So if I wasn't true to myself I would only be betraying who I really am. 

3. Why do I write?

For practically my whole life I have written, or made up stories, or acted. Creativity is me and I am creativity. I don't want to write. I need to write. My imagination is just so vast and unfiltered and beautiful that I have to let everything out and express myself. In whatever medium. Be it a story, a poem, a blog post or a list. Writing is in my veins and I don't ever see myself stopping. 

4. How does my writing process work?

To be honest it depends on what I'm working on. For my blog I have a list of things I want to write about and, depending on how I feel at that moment in time, I will chose a subject from the list and start writing. I stick on some TV, or Netflix, music, or an audio book and just absorb myself in writing.

If I'm working on a story I have to lock myself away and just write. Because when creativity and inspiration arrives I don't know how long that will last. Sometimes it will be ten minutes. Or an hour. Or a whole day. I have to listen to what my inner-author is telling me and go with the flow. Because if I push it too much, my writing gets clunky and stops being me.

Thank you Sarah for tagging me to do this post. (Check out her post here) I now tag: 

Words By Hannah Rosalie 

GlitZeeGlam 

SparklyShellCosmetics

Beauty in Beta 

and all of you who are reading this post right now! 

Blogtember 2013: Deception

 Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

The story does not necessarily need to have a conclusion - you can leave your readers wishing for more!

To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century. 

I hated big social occasions. They made me feel claustrophobic. So many faces, all laughing and smiling and joking, pretending to share a mutual bond over the latest runway show they had attended in Paris, or gloating over the fact that Margaret had to get corrective surgery again on her nose after the surgeon botched the first job. 

It was all a load of crap. The falseness. The lies. The bullsh*t. 

But I was there for Simon. Playing my part of the dutiful wife. It was important I did. He needed me. Put on the make up, zip up the cocktail dress, and paint on the smile for one night and then it would be over. 

Reaching for a flute of champagne as a waiter floated past, I headed for the balcony. I needed air. Oh who was I kidding? I needed a cigarette. Alcohol and nicotine. They were the only things that would calm me down. 

The cool summer breeze caressed my cheek and I instantly felt soothed. Fumbling with the clasp of my purse I scrambled inside to find the pack of cigarettes. To my luck there was one solitary soldier left. I fished him out with relish, then dug back in to my bag in search of a lighter. 

"Do you need a light?" His voice. Soft, and smooth, like honey, drifted into my ears. I would know that voice anywhere. I put the cigarette to my lips and let him light in. I inhaled slowly, enjoying the taste of the nicotine. It calmed me instantly. 

"I'd hoped I'd catch you out here," he murmured. The sound of his voice send a shiver up my spine. 

I felt him draw closer to me. It made me nervous. He made me nervous. I took a long, hard drag of my cigarette and kept my eyes forward. I couldn't catch his eye. I couldn't let him sense my fear. Half-scared and half-excited I was glued to the spot.  

The sound of the balcony door sliding open made us both turn. For a moment I caught a glimpse of him. Pressed grey suit, emerald tie, two-day-stubble. He looked like a god in the dusky haze. 

"Oh there you are you two. You'd better finish off your sneaky fags. There about to serve dinner. And you know how David gets when dinner is served late." 

The door slid shut. 

That was Rachel for you. Always a stickler for time and routine. Always desperate to stay on the good side of her husband. Living on tenter hooks trying to be the perfect housewife, the perfect hostess. But in reality, she was just a robot. 

"Come on, we'd better get back." His dulcet tones filtered into my ear and I gasped in delight. His whispers sent another shiver through me. He moved his lips from my ear and gave me a singular kiss on the cheek, his hand running up my arm slowly. 

"Your husband will wonder where you've got to."

 ....

Blogtember 2013: A Change for the Better

Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

I have always loved writing. 

I remember the first story I ever wrote - it was in a The Flinstones spiral bound notepad. I wrote it about some of the people in my class at primary school. Nearly everybody wanted to be in it. 

I carried on writing all the way through school and into uni, going on to do a BA in Creative & Professional Writing and then an MA. 

And by the time I'd finished all that, I needed a break. 

Not a break from writing, but a break from writing on demand. Writing stories. Writing the same thing all the time and not having a break to write anything much else. 

This is where blogging and social media comes in. 

Through blogging, I can carry on writing, but in a way that I really enjoy. I can set my own schedule and work to my own timetable and pace without fearing that I'm going to miss a deadline or disappoint people. When I've had a crazy day, or am feeling sad, or poorly, I can turn to my blog and everything becomes a little better! My blog - and now my channel - are my babies, and they mean so, so much to me.

When I started blogging, I didn't really know about any other blogs out there. I knew people wrote them, but I wasn't sure what was out there, or how to be involved in the bigger blogging community. Until I started watching more YouTube videos. Prior to blogging, I had only watched a few YouTube videos but when I started browsing YouTube more, this opened up a world of opportunities. I got introduced to more videos, then blogs, twitter usernames, Facebook pages, and pretty soon my little "Blogger's Bubble" began to burst and I was surrounded by amazing people who enjoyed doing exactly the same things as me, had the same hobbies as me, and liked make up, clothes, food and all things beauteous just like me. 

I started to read more blogs, and getting inspired to write more diverse blog posts myself - first more lifestyle ones, then, as I started to grow in confidence, beauty, fashion, reviews.....The more I wrote, the happier I was. 

And then I joined Twitter, and was overwhelmed by the beauty/fashion blogging community there was on there. I'm introduced to new blogs/YouTube channels everyday  People are always ready to offer opinions on products, or give out advice, and just support your blog and celebrate blogging and writing in general.

There is such a wonderful blogging community on Twitter and on Facebook that is so supportive of each other, and encouraging. Everybody is ready to offer advice, or guidance, and it's wonderful being able to share your passion with so many different people. I have become so much more confident since immersing myself in the social media community more, and constantly want to improve my blogging style to make it more enjoyable for other bloggers to read. I now want to actively sit down and teach myself about editing videos, creating and designing elements for my blog, and adding additional features to the things I create that otherwise I wouldn't have dreamt of doing.

There is no way I would have had to confidence to develop my JustAddGinger channel, or make a Facebook page without the blogging community. And I definitely wouldn't have had the writing opportunities I've had if I wasn't part of social media. I'm now fully embracing and celebrating being a blogger. 

Social media has given me the push I need to make my JustAddGinger baby bigger and better.

Dreams are there to be chased.

H is for Happy Birthday Blog

H: Happy Birthday Blog

My blog is turning 1 year old this month!!

Happy Birthday Blog!!

A year ago I sat down and thought, "I miss blogging." I had just come out of an MA so didn't want to do any intense writing....just a little hobby. Something I could have and write as much/as little as I wanted, and when I wanted. I had started a blog in the past, but nothing really came of it because I hadn't found my voice. This was the perfect opportunity to start up again...I never imagined how much I would fall in love with blogging!

I love having a place to share things with the world: fashion, recipes, writing, beauty reviews.....it's so lovely having a place to come and just write about anything I want, and just escape into a world of Ginger-ness!

I've done so much in a year, and I think this is partly due to the confidence having a blog has brought me....I now write for GeeksUnleashed.me , I have started a YouTube channel, and I'm not afraid to put myself out there a bit more and just be me. JustAddGinger is so much more than a blog....it's my baby, and I really enjoy nurturing it and watching it grow!

Happy 1st Birthday Blog! This year will be SPECTACULAR!!!

Ginger x