Writing Process Blog Tour

Last week, Paige at Moments for the Journey, asked me to participate in a blog tour that focuses on our writing process. I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that it would help me think through what I want my blog to be about. One of the great things about blogging is that we are all different. We all have a different style, different things we love, different writing processes. Yet, we do have lots of things in common as well. Like enjoying writing, being creative, and connecting with others. Blogs let us do all that! Although I'm not a well known blogger by any means, I still want this place to be special for anyone who comes across it. I want everyone who clicks through these pages to leave encouraged and with a smile. That, in a nutshell, is my writing process. But, let's move onto the actual questions in this tour! 

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By the way, this isn't my desk area, but I really wish it was.

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What am I working on? 
Right now I am considering starting a travel throwback of sorts. The year after I graduated college I moved to California for about 10 months where I got to live in beautiful Tahoe City. I also got to visit San Francisco, Yosemite, Muir Woods, and other places while out there. Not too mention the hiking and attempting to ski. It's been about a year since I moved back home, so I'm thinking about starting a bit where I share my time in California and all the things I got to do! Plus, the landscape of Northern California just needs to be shared! It's beautiful! I've also toyed around with the idea of bringing out some old posts (archives if you will) from my first blog. 

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
This is actually hard for me to answer. I've never considered what "genre" my blog fit into. It definitely isn't DIY or cooking. And I'm not legit enough for it to be a photography blog. I'm not living and traveling around the world (although, in my head I am). And I'm certainly not a fashion blogger. If I don't have to work that day, I probably won't get out of Nike shorts. And the days I do? It's three things: v-necks, skinny jeans, and flats. All day, everyday. If I put myself in a genre, it would be "lifestyle" I guess. I'm just documenting my life as a single twenty-something who is striving to live for the Lord and bring Him glory. I write about whatever comes to mind, things that I enjoy, a little of this and that, encouraging words, or sometimes I just share a song. I'm a very laid-back lifestyle blogger. 

Why do I write what I do?
If you visit my 'about me' page, I definitely included this. When someone comes across this blog, I really want them to leave feeling encouraged. I'm not saying that all of my posts are going to be cheery and bubbly, because life just isn't like that. But, if there is something to remember, it's to remember that we are not alone in whatever we are experiencing. Often times we like to bask in our own personal fable, thinking we are the only ones that could possibly understand what is happening to us and no one else on the earth could possibly be experiencing this as well. While we may have different situations come up or different obstacles to jump over, we experience a lot of the same feelings. It's just something we don't want to talk about. I don't want to hide who I am or what I'm going through from this blog. I want to be real and for others to see that they are not alone in their struggles, whatever it may be. I want people to be encouraged to see that their problems do not define them, that they have worth, that they are not alone, that they are loved. Words are powerful and I want to use them to speak truth, life, and love to people. 

How does your writing process work? 
I'm a fairly organized person, but when I started my first blog I just kind of winged it. It was about the same content as this one, a little of this and that, just not organized. I guess my blog could be considered organized choas, because there isn't a general theme all the time. ha! When I started this blog, I created a calendar on my computer that had what I would blog on what day -- the only catch is that I had the whole month already planned out! I quickly found out that this was not going to happen and I'm not the best at keeping deadlines when it comes to my posts. For example, this post was supposed to go up on Monday. It is now Thursday. 

March was obviously a busy month this year!

Now, I have a monthly planner (cheap, from Dollar Store) that has the monthly calendar view with big squares and note space on the side. (This planner is for both my blog and my life.) On the note sidebar I divide it into sections: post ideas, link-ups, guest posts, sponsor highlights, etc. I also use the extra blocks from the calendar to: record prayer requests, e-mails I need to respond to or send out, things I'm going to make, to-do lists, etc. I'll first put an idea in the sidebar and then once I have actually started drafting out that post, I will choose the day I want it to go live and then put it down on its day. Then, of course, I put a line through it once it has been completed. That is the best part! I try to remember and write down any post ideas right when they come to me. I either write them down in this calendar or make a note in my phone. At the end of the month, if there was a post listed in the ideas that I didn't write, I will really think about whether I wanted to write it. If so, I write it down first under post ideas for the new month. 

I don't beat myself up if a post doesn't go out on time. One, it's my blog and two, there is always tomorrow! Link-ups that I participate in, I try and keep those for Tuesdays and Thursdays. Which leaves Wednesdays and Fridays to be whatever I desire. I very rarely have a post go up on Mondays. Right now, I don't work on Mondays, so that is the day that I typically sit down and write for the week. If it was a very productive Monday, there will be a post for every day that week. If you have been around here for a bit, you might see that this isn't necessarily true. If you have just started coming regularly (welcome!), you have been getting spoiled! ;) 

I used to apologize when I came back from a long-ish break of blogging, but I really want to stop this. I know there are going to be times where I don't want to blog or where I just have nothing to talk about. And that is okay! I always laugh when I'm going through my blog reader and I see some posts that start out with something like an apology for not blogging or "well, that break lasted a bit longer that I thought!" I'm definitely guilty of this too, but we shouldn't be sorry about that. That just means that life has been happening, whether busy with real-world deadlines or just enjoying life with family and friends. That is never something to apologize for. It just means that we will have something awesome to share once we get back to blogging...if we choose to share it. And if we don't forget! Just like I never told you guys about that Rend Collective/Kari Jobe concert I went to! It was awesome, don't worry. 

Blogging here on Polished Arrow may never be consistent or exciting all the time. But, I'm thankful for those that continue to read, for the e-mails I get, for the texts from friends (which still freaks me out sometimes) who say they really enjoyed a post, and for the comments of course! My little introverted self loves connecting with you guys...from the safety and comfort of my living room or bed. Of course,  I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make coffee for you one day either! 

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Hope you enjoyed learning a little about the blogging process here at Polished Arrow. Thank you again to Paige for passing this on to me, I really enjoyed it! As you can see, it can be all over the place and not always the best organized! Now, I pass this blog tour on to two other bloggers! I can't wait to learn more about how these ladies blog and hope that you will stop over to see their posts next week! Here they are! 

Victoria from Through*By*For

Amy from Taking Steps Home 

If you haven't checked out these two blogs, I highly encourage you too! They both write from the heart and encourage me in so many ways. 

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While we wait to read these two girl's post next week, what is your blogging process? Is it fairly organized or are you all over the place like I can be? Do you write whatever comes to mind or is your blog strictly focused around one thing? 

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