SUMMER WRITING CHATS & INSPIRATION: VOLUME 1

Hey, is this thing on? 

I have been doing a lot of writing this year. I don't know if it's a way of dealing with world headlines, artificial intelligence lurking, or just craving more creativity overall, but it is very welcome. 

I'd like to weave more writing talk into this space which has, until now, been a sweet little haven for wanderlust related content. That is still my intention as this is, first and foremost, a cutesy travel blog. What I am proposing is an occasional check in, where I can get some thoughts down on 'paper'.

I don't know how often it will be. I think anyone who has ran a blog before will know that it could be a week, it could be six months...it could be never. Why is it so hard to be consistent? If we had a dollar for every fellow blog that was left in the dust, we would all be millionaires by now.

But I don't want to do that. The blog has been a favourite pasttime, ever since I started my first one in my twenties. It was titled The Little Pink Owl, a super cute but mysterious name. This one was born several years later as a more mature version. I guess? I have always meant for it to be something I could look back on fondly. The problem is, I delete and edit posts mercifully, which means they magically disappear without a trace. 

For example, I recently read back an old post in which I mentioned the destination's name a minimum of five times...in the same paragraph. On an editor's chopping block, that would be diabolical.

That is actually what I wanted to talk about: the balance between good and 'bad' blog posting (if there is such a thing). Where do we draw a line between being authentic and months later, being furious at ourselves for sentence run-ons and repetition (how many more times can I say vibrant atmosphere and get away with it?). 

I have been working on a few things, one being a personal project and the other a recently completed freelance writing course. A huge takeaway from this was to 'kill your darlings' which in journalism speak means, be ruthless. This has required me to challenge myself, and I love that. But I find in doing so, I have been extra critical of Cobblestones & Coffee lately. It kind of makes me sad, because my blog never did anything to nobody.

Should blogs be treated as a portfolio for your writing skill, or a relatable comfort zone? Can they be both? This is something to simmer on until my next update.