Secret Life of a Book Blogger Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Samantha @ Reed’s Reads and Reviews, many weeks ago, to do this tag.

1. How long have you been a blogger?

I’ve been doing this for around six months, I think? I started when I was finishing at university because it made me feel a little better about the giant question mark that is my future.

Finishing my English Literature degree, I was mourning the end of days filled with talking critically about books, until I realised that if I started a blog they wouldn’t have to be over. Where I studied, a lot of the teachers and students looked down their noses at YA (but read it in secret, I’m sure), and I spent much of my three years arguing that there was a great deal of value to be found in YA and that the existence of Twilight (ugh, ugh, UGH), did not negate that. It made sense to bring arguments I had been making to people who didn’t much care to the internet, where I knew people existed who felt as strongly about books, and specifically YA books, as I did.

2. At what point do you think you will stop?

This is an odd question. I have no plans to stop any time soon. I really enjoy writing reviews and I would be reading all the time whether or not I was writing about it.

But, at the same time, the way life is now, I can’t even say what I’ll be doing in six months’ time, let alone in a year. My whole life is up in the air right now, and I don’t see it landing any time. So, the honest answer to this question is that I don’t know.

The thought of not doing this anymore makes me sad though, so I imagine I’ll be writing for a while yet.

3. What is the best thing?

Fangirling with the fangirls. Obviously.

4. What is the worst thing? What do you do to make it okay?

When I’m writing a review and my dog turns my computer off with his face.

There is little I can do. Could you tell this to leave you alone?

5. How long does it take you to create/find pictures to use?

The previous picture I stole from my mum’s Facebook page. It took approximately 30 seconds.

Generally speaking… I am notoriously bad at both making and using images on this blog, but I keep trying anyway in the hope that I will eventually get better. I have a very complicated relationship with the pictures I take. I think it has to do with the idea that now I’ve left education and am technically, if reluctantly, an adult, that it’s somehow too late to learn something new. There is a definite belief spread among adults that if you’re doing something it has to be because you’re good at it, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for trying new things.

I am going to embrace being bad at things (in this instance, photo-taking), in the hope to eventually get better at it. In the meantime, I can only apologise.

6. Who’s your book crush?

Captain Carswell Thorne. Don’t even have to think about it. (because I already am.)

7. What author would you like to have on your blog?

None! This sounds terrifying!

A Note on Speaking to Authors: As I have mentioned on several occasions, I worked at a pretty big book festival this past summer. Part of my job was to be the ‘mic girl’, who runs around taking the microphone to people during the Q&A section of the event. Over the course of the festival, I compiled a list of questions I never want to hear an author asked again. They are as follows:

What advice can you give to any aspiring writers?

(the answer is always just write something. Please, please, please stop asking).

What are you writing next?

(they are doing this event because they just spent 2+ years painstakingly writing a novel and all you want to know is what’s coming next?)

What’s your favourite colour?

(this is more of a children’s author issue)

And, finally, to the old men of the world, don’t tell female politicians they are ‘beautiful young ladies.’ The whole audience will, quite rightly, boo at you.

8. What do you wear when you write your blog post?

9. How long does it take you to prepare?

The other day my nan told me that she brought some lacy vintage gloves to meditate in.

Everyone has their own process.

Mine involves a set half an hour during which I am allowed to procrastinate before I start working.

10. How do you feel about the book blogger community/culture?

I refer you to answer #3.

It’s awesome.

11. What do you think one should do to get a successful blog?

12. Who do you tag?

I think almost everyone except me has done this one at this point? I tag whoever would like to be tagged. If you’re feeling lonely and tagless, I tag you with all my heart.