10 Questions/Phrases Bloggers Are Sick of Answering

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I have a favourite writing corner. Most people call it the ‘Writers’ Coven’ but I call it my refuge place. Once I have a writer’s block, I retire to my refuge place, which is our guest bedroom on the topfloor. It has a window in the ceiling and the bright sunlight slowly re-energizes my writing purpose.

Surviving as a full-time blogger, freelance writer, author and blogger outreach girl is hard work. Most days I find myself working past midnight, only to wake as early as 6am with the kids. Operating on less than 6 hours sleep is no fun. So you can imagine why some cliques does get to me. Here are some annoying questions I am sick of hearing as a writer:
So you are a blogger, have you published any book?
Yes I am a blogger/writer, and no, not every blogger MUST publish a book.  However I have published a book not because I am sick of hearing this question but because I genuinely had a few things to say and I wanted to reach a bigger audience.
According to most folks, you are not a successful blogger/writer until you get a book published. It doesn’t matter if you write a 5,000 words article published on Huffington Post or The Telegraph. If you are yet to write a BOOK, you are likely not to be taken seriously as a writer. I believe that is overrated. We are sick of people giving us yardstick before we can be who we are. Writing a book is great, it gives you credibility, you can reach a wider audience and you earn some extra cash, but you don’t have to publish a book to be a successful blogger or writer.
Do you write every day?
Yes I TRY to write every day because I realised the more I write, the easier the words flow. But it is not the frequency of the write-up that matters but the depth of the write-up. Writing every day is a good habit if your writing improves as you go along but it is not a must.
How much do you make as a writer/blogger?
I understand many people find it bizzare that bloggers make money from blogging. Many still do not understand the whole blogging as a career thing, and I get that because I find many careers bizzare too. Like being paid crazy money to kick a ball into a net, I can never understand that.
So what is your job?
Blogging/writing is a Job. A REAL job. The digital marketing industry is currently contributing heavily to the British’s economy, so it is definitely a job. I see it as a full-time job anyway. I write and get paid, so it is a job. Why do I have to repeat myself so many times?

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Did you study ‘Writing’?
Yes and NO. Call it a passion and you are right. Call it an art and I give you a thumbs up but don’t think it is purely a craft that needs to be learnt. I studied Acounting as a first degree, and International Human Relations as a Master’s degree. I then fell in love with fashion styling, and studied that at London College of Style. All three degrees/diploma have nothing to do with Writing/Blogging. Writing is a talent. It can be refined but CAN’T be learnt. You either have it or you don’t.
How much have you made as a writer?
I am not J.K. Rowling…….YET. I might not make millions from it but I don’t need you to remind me of that. I also should not have to justify why I am a blogger/writer, or disclose my financial information to anyone. Some questions are just too intrusive and this is one of them.

So you are a Writer? My Grandmother is a Writer too.
I know what you are trying to do. No, not everybody can be a blogger/writer, even if many think they are or can. But well done to your Grandmother.
 So you write novels?
Erm….NO! I don’t write novels. Not everybody that writes has to write fiction. There are different genres and we tend to concentrate on the one most suitable to us. I prefer reading and writing non fiction.
When did you start writing?

Since I could hold a pencil. Any more questions?

Writing must be soo easy for you?
It is very easy for me because I have been writing all my life. Even before I started blogging, I had journals and diaries in real life. Writers put in effort in crafting out piece. It is a duty that needs focus, brainstorming and research. It can be fun and easy depending on the writer.

Do you have any annoying questions or phrases to share? Drop me a comment in the comment section, lets chat.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely Sunday.

My Hustle: A Day In The Life Of A Full Time Blogger/Freelance Writer

Being able to write full-time and earn a living wage has become a dream come true. After having my kids, I wanted to have time for them and working from home has given me the opportunity. Many people wonder how I cope with running a regularly updated blog, a freelance career and caring for my busy toddlers. Sometimes, I wonder as well, but all I can say is, you make time to do what you care about, what you have a passion for. It could be hanging out with friends, watching movies, going to the pub, sleeping, or even playing games. I spend my time when my kids are not turning the house upside down writing. I write every free time I get, and when I am not writing, I am thinking of writing. It is a good obsession and I am in love with it.

So many people ask me how I do it, so this post answers the million dollar question. How does Stella run Fashion and Style Police. Here is how, a typical day in my life is as a full-time blogger and freelance writer. For this post, we are going to imagine the day is today, a Saturday.

Fashion Blogger

6:00am

I am usually woken up by one of the busy bees in this hour. I have my quiet time and start the day right.

7:00am

I have a shower, and get dressed. I publish a blog post and share it on my social media channels.

8:00am

Breakfast time, and reply emails or read a book if I am in the middle of one. I love multitasking, can you tell?

9:00am

I check blog stats, moderate and reply blog comments, and wait for my postman to deliver any samples.

10:00am

Take pictures of samples, and get all the details down on paper. I go through my To-Do list and make sure I know what needs to be done for the day.

11:00am

Get dressed and take an outfit picture if the weather is right.

12:00pm

Lunch time, check blog stats, moderate and reply comments.

1:00pm

Scout for blog and freelance opportunities.

2:00pm

Reply emails and share blog posts on my social media channels.

3:00pm

Read and comment on other blogs and check my various Facebook groups, reply emails and moderate and reply comments (this continues for the rest of the day)

4:00pm

Invoice clients and send payment reminders if necessary.

5:00pm

Take a break until 7:00pm.

7:00pm

Dinner time, and I start writing blog posts for Fashion and Style Police.

8:00pm

I edit pictures and continue writing blog posts.

9:00pm

I start writing for my clients.

10:00pm

I continue writing for my clients.

11:00pm

I round-up blog posts and clients’ posts.

Midnight

Bedtime.

So that is how a typical day in my life looks like. My day could vary from time to time depending on deadlines, volume of work, what is going on in my home and so on, but it is usually the same routine everyday. As you can see, my life is far from a walk in the park. I am always on one of many gadgets doing a blog related ‘thing’. No hour goes unaccounted for. The moment I began to see my blog as a business, I saw my luck change. The more work I put in, the more sponsorship I got. The hustle is real and it comes with a lot of hard work. I hardly have time to watch TV, not to talk of having a social life but I won’t have it any other way.

I hope this motivates you to make the most of your free time and chase your dreams. Who knows where it might take you.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend.

 

 

 

Book Update

So I told you I was writing a book on blogging some months, scheduled to be release this month of July. If you missed that post, click here.

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Picture Source: Flickr

Well, it obviously hasn’t gone as planned. I seriously underestimated the amount of work involved in freelancing, running a blog, writing a book and having a life. It is not a child’s play. However, I am still working on the book, some chapters are ready and I am hoping to have it released sometime this year, fingers crossed. I am not going to put a new date to it so I don’t jinx it again. The book will be for bloggers and aspiring bloggers, and I am working my behind off to have it ready in time and to make sure it is worth a read.

In other news, I have a second article published on Huffington Post, click here for a read and do leave me a comment if you can, I will appreciate that. Also please share, tweet, like and pin the article to share the word. For those who were wondering, my Huffington Post articles will be centered around more of parenting, families, relationships and generally lifestyle topics. There will be articles on fashion and beauty in future, but for now, I want to have a varied writing portfolio so there will be a bit of everything on there.

Thank you for your support. Please keep checking my writing portfolio page for updates. It has been updated and I will be updating it on a weekly basis with links to my articles on the web. I have a few fashion and beauty articles to be published on other sites in August so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely week.

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