Writing Process Blog Tour: Debs G

Hello there Blog Tourists! Thanks for stopping by Owls Well Blogs this week on the Writing Process Blog Tour, where writers answer four questions about themselves, their writing process and their motivations and their current work.

Mel looking awesome
(Picture credit: Darren Soh)

My old friend, Melanie Lee, invited me to take part in this blog hop (thanks, Mel!). I’ve written about Mel before on Owls Well when I reviewed her e-book, Imaginary Friends, which has since been published in a handheld paper format (P.S. I’ll be hosting a giveaway of her awesome book soon, so watch this space)!

Mel and I have known each other since Primary School, where she and I were always grouped together on account of being next to each other on the class register. Click through to Mel’s blog at Mental Indigestion.

So, onto the Writing Process Blog Tour!

What am I working on?

Apart from working on Owls Well and my travel blog at Owl Fly Away, I am currently working on a collection of stories for my children. These are stories about my grandparents and my uncles and aunties that have been told to me over the years by my own mother, and I’ve been telling them to my children. It’s a very personal project, and I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do with it once it is competed, but right now, I just feel compelled to write the stories down.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Hm, I guess I am supposed to be classed as a ‘Mummy Blogger’ but I don’t think that being a mother is my defining characteristic as a writer. I think that I am a letter writer. And letters need to be read. I have been told by my friends that the way that I write is the same as the way that I talk, which is exactly what my blogging is all about. On Owls Well, I’m writing letters to my sister in Australia. On Owl Fly Away, I’m writing letters about my travelling experiences.

Why do I write what I do? 

This is a tough one. I have thoughts in my head that I need to get out and I think best when I’m talking things through with another person. Writing helps me organise my thoughts.

How does my writing process work?

Well, I always have a vague outline of each article that I’m intending to write all mapped out, and this is acts as a blueprint around which I construct my articles. For now, I keep all these outlines in my head. I do most of my editing in my head too, and I spend several days thinking of what I want to say and how I want to say it, which words and phrases I will be using, before I actually sit down to type it out. This means that before I even start typing, I have already written and revised my articles several times in my head.

I do realise that this is not an efficient or sustainable way of doing things, as I rely very heavily on my memory actually being in working order, but it does mean that I can write without having to take the time to physically sit down in front of my computer, which is a luxury that I currently cannot afford.

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So, there are some other cool people on the writing process blog tour TODAY, so do take some time do visit with Lyn Lee, Dorothea Chow and Grace Ma!

Next week, the tour continues on Monday, June 2, 2014, right here on Owls Well, where my little sister, The Becky Lee (aka the Burrowing Owl), will be sharing a little bit more about herself and her writing process! You can also hop over to visit my pal, Pamela Tan, who is a lovely and thoughtful writer over at the Tan Family Chronicles!

If you’ve just started the blog tour, head backwards starting with Melanie’s post and encounter some really awesome book authors!