Blogger’s Corner Featuring Simon from What Have They Done to the Marmite?

The Blogger’s Corner series is an interview series featuring advice and experience from bloggers whose blogs are older than six months.

If you would like to take part, you can find all of the details here.

This week, we have the lovely Simon from What Have They Done to the Marmite?

1 Introduce yourself

This is hard…this sort of implies that I know a bit about who I am.

Um.

I’m a 46-year-old who is trying to work himself out. I’m originally from Cwmbrân, South Wales, but haven’t lived there since I left to go to college back in 1990.

I ended up becoming a teacher in 2004, after having worked in a variety of jobs, ending up in Crete and trying to think of a job that would allow me to stay there. I reckoned teachers are needed everywhere…and so they are, so I ended up in New Zealand.

I’m just back to the UK after having been in New Zealand for the last eleven years. I’m trying to get used to being back in the UK again.

2 Tell us a little bit about your blog

I’ve sort of got two things going on, really. I used to write about music but gave up on that a year or so ago.

The first blog I started after that is a series of short stories that I started making up for my little girl. They’ve taken on a life of their own. There’s more to come and I’m trying to get them into some sort of order, novelised or otherwise…I think as a novel. Anyway, they’re out there for people to read and enjoy.

The other blog I’ve just got going is about my move back to the UK really. It’s all a bit fraught and annoyed and “eh?” at the moment but hopefully it will settle into its stride over the coming weeks and will become a nice record of being a non-alien back in his original environment.

3 What can your readers learn from your blog?

That the simplest thing – the change to the flavour of Marmite, for example – can provoke a highly emotional reaction.

That, and that not all ghosts know how to walk through walls.

4 What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

It’s fun and it’s frustrating. It’s great being able to create – both in the sense of the storytelling and also in the expression of point of view. It is also a great way of ensuring there is routine to your writing. That is essential; as with all skills, if you don’t practice, you don’t improve. It’s frustrating because sometimes trying to find the right words or the right tone can be a battle.

5 And your least favourite thing about blogging?

The routine. Finding that you have to hit a deadline – even worse because the deadline is one you’ve made for yourself and is as arbitrary and artificial as an arbitrary and artificial thing can be.

That and trying to get word out – I’m still working on that at the moment.

6 Tell us one random fact about you

I once scored a goal at Wembley Stadium: the old Wembley Stadium.

(With a beer can at a Bon Jovi concert – we’d gone to see Van Halen, as their support act, and got a bit bored. The crowd surged to the front, there was space, a game started up…GOAL!)

7 If you could only blog about one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Operation Market Garden – the battle at Arnhem. I’m a bit of a history geek; this battle fascinates me – and an uncle of mine was killed in the fighting supporting the airborne divisions during the tail end of the battle.

I appreciate this would be a niche audience.

8 What was the hardest part of starting your blog and why?

Trying to get the visuals right. In particular, for the story site. It has led to me practising my drawing skills, that’s for sure. The same went for the new site, too.

I’m still not wholly happy with either but I also like aspects of both too. It sounds silly but if you can’t make the environment for your words appealing, or allow your words to be easy to read, your blog is not a pleasant place to be.

And, also, trying to find your voice. I used to write about music and it took a while to find the voice I wanted to use. It came eventually. I can see how the stories have evolved and I’m sure I’ll see the voice I want to use about Marmite evolve too.

9 If you could give new bloggers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Write and keep writing. It’s hard work to keep the words coming sometimes but you have to. That and work out how to turn on the comments section of your blog…I’m still struggling with mine. I am so inept at times.

Be confident that there will be an audience out there for you. I mentioned Arnhem before. Considering the number of books written on that subject, I reckon I could start a blog on that battle and grow a consistent audience relatively quickly. Be confident that your interests, your opinions, your ideas will be shared by a readership.

10 Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known in the beginning?

How to turn on the comments on my blogs….and, how much blogging will encroach on your life. Everything becomes a subject.

11 Do you have any long term goals for your blog?

To keep doing it, to keep enjoying, and to try and keep growing an audience…and to work out how to turn on the comments for the audience I grow to share feedback.

12 Who’s your blogging hero?

Robin Ince – he makes me laugh.

13 What’s your favourite social media network and why?

Twitter – immediacy and it involves words. I don’t do pictures very much or well, and so other networks have less appeal for me.

14 Anything else you want to share with us?

I am in awe of every person who blogs. It is astounding and beautiful that we live in a world where anyone can decide to put their thoughts, ideas and feelings out into the world and allow them to be experienced by others.

It is wonderful that so many people are taking advantage of this opportunity and communicating aspects of themselves with the world. It is fascinating to see the variety of people there are in the world.

15 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)

My blogs; What have they done to the Marmite? and Saffron & Bruno and the Sixteen Stephens and Andrew