Here We Go Again – Day 1 NaBloPoMo 2017

01 Nov 2017 10 Comments

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Writing Tags: , , , ,

Hey everyone,

After so much frantic writing recently for uni and work, I’ve decided that I obviously don’t do enough *facepalm* so I’ve signed up for NaBloPoMo 2017.

For those of you who are new to the concept, NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) is a US organised event that encourages us to post every day for the month of November. Living in the southern hemisphere, November is one of the busiest months of the year for me, especially from a gardening point of view, so it might seem a little ambitious to do this challenge but I’ve managed to complete it successfully every year I’ve been involved.  I think this is my fourth time and while it looks daunting (and every year immediately makes me feel tired), I always get so much out of it, and trust me, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

For instance, it’s helped me focus my blog writing and be disciplined about what I do. Some of you might dispute that – I haven’t posted anything for weeks and feel quite bad about that – but life really does get in the way sometimes! Perhaps the most rewarding thing about doing this challenge is how it puts me in contact with other bloggers and the sense of global community that follows. I think this aspect alone is a great reason to try the challenge.

In the meantime, I’m planning to write about my urban farm as it’s spring here in Tasmania, the hens have produced yet another egg glut and everything is booming – especially the weeds! I’ll also be including some posts about what I’m currently doing at university, the music and food gardening programs I’m teaching, the food I’ve been cooking and mix in a movie/book/music review or two, which helps with my degree course.

So hold on, the ride’s about to start!

National Blog Posting Month – Let the Madness Begin!

04 Nov 2013 3 Comments

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Inspiration, Writing Tags: , , , , , , ,

NaBloPoMo!Boredom has never been one of my life’s travelling companions.

For that alone, I feel truly blessed. I think it’s partly because I’ve done so many different things in my life and had such a diverse range of interests, that I don’t find myself wondering what to do next. And, over the years I’ve developed the confidence to try new things and I love new challenges.

This year, I’ve found myself writing a lot more. Not just blogging, but songwriting, teaching and soon, learning. So, it seemed like a natural fit when I discovered NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) last night . As I understand it, NaBloPoMo came as a response to NaNoWriMo, where the idea is to write a novel through the month of November. I confess, I looked at this site a couple of weeks ago and thought there’s no way I could do that! But a blog everyday? Yeah, why not!

Now, those of you who follow my writing will be aware that I’m without a solid internet connection at the moment. What on earth was I thinking???

I was thinking solely about the discipline and challenge of writing a piece every day.

With everything that’s always going on in my life, I’ve been trying to convince myself lately to slow down a little and relax. Well, what better way to do it than through this? I find writing theraputic, cathartic and inspiring, and I know many of you do too. So in my daily schedule I am going to set aside just a little time everyday to reflect upon the things that matter (a series of pieces that I recently started and been meaning to re-visit).

Can I last the distance? Can I maintain my inspiration for the entire month? I honestly don’t know, but I intend to give it, in the Australian vernacular, “a red hot go” and see where it takes me.

Strap in, hang on, I think it’s going to be a fun ride!

Debra 😉

PS: It’s not too late to join in the madness – if you feel inspired sign up at BlogHer and start!