An Interview with Marie McKeown
One of HubPages up-and-coming Hubbers shares more about her background & writing
1. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am from Ireland and I am living on the island again at the moment, having been away to all kinds of places in between - Spain, East Asia, South America and New Zealand. In my day job I coordinate a peace-building community project in Northern Ireland where every day is different - one day I could be hosting an exhibition of a quilt made by a women’s group to celebrate the shared history of Protestants and Catholics in their area, the next day I’m teaching a friendship and respect workshop to 8 year-olds. This variety means I’ve learned about all kinds of things which can hopefully be turned into future Hubs!
2. What first brought you to HubPages?
I found myself in a position where I was looking to build up a second income stream, something on-line that I could take with me to another country. At first a lot of what I came across when I searched for ‘make money online’ had more than a whiff of ‘scam’ about it. I was excited about the idea of making money from writing online articles because I have always loved writing, but I didn’t like how some sites want you to sign away copyright of your work in exchange for a couple of dollars - then you never earn a penny from them again.
Eventually I found my way to Hubpages and I loved the business model, the sense of community and the elegant look of the site. Out of all the options, Hubpages seemed to be the one that really champions quality writing. And I liked the informative, witty and sometimes surprising hubs that writers on the site were publishing. I joined a month ago and I’ve been happily hubbing ever since.
3. What inspires you to write?
I get inspiration from all sorts of places - stories I hear at work, books I have read, and random thoughts that pass through my head! Writing really seems to be part of who I am. I don’t feel like myself if I haven’t taken time to write for a while so Hubpages is a great platform because the Hubscore encourages me to keep writing, as does the community of supportive fellow-writers who give useful and inspirational feedback.
4. You offer some fantastic guides, recipes, histories, tips, and explanations in your Hubs. Do you do research for your Hubs, or just write about subjects in which you are an expert?
I’m still finding my way on this, but so far I’ve found that my Hub-writing flows best when I pick a subject I already know something about. Then I can sketch a plan of what major points I want the Hub to cover, and fill in any gaps in my knowledge with research. When I joined up I started following a few very experienced Hubbers so I could learn from how they puts Hubs together and also figure out what I liked in a Hub.
I like Hubs that tell me a bit of a story, not just a list of dry facts, but that also give factual details such as interesting statistics, a map, or where to find further information. So that is how I try to write my Hubs as much as possible.
5. Many of your Hubs are about Irish culture, history, and foods. What are your favorite things about living in Ireland? Have you always been interested in all things Irish?
I have always had a strong interest in Irish folklore, history and cultural traditions. There is history everywhere in Ireland - ruined castles, stone-age monuments, and legends about valleys and forests - and that has inspired me to find out more about my ancestors past.
My favorite things about living in Ireland are the beautiful landscape, the wonderful wit and humor of the people and our unique folk traditions such as Irish traditional music, dance and sport. Not everyone gets born into such a rich cultural inheritance, and the more I have traveled the more I have come to appreciate my home country.
6. Are there any particular things you hope to write more about in the future?
I have lots of ideas and plans for future Hubs. I write them down in a big book so I don’t forget them! Apart from continuing to write about ‘all things Irish’ I plan to write more under food and travel, and maybe share some of the creative writing tips I have picked up from going to classes over the years....
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