Redberry Sky, 99 Fans, 55 Hubs, Joined 2 months ago
|
|
An Interview with Redberry Sky
How an ingenuitous Hubber uses the scientific method and self optimization to improve her writing
What is it that drives you to create articles online? Why did you join HubPages, and what were you doing to satisfy this creative outlet before?
I’m looking into freelance writing, both online and in print, but I only have a little experience in writing online, and an even smaller amount in print. HubPages appealed to me because I can write lots of different things here, and the community is brilliant for exchanging feedback and motivation. I wanted to try out some ideas, and different ways and styles of writing, and HubPages provides a platform and support system that encourages that.
Before I joined HubPages I was (and still am!) a bass player in some local bands. I only dabble, I’m not a great bass player, but it’s probably my first love (awwww…!). Apart from that, I’ve just completed a degree in English and Irish Literature, and after spending all that time on academic writing, I really want to move into more popular areas.
You say in your bio that you don't know anything about anything, but that you know how to do the research to find out about it. Would you say this is the key to good writing?
I’ve studied courses at university in physics, maths, biology, infectious disease, chemistry and astronomy. I’ve completed about half of these, but really bad health forced me to abandon some of them half way through. I don’t think any of them were a waste of time, though; I know the basics of a lot of different branches of science, and more than anything, taking all those different modules taught me the importance of research. I believe very firmly in the scientific method: to come up with a theory based on the evidence, to make a prediction in line with that theory, and then devise an experiment to test the theory and the prediction. It’s so ingrained in me now that I apply it to almost everything without thinking – from analysing my web stats, to cooking, to reviewing make up! I like logic and facts injected with personality, humour and imagination! And I think that’s the key to good writing. I’d like to think I write well, but I know there are loads of areas I need to improve, and the more I write on HubPages, the more I get to know my own strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully improve.
You recently engaged in a 30 Hubs in 30 Days group challenge. What did you take away from the experience?
Some Hubbers are brilliant at these. One of the Hubbers I follow, Millionaire Tips, completed a 100 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge, and I’m in *awe* of her for doing that. But I found that I couldn’t write under pressure, even though that pressure was only self-imposed, and I only completed 25 of the 30 Hubs. One of my favourite authors, Terry Pratchett, once said that writing is the most fun you can have by yourself, and I think that we all have fun with our writing in different ways. If it’s not fun for the author then it’s not going to be much fun for the reader either, so I’m happy to find my own way of doing things and stick to that.
In addition to writing fascinating articles about health, history, and more, you write great review and product-centric Hubs. What inspires these?
I’m an absolute make up girly freak! I have drawers and drawers of make up and skin care products, and I’m on every mailing list you can imagine. But I’ve always been a bit disappointed with a lot of reviews of these products. Some of them are really quite expensive, but I see a lot of reviews that just don’t seem to test them out properly and don’t give all the information I’m looking for. So I decided to try my hand at doing some in-depth reviews of some of the ones I use, and I found that they’re actually one of my favourite indulgences – reviewing the products gives me an excuse to get out the make up mirror and brushes and have some girly pamper time – and all in the name of ‘work’!
When you joined HubPages, did you do so with any particular goal in mind? What do you hope to achieve using our platform and community?
Later this year I have some networking and mentoring opportunities that *might* lead to some professional freelancing, and my adventure on HubPages is part of that wider plan. HubPages offers a wealth of information and networking opportunities – I’ve been reading some of the advice on social networking like Twitter that was in one of the HubPages newsletters, and it’s an area I’m clueless about so it will all be really helpful when I come to do these things in a couple of months’ time.
I’m still trying out lots of different ideas on HubPages at the moment, seeing which Hubs work, which Hubs crash, and which parts I enjoy the most. Like most people, I love to write and then see traffic coming to the Hubs I’ve written, but I also love the motivational aspects of HP like the community, these interviews, and the wee accolades we get; I think they’re fun and cool and it brightens my day a little bit. At the moment I’m focusing on writing Hubs, but I’d also like to spread my wings, maybe have a blog of my own as well (I’ve bought the domain name redberrysky dot com but I haven’t decided what to do with it yet!) and look into the design and technical aspects of having an Internet presence. I think all of the online stuff I’m hoping to do over the next few months will all tie together, and HubPages is the nucleus of that for me.
While you've only been on our site for a couple of months, you've published well over 50 Hubs (that are very high quality, to boot!); what advice can you give to other people who join HubPages and would like to get off to a strong start?
Writing in public can bring out a touch of paranoia when you first take the plunge. I knew it would make me very nervous, so I tried to forget that anyone might read what I wrote, and published as many Hubs as I could as quickly as possible, just to get over my initial awkwardness.
For anyone who is just joining HubPages, I would definitely say to jump in, write a few Hubs, comment on others’ Hubs, and get involved as much as your own comfort-zone will allow. Try lots of different styles and types of Hubs, and do as much research for them as you can. I think the key for me was to stay focused, motivated and cheerful – even when things didn’t *quite* go as I’d hoped!
|
