Jeannieinabottle, From Baltimore, MD, 1010 Fans, 361 Hubs, Joined 2 years ago
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Alecia Murphy Interviews Jeannieinabottle
Insights on Hubbing, Humor, and How-To's
What made you start writing online, particularly on HubPages?
At some point in 2010 I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself about some of my life choices. I suppose I was having my 10th midlife crisis around that time. (I’ve had more since then, by the way.) Instead of moping around about it, I decided to create a list of things I wanted to achieve in 2011. I included in the list: “start writing again” and “get published.” Of course, I had no idea how I would get published, but it seemed more productive than some of the other items like “go ghost hunting” or “get a new tattoo.”
One day in January 2011, I was searching online to find an answer to an HR question. I stumbled upon a website called WebAnswers and it said I could get paid money just to answer questions. Well, I like money, so I was on board with that idea immediately. Many of the WebAnswers participants also used HubPages. I learned more about the site and decided I needed to start writing Hubs. It sounded like fun; plus, I would be achieving two goals at once. Two and half years later, I am still happy to write Hubs as much as possible, although I don’t have as much free time. I still try to publish at least once Hub a week.
Your Hubs are known for being very humorous and witty, what makes you laugh most in life?
I probably laugh the most at completely ridiculous situations. I find humor in things that others do not. Typos in signs at the grocery store, a dog running into a screen door, or the weird look on someone’s face while walking down on a street… I would probably laugh at all of these situations. I am not sure why; I think I am just easily amused. It helps get me through the day.
I noticed you’re a lot of your Hubs are how-to guides, some serious, some not. Why do you like to write this type of Hub?
I think a lot of people are looking for step-by-step instructions for just about anything in life. I work in customer service, so I get the strangest questions sometimes. It amazes me how many people genuinely do not know how to perform some really basic tasks. Sometimes I write guides because I think people really do need help. Other times, I write guides as a joke because most of us are guilty of asking silly questions sometimes.
There is a reason for the instruction manuals including with everyday items. I never thought anyone needed help working a hair dryer, but according to the book that came with the hair dryer, many people need more assistance than I could have imagined.
What most do you enjoy about the HubPages community?
I like many aspects of the HubPages community. In general, I feel like everyone supports each other. When I read articles on other sites, I am shocked to see how cruel some of the comments are under each article. On HubPages, the feedback is usually really positive, or at least delivered in a tactful way. I also like having the ability to delete a nasty comment, if needed.
It is nice to be a part of a community of writers that cares about each other’s success. When I see that another Hubber has written a book or won an award, I am really happy for that person. In some ways, I feel like we are all successful when someone on HubPages achieves a major milestone. Sorry, that sounded way too sappy for me!
If you could give another Hubber any single piece of advice what would it be?
The main piece of advice I give to anyone is don’t give up. I’ve encouraged a number of friends to write for HubPages or contribute to other websites, but I often see people give up after a couple of weeks. Writing online is not an instant success. It takes a lot of work and patience.
If a person really wants to be a success on HubPages, he or she should like writing because you have to do it a lot to see results. If a person is only in it for the money and can’t find any joy in writing, it is not going to work out in the long run. For any new Hubbers out there just starting out, I hope they continue to write because they love it and eventually success will follow.
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