stuff4kids, 294 Fans, 14 Hubs, Joined 10 months ago
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Christy Kirwan interviews stuff4kids
Insights from a Teacher and History Enthusiast
How did you find out about HubPages, and what made you decide to give us a try?
I’d been a reader at HubPages on and off for quite some time and had the site bookmarked in my browser. When I was thinking about writing articles online I did look at a number of other sites, too. In the end, several factors made HubPages the first choice for me: the high reputation of the site on the web; the professionalism of the way it’s run and presented; the emphasis on good quality writing. But the clincher for me, as someone completely new to writing online, was the Learning Center and the Hub tools. I felt that studying the LC got me off to a good start and the writing and layout tools are unparalleled. Add to that a gut instinct that there was honesty and trustworthiness underpinning the site’s approach and… well, reason enough? I think so!
You've written many Hubs about history and historical figures. What sparked your interest in history?
I’ve been in the UK now for more years than I care to remember, but my family is originally from Boston, MA. Boston is a place with a strong sense of history. My late husband, who was a Brit and the reason I ended up here, was a keen amateur historian. We spent a lot of our time visiting historical sites – battle grounds, castles, churches, Anglo-Saxon burial sites, Elizabethan houses, stone circles - and he was a great storyteller. I guess I got the bug!
You mention in your profile that you've worked with children of all ages (including your own). Do you think your teaching experience has influenced your writing style?
I’m not sure that I've developed a writing style as such – not yet. However, I aspire to writing in a way that is accessible without being condescending, communicating solid information but in in an interesting and entertaining way. I know that with kids especially, you need to communicate not only information but your own passion and enthusiasm to keep them engaged and ready to learn. Truth is, that probably applies to adults too.
Your Hubs cover such a wide range of subjects. How do you decide what to write about next?
I can’t give you a good answer to that, I’m afraid! It could be something one of the kids is interested in, something I stumbled upon in a library or on the web, just whatever pops into my head. I find it appealing to write a Hub about something I’m interested in but don’t initially know much about. That way I get to do the research, which is something I enjoy very much.
I also have a wide range of interests from biological sciences to history, to art and crafts, to education and child welfare, meditation, conservation, myths and legends, cultural anthropology, games and puzzles, literature and poetry, philosophy, theatre, old movies, music and dancing. The list could go on.
There is one thing I always do, however, before settling down to write and that is a keyword search on terms around the subject. If no one is searching the web for the subject then I won’t make a Hub about it - just because there’d be no point. The idea is to have my writing widely read and because it’s online, the only way it will be widely read is if it can be found in a search engine. And while I love the feedback and support from the HubPages Community (not to mention great reading), practically all my readers come via search.
So maybe I do have a selection process: step one, an idea I’m passionate about; step two, is it search-friendly? A Hub I write has to be both.
What writing goals do you hope to accomplish in 2014?
I didn’t have very specific goals when I first signed up – and in many ways I’m happy with my ad-hoc approach. That said, I think in the coming year I’d like to see if I can be a bit more systematic and prolific with my Hub-writing and publish more frequently. However, given all the other things I have to juggle day-to-day, I’ll make no promises! But I’ll certainly keep writing and I’ll certainly keep reading.
The views and opinions expressed in this interview
do not necessarily reflect those of HubPages.
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