Writing Process Blog Tour

CONGRATULATIONS! If you are here on HubPages you are what is referred to as an engaged learner.

You have taken it upon yourself to follow your passion (and your search engine) whither it may lead, and, are likely to act upon what you learn. Being an engaged learner, you are intelligent and interesting, and other people like you (I like you). Typically, engaged learners enjoy interacting with others and sharing what they have learned.

Sharing what we know gives us an opportunity to form personal connections. Relationships (both personal and professional) are important. To form better relationships take an interest in the people you know and give those people the opportunity to take an interest in you.

I am working on writing engaging hubs for people who want to learn more about macramé. (Incidentally, macrame is the art of knotting cord to make wall hangings that look like owls. "Micro-macrame" is the trendy name that refers to making jewelry. My hubs are focused on micro-macrame but I use the more generic term because I want people to be able to find my hub easily. Additionally, my hubs may or may not cover the wall hangings in the future, I'm open to new things and I like owls.)

More specifically, I am currently working on blogs that inform people about macramé projects using specific media (hemp, nylon, leather, yarn) and techniques.

Within this framework, I am working on how to present information in an easily accessible way that appeals to my personal sense of style. It is amazing how many different patterns can be created with 1 knot; I struggle with whether I should show different projects using the same knot, or similar projects using different knots. One of the reasons that I decided to focus my first few blogs around the project media (nylon, hemp, leather, etc.) was because it was easier than choosing which knot to depict.

I am also working on improving the visual aspect of my hub. My blog is instructional and the images make the content more meaningful. My goal is to have pertinent and clear imagery that enhances the verbal content; eventually I will include video.

Everyone has a different point of view and takes away their own individual interpretation of an event; the act of perceiving things is complicated. Some people see the the forest, some people see the trees, some people see the leaves on the trees.

I think perception is also situational. For instance, when I am entertained I perceive things differently than when I am bored.

I strive to be entertaining rather than purely informative, with the hope that people will perceive the things I write about to be fun, and worthy of their time.

There are many practical commonalities between instructional macrame hubs: lists of tools and materials, step-by-step instructions and related photos. I don't believe that I need to reinvent the wheel with my hubs; I don't feel the need to put forth basic information in a way that is unique from other hubs.

Having said that, my interpretation of what I am presenting is subjective. I write with a media focus and include detailed and specific materials lists. I exclusively use original photos, opinions, and conclusions. I try not to include hackneyed information (how many times do we need to read about the origin of the word macramé or its history with sailors), and yet retain well-rounded content. And, of course, my use of language and tone is engaging (to people who are intelligent and interesting).

What drives people to do what they do? People have written volumes of information on this subject. The question is so general it is practically meaningless.

What motivates me personally? The big picture answer is that I like to know how things work and why they work that way; I enjoy reinforcing my own knowledge (and hopefully learning more) by sharing what I have discovered.

My focus of interest changes frequently and there are many different things which I could write about. I plan to expand my writing to include more than macramé in the future. Currently I choose to write about macramé because I have a passion for it and it satisfies me.

My motivation for writing is two-fold. Primarily, I enjoy the process of writing and the idea that people will enjoy reading what I write. My secondary motivation is to engage people enough to seek out new things and in turn share some of themselves with their community.

What motivates me to work on macrame projects and write about my experiences? Macrame is unique because it is not limited by a certain type of material or a specific genre of projects. With a few simple techniques I can make anything from bracelets to shoes to wall hangings. I can make functional or fanciful things and am only limited by my imagination. I believe that other people will also find macrame to be entertaining and enriching.

Why macrame jewelry? I like attractive jewelry, I enjoy wearing it and looking at it in books and magazines. I have an affinity for pieces that are creative; mass produced bracelets and necklaces don't usually appeal to me; I don't believe I am alone in feeling this way.

Everyone has a different way of doing things, however, there have been studies done on the process of writing that show a basic commonality of features. You can spend a lot of time reading about the process of writing (but that is not the best way to begin in my opinion).

My advice to find your own process: read something similar to the what you want to write. Figure out what you like about it and take notes. Think about how it is organized and take more notes. Imagine where your writing will differ from what you are reading and write it down.

From reading comes writing.

My process is like most in that I begin by asking myself a question. In the case of instructional macrame hubs, it is a question like, “What would I like to create?”

My answer to this question leads me to other questions like, "What materials will I use? Which techniques will I use? How can I break this project down so that other people can follow my example?" Each question and answer extrapolates into the content of my blog through images, instruction, and opinion.

I have not been writing hubs for very long, and I have only begun to figure out what I want to say and how I want to say it. I am still finding my "voice" and hope to be able to roll that into my process somehow. I am still very much evolving as a writer, and that in itself is a process.