Emily is an accident-prone recovering chocoholic who reads, writes, marketeers and parents. And blogs! Words and numbers constantly do battle in her head, which keeps her (in)sane while her children do battle under her nose. You’ll find Emily at emhawkerblog, the bloggy home where she tucks her thoughts about reading, writing, life with kids and life in general in to bed. Night night, thoughts. Shush now.
How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I have been blogging for three and a half years. I started blogging purely to get myself in the
habit of writing every day. The reasons for blogging have been added to since then, but it’s still
mostly an exercise in voice creation and maintenance.
Tell us a bit about your blog and what we can expect to see in the next 12 months?
My blog is a personal blog, and has naturally evolved to focus on reading, writing, life with
toddlers and (randomly) topical news and everyday life worked into song format.
In the next 12 months, you’ll see more book reviews, song rewrites, grammar tips and toddler music group programs. And more of whatever crazy idea I have next.
Do you have a favourite place or dedicated space for blogging?
I blog wherever I can. I don’t yet have a dedicated space for blogging; after renovating for four years, hubby and I decided to take a ‘little’ break… a break that started two years ago. You’ll usually find me blogging at the dining room table, studiously ignoring the toys scattered around me and the dishes in the sink behind me.
What are your must have tools and resources when it comes to blogging?
WordPress and my brain. I’m probably meant to say my camera, but I suck at the visual side of blogging. I do however plan to incorporate more YouTube clips in my blogging, so getting the right equipment and programs to make better quality videos is on the ever-expanding to-do list.
Have you ever experienced blogger’s block and what are your top tips for when it strikes?
I have, but usually my blogger’s block comes in the form of wanting to write about something I feel I shouldn’t. In that case, I write the post, and sit on it for a week. And, if it’s a story that impacts on anyone else in my life, I run it past them. If I’m not happy, or they’re not happy, it doesn’t get published. If, after a week, I’m okay with it, I hit publish. Then chew my nails off.
As for actual writer’s block, where the topic’s there but the words just won’t come? This is how I deal with that.
What have been your blogging highlights and biggest challenges?
Highlights: seeing the blog readership grow incredibly last year; (finally) making the move from Blogger to WordPress in December; attending the Problogger conference; realising that the bloggers I admire once stared at a blinking cursor on a screen, working up the courage to type their first post; meeting one of my favourite bloggers and having her come up to me for a hug instead of the other way around!
Biggest challenges: finding the time; making the time; justifying the time to those who just don’t understand why I do it and what I get from it.
Who inspires you and what’s on your Worth Casing list when it comes to other bloggers?
The ‘who inspires me’ list could get out of control! I find the bloggers who are supportive and inclusive of their community to be the most inspiring: the ones who treat blogging as a conversation and a mutual learning experience rather than a chance to lecture. Styling You, Woogsworld, Fat Mum Slim, Maxabella loves, Kelly Exeter, Essentially Jess and With Some Grace nail that sense of community all the time. (So do plenty of others, but I’ll stop there before this list gets out of control.)
I also admire anyone who can make me belly laugh and/or think deeply about something. Or both at the same time. Handbag Mafia, Hugzilla and Mumabulous, I’m looking at you right now.
What advice would you give to anyone that is thinking about starting a blog of their own?
Make like Nike, and just do it. Know why you want to blog and look into the best options, but don’t spend so long planning and analysing and thinking and praying that you scare yourself out of it.
What is your favourite kind of blog post to write?
I write lots of different kinds of blog posts, and honestly enjoy them all. (Otherwise, why
bother?) But my absolute favourites are usually responses to questions from readers. My
Practical Grammactical series is quickly becoming a favourite to write, because the grammatical grumbles are flying in thick and fast. I love being able to break down seemingly complex rules into bite-sized chunks.
If you weren’t in the business of blogging what would you be doing?
At the moment, blogging isn’t my ‘business’. It’s an extra. I’m a mum first and foremost, and I’m also a freelance writer and editor with clients from the very different worlds of financial services, construction, real estate and online retail. So more of that. Or sleep. If I wasn’t in the business of blogging, I’d get more sleep.
More ways to CASE
Emily Hawker
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Have you met Emily Hawker? Didn’t Emily do an amazing job of the This is How we Do parody?
Grammar Grumbles…I’ll keep very quiet….opps!
LOL Lydia, I’m fairly old school here but having recently completed a writing for the web course finding Emily’s grammatical series cuts through the confusion factor.
Don’t be quiet! Let them out! Yay!
Hello Emily!
Definitely worth casing 🙂
Couldn’t agree more Leanne.
Hello Leanne! Thank you x
Thanks for sharing. It occurred to me that blogging isn’t my business at the moment either but I spent hours and hours a day doing related stuff… (I must think about that!).
And I’ve really been enjoying Emily’s musical efforts lately. She’s so talented!
Definitely something to think about Deborah. I’m much the same, although leaning towards making blogging my actual business. It’s creating a lot of work, so it needs to start paying its way.
I spend a lot more time on the blog than is justified if you just look at it in money terms. But mental health is important too, right? (And thank you. x)
I have been loving the song rewrites lately 🙂 Always love the book reviews and grammar tips.
Dani @ sand has no home
Me too with the song rewrites. I attempted a parody myself last year and ended up in an email battle with the writers and management behind the writers all wanting to charge me. In the end knowing I needed to get a legal team involved I gave up.
Ooh, I owe you an email. Watched the clip, and the song came screaming back to me. x
Thanks Dani! The next grammar post is an interesting one – still fine-tuning it but I think I’ll get a few people disagreeing with me!
Love, Love, LOVE Emily’s blog, it’s awesome! And I love reading more about the person behind the blog, it’s fabulous!
#teamIBOT
How did I not know you were part of Team IBOT? Where do you actually find the time?
Thank you Kylz! Back at you. Big smile on my dial right now. x
Always love reading and getting to know more about the person behind the blog! And even more special, I’ve met this lovely lady in person! Twice! (although she didn’t remember the first time which burst my bloggy bubble! lol)
Was the first ProBlogger? Sometimes I think the massive conferences don’t count because you are effectively in a room full of strangers trying to not only remember names and faces but blogs.
YES! (If I’m ever in court, you can be my lawyer.)
AS SOON as those words were out of my mouth, I knew we’d met! I can even picture it – we were in the breakout room, weren’t we? DAGNAMMIT! Sorry. Reinflate that bloggy bubble xx
These are my favourite blog posts… Ones that share other bloggers.. Thanks for getting on the case #IBOT
Thanks Natalie. We must get around to featuring you soon.
It’s so much fun to read about behind the scenes, isn’t it? Even when I feel like I know a blogger, I get so much from posts like this.
I love Em’s blog and I also love the #everydaystyle photos her kids take, even though she think the photograhy side of her blog isn’t great 🙂
I love her #everydaystyle photos too.
Haha, thanks Toni! I’ll tell my daughter. She’s hilarious when we do those pics.
love Em and her blog-especially the song re-writes. x
I’ve had This is how we do, stuck on replay in my head today.
Thanks Lisa! Hopefully you like what’s coming up next then x
Love Em and those quirky, intelligent posts. I really admire the way she puts herself out there with her hilarious parodies – that kind of thing truly TERRIFIES me.
I would need a stunt double to pull off a parody. Can’t believe Em managed to do This is how we do, in the one take.
I knew that if I tried to do it again, I’d second guess and never publish it. Record, sing, put it on YouTube, DONE.
I still can’t believe I do them, to be honest! Hubby put one up on the TV the other night (and we have the biggest TV in the world – my face was FLIPPING HUGE!) and I just had to shake my head. WHAT AM I THINKING?!
Aw love me some Em Hawker goodness – girl can write! So it’s kind of an honour to be mentioned in your worth casing list Em!
Thanks Kel! And pleasure – you know I love your words. Can’t wait to hear them FROM YOUR ACTUAL MOUTH at PB. x
Wish I was joining you both at ProBlogger. It’s just so far away and with hubby at sea, I would need to fly a relative in to look after my three girls, making it more expensive that it needs to be.
Ooh more video! Yay.
Yes, and I’m both excited and crapping myself (figuratively, although I could write literally and mean figuratively anyway…)
LOL Emily.
Such an honour to make Em’s list. I’m stoked!! Keep doing what you’re doing ‘cos you do it so wel. x
Thank you. You’re welcome. All that. x
You do it so well, as well Maxabella.
Oh thanks do much Em for the mention … Boy oh boy do I love the internets x
Pleasure treasure! You’re so inclusive of your community that it would have been a crime not to include you as an example.
Couldn’t agree more Emily. Two of my favourite bloggers.
Thanks for having me, Raychael! Super chuffed to be described as worth casing. x
You are definitely worth casing. I’m probably the only person that uses that term.
Thank you. Am blushing. If you can walk in a straight line without tripping over, then I am insanely jealous of you and will trade you the musical abilities in a second. (Also love your blog. I have an idea for a song rewrite based on your latest – GST to the tune of TNT. You in?)
I love Emily’s blog especially her song rewrites. Her blog is on my regular blog reading list!
Mine too. I’m determined to see one of Emily’s parodies go viral.
Fingers crossed! (But also, too scary, so maybe not.)
Thanks Ingrid! Lovely words. x
Awesome Em, she’s one talented chick! I also love when she pops up in my Instagram feed x
Emily certainly is. I love her #everydaystyle shares on Instagram.
Thanks Lisa! I’m all over the place with Instagram. Must get better at it. x
Oh I loved Em’s rewrite of ‘This is How We Do’. She is one talented chick. Her chocoholic posts on IG always make me chuckle.
Her chocoholic posts always make me feel like racing out and eating her fair share for her.
Thanks Sarah! I’m glad everyone enjoyed that one. Chocoholism is REAL, baby. Real.
Love this chick and her crazy ideas 🙂
Me too Renee.
Love you too chick! x
I have nominated Em my grammatical guru, she’s just all round awesome! Love her work!
That’s not a bad label to be tagged with. Em certainly is awesome.
Thanks Sammie! This whole thing is inflating my head to dangerous proportions. Better go get a pin. POP!
Me too. I need to outsource anything to do with music.
Checking out Em’s blog now! Sucker for a song re-write!
You will love Em’s song re-writes.
Thanks Beth! I hope you liked what you found!
Yes love Em too! Great sense of style, very funny and I’m insanely jealous of her will power in giving up chocolate! xx
Me too. I don’t know how she does it.
Thanks Malinda! It’s day 247. I’m struggling. Been sick recently and really wanting the chocolate boost!
Ah Em. I love a little mosey over to her site most weeks x
Me too Vicki. You are probably getting sick of people asking how you are doing so instead… do you have any big plans for the weekend?
Thanks Vicki!!! x
I love Emily’s blog. She’s a hoot!
I was lucky enough to catch up with Emily on my recent trip to Melbourne. Such a gorgeous person inside and out.
Blushing. Back at ya. x
Thanks Em! x