This post is part of a series of interviews highlighting Fuelmyblog bloggers and their blogs. If you would like to be interviewed as part of this series simply add your name to the comments on this blog post or drop an email to paul (at) fuelmyblog.com.

· What’s your name?

John Cribbs

· What’s the name of your blog?

Life Onwards

· What’s the URL of your blog?

http://www.lifeonwards.com

· How old is your blog?

The URL’s less than a year, but it was carried over from Blogger.com and started four years ago there.

· If you’re willing to share, how many visitors per day do you have to your blog?

You’ll laugh at this, but less than 20. Honestly. My blogger account however gets an average of 100. Honestly it’s nice to have a number like that. My bounce rate is real low, which means the people reading it are reading it for a reason.

· How much time do you spend blogging every week?

Recently much less than I’d like. Four hours weekly average.

· Is it the creative process or the editing process which take you longest when writing a post?

Editing. I’m not a ‘theme’ blogger or ‘life coach’ type. Sometimes I write for me, for someone I know who I know will read the entry, sometimes pulling something out of old notes on my PDA that would be more suitable on a Saturday Night Live skit.

· What inspired you to first start writing a blog?

My family became homeless, and I wanted both an online log I could use later for resources and recommend to others. It sometimes crossed over into becoming an outlet and diary, given the circumstances.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I also started advocating for other parents and became a peer that they’d come to when having problems with ‘the system’ regularly. That provided me more reason to blog, to relate the common problems many parents face…medical, financial, housing, emotional, psycological…life for a family in general…but not just ours…so many that have, are, and will experience homelessness.

· What do you do to get inspired to write?

Nothing. I sit and blog. While I do sometimes accept paid posting and links, the majority is whatever is on my mind at the time. Sometimes I’ll go through photos I’ve taken with my PDA, sometimes attachments from agencies I receive. I just go with the flow and let it happen. Sometimes I hit a dry spell, sometimes I get a piece of meat I can sink my teeth in and lose myself.

My two older blogs are honestly paid posted entries at this time, which serves a two point purpose:

i. To generate capital for equipment like a camcorder for future projects with the homeless and putting them in a picture less seen by agencies and the media.

ii. I really enjoy creative writing. Taking a few words and having to run with it, just as much as what an artist does with improv on stage.

· Is there anything that you simply refuse to blog about?

If I told you, then wouldn’t that be blogging about it?

· If you went for a job interview and were told that you’d have to close your blog in order to get the job, how would you react/feel about it?

I’d seek opportunity elsewhere. Last January I actually made the choice myself to hold off Blogging, but it was one on my own initiative. Anyone else telling me to do so would be an ultimatum and sign of control, a time to walk.

· Do you talk about your blog with your relatives and friends or do you avoid mentioning it?

The blog is what it is. They’re welcome to view it, but it’s not coffee talk other than acknowledging it’s there.

· What is the biggest mistake you made when starting your blog?

None that I can think of. If there were any, I’d chalk them up to the learning curve. The way so many people blog, there shouldn’t be any ‘right’ way to do it.

· Any tips for aspiring bloggers?

Read, comment, find a good bunch of people with like interests, and check in at least weekly. If you fall off your habit, chalk it up to time away and don’t think twice about your absence. Don’t cry about having a life, it gives you something to blog about later.

· What 3 bloggers do you look up to the most?

That’s a tough one. Honestly Paul, I can’t say. Every one of the bloggers…I look up to…in one way or another. Technical information, relating to personal experiences and connecting spiritually, or finding something humorous and laughing at my monitor as others may be doing so at the same moment. It’s too big of a number to be three.

· Do you still see yourself blogging in 5 years time?

In some form or fashion, definitely yes! I was a blogger when there weren’t any blog communities. We just had our own web pages and updated them statically.

Related Posts

• We are Fuelmyblog: Work Life Fusion
• We Are Fuelmyblog: Note to Self
• We are Fuelmyblog: SewArtsy
• We are Fuelmyblog: Meghna
• We are Fuelmyblog: Karen Woodham