This post is part of a series of interviews highlighting Fuelmyblog bloggers and their blogs, a great way to find out who are the bloggers part of the Fuelmyblog community.
If you would like to feature in this series add your name in the comment box or email sylvie(at)fuelmyblog.com
Thank you Chris for sharing your thoughts and insights on blogging with us.
What’s your name?
Chris Rowbury
What’s the name of your blog?
From the front of the choir
What’s the URL of your blog?
http://singing-thoughts.blogspot.com
How old is your blog?
I started in December 2006, so nearly two years old now.
If you’re willing to share, how many visitors per day do you have to your blog?
Well, stats are notoriously vague, but according to Statcounter I get anything from 10 to 80 unique visitors per day. They tend to peak on a Monday as I post weekly on a Sunday.
How much time do you spend blogging every week?
Not enough! I decided to only post once a week since I knew that was practical given my other commitments. I’m very pleased to say that I’ve only missed one post when I was abroad on holiday.
Since I only post once a week, I spend less time than many blogger. I guess 1 -2 hours max per week actually at the keyboard: posting, responding to comments, checking links, etc.
Is it the creative process or the editing process which take you longest when writing a post?
The pre-thinking takes most of the time. It often takes quite a while to come up with an initial idea (especially since I’ve covered so many topics now!), and then I let it stew for some time. Whilst it’s in my subconscious I may begin to notice newspaper articles, web quotes, TV programmes, etc. which feed into my topic. The actual writing is pretty much stream of consciousness then since I’ve ordered my thoughts quite well by the time I come to type things up. Then I leave it for a while and come back to edit.
What inspired you to first start writing a blog?
I wanted to share my experience of running a choir with other singers and choir leaders, but I simply couldn’t find any blogs out there covering what I was interested in! I also wanted a formal forum to explore my own thoughts and beliefs in order to help clarify my own thinking and approach. This allows my blog to act as a constant self-reflection on my own practice. I also wanted to be completely transparent to the singers in my choirs to show them more about my philosophy, approach to singing, work behind the scenes, etc. And finally, I wanted to attract my peer group so we could discuss common issues and problems.
What do you do to get inspired to write?
Approach a looming deadline!
Is there anything that you simply refuse to blog about?
I won’t blog about anything that’s NOT to do with singing or choirs. That is what my blog’s about. So when, for instance, Fuel My Blog has a competition where it asks people to blog responses to certain questions, I can’t participate since it’s not what my blog’s about.
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?
Since I’m freelance I hope that won’t ever happen! I doubt if I’d want to work for anyone who wouldn’t support my blog.
Do you talk about your blog with your relatives and friends or do you avoid mentioning it?
I sometimes talk about it with my girlfriend just after I’ve written a post. I’m usually feeling quite buzzy then and like to share my passion. It also gives me the chance to talk about a post in a more general way. Often what I write about has applications more generally than just singing and choirs. It’s often about approaches to life.
What is the biggest mistake you made when starting your blog?
Promising to blog once a week. It was a real struggle at first. I should have started more infrequently and built up to a more regular schedule. I also started on the wrong day of the week!
Any tips for aspiring bloggers?
Only blog if you love writing and are passionate about your subject. It is NOT a good way to make money, get the girl or become popular. That may happen, but it’s a lucky side-effect if it does.
Who are the bloggers that you look up to the most?
Quite honestly I read very few blogs. There are NO blogs in exactly the area of singing and choirs that I’m interested in. I do read a few blogs about blogging, but nothing particularly inspires me. The vast majority of blogs out there are simply not that good. I also don’t have the time to dip in and out of lots of blogs on a daily basis. Most blogs seem to be about blogging and the internet — it’s all a bit self-referential for my liking!
Do you still see yourself blogging in 5 years time?
I don’t see why not! It does feel lonely sometimes. Although I get a few comments now and again, it does feel like I’m shouting out into a vacuum. My blog is in such a small niche, and I don’t have that much time or energy to really try and promote it well. Unfortunately, my target audience probably DON’T tend to read blogs or surf the net much! So if one day I feel that I am truly alone and that no one is listening, then I may well give up!
Interesting interview Chris and a great blog. I used to be in choirs and hope to be again some time soon so i understand your difficulties in getting people interested. Have you thought about putting some audio samples on the site so folks can hear some of the choir in action?
Richard, I’ve not thought about putting sound clips on the blog as I’m not really directly promoting the choir that I run! I have a separate website for that which has sound clips on. But I guess I could find a way of putting some sound on the blog when it is relevant in order to attract more readers perhaps. Thanks for your comment.