Time to find out a bit more about the bloggers on the Fuelmyblog community. This week I am pleased to share with you the interview of serial blogger Amanda Morrow Jensen.
Find out how Amanda blogs, the blogging tools she uses, which blogs she enjoys reading and what blogging means to her.
To take part join Fuelmyblog and simply send us an email on [help(at)fuelmyblog.com].

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What’s your name?

Amanda Morrow Jensen.

What’s the name of your blog?

Yikes. I have four. In order of hours-of-my-life-they-consume-each-week they are Extra (Hour)dinary Parenting: Unique Insights Into Pregnancy, Parenting, and Grandparenting, Yield to Pedestrian: A Blog About Books, Astronomy, and Marine Biology, Pics Remix: Taking You Behind the Travel Photography, and Custom Registries: Personalized Baby Registries for Expecting Moms. How is that for eclectic?

How old is your blog?

I started Yield to Pedestrian: A Blog About Books, Astronomy, and Marine Biology in February 2008. Extra (Hour)dinary Parenting: Unique Insights Into Pregnancy, Parenting, and Grandparenting followed in July 2008. The rest fell into place a few months ago.

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

Yield to Pedestrian gets between 50 and 150, for no reason I can actually ascertain. Extra (Hour)dinary Parenting gets around 50. The others are too new to really have a following.

How much time do you spend blogging every week?

Well, writing the copy for the blogs takes about four hours a week. Adding new features, monthly updates, interacting with readers, and other coding/design work takes about 15 hours a week.

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

I can do a 500-word post start to finish in about 30 minutes. What takes me a long time is when I try to add complex buttons, widgets, and other graphics.

What inspired you to first start writing a blog?

I have always liked writing, and I wanted to try my hand at writing short, amusing stories based on my former career as a U.S. diplomat. It kind of grew from there.

What do you do to get inspired to write?

I let my mind wander in the shower. I do my best thinking there and come up with my most unique and useful ideas. I am, consequently, always very clean.

How do you market your blog?

I spend a lot of time on forums, commenting on other blogs, seeking guest posts, and writing guests posts. Nothing earth-shattering there.

What are the blogging tools you cannot do without?

Wordpress, Thesis Theme, and Firebug.

Is there anything that you simply refuse to blog about?

I try to respect my family’s privacy, and draw from their experiences rather than blog about them. I also do not blog much on terribly controversial topics because I do not like contributing to the screed. I aim for topics that are out there at a pitch just below screed.

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 would probably turn down the job. I am pretty attached to these blogs and what I am trying to do with them. I love the connections, the friendships, and the opportunities to help people out who I would otherwise have never have met.

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

I talk about it with my relatives, who often help me out with great ideas. I talk about it with old friends from childhood and high school, who are also very supportive. I do not talk about it as much with current friends or acquaintances. It is a lot to explain in one short conversation.

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

At first, I had a hard time getting into commenting and forums. I did not know what to say. Twitter broke me of that shyness. It is a great way to dip your toe into online dialogue without being overwhelmed by it.

Any tips for aspiring bloggers?

I hated learning this one, but just keep in mind that your first blog may not end up being your “real” or “big” blog. Your blogging will evolve as you learn the trade. I still have a crush on my first blog, Yield to Pedestrian, even though its black background is the blogworld equivalent of 80s hair.

Who are the bloggers that you look up to the most?

For blogging and design tips, the guy behind Build a Niche Store Blog has some incredible technical insights. Amazing.
I greatly admire Suzanne Franco’s determination and honesty.
I get hungry reading my buddy Kerin’s food blog, My Kugelhopf.
And I think the ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom and Mom Fuse are wonderful.

Do you still see yourself blogging in 5 years time?

Absolutely. I love how blogging is really three professions in one: graphic design, web design, and writing. Each of these activities requires a different frame of mind, and by that I really mean a different level of emotional trauma. For me, coding a little box to perform just so in CSS and HTML makes writing seem positively painless. How could I not love an activity that makes writing something new and exciting every day fun?

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