How I Write
I had never published anything before creating Miss Ramblings (unless one counts a two sentence contribution to my primary school newsletter). The reason for this is that I’d never written anything that I’d ever thought to publish.
One of my lovely readers asked me recently how I go about creating my rambles. I immediately thought of the question asked so often of composer of songs. What comes first? The music or the lyrics? (Very often the answer is “the unpaid bill”.)
Since I’ve written a few songs over the years, I can testify that the courses to completed songs are rarely the same. And it seems that I would give the same answer regarding my rambles.
Often a topic will come to mind that I quickly realise will not have enough substance to become a complete piece. I therefore scramble around for another idea to marry with the original topic, and somehow the two come together reasonably well - or they don’t!
Other times I think of a topic and a hook for it. However, the hook ends up becoming the main story, knocking the original topic into another month.
Some rambles are tussled with over a long period of time. Others seem to come together very quickly. I’d like to say that all of them are completed weeks before their publication, but many are written with only an hour or so to spare. I't’s extraordinary how motivating a deadline can be.
I have several rambles that I have begun to write and then left unfinished. Many of those I look at and wonder what on earth I was thinking at the time, and why on earth I don’t delete them. I have several others that are completed but await the appropriate time to publish them.
I don’t have a bank of ideas upon which to draw. If I was a professional writer I’m sure I’d have a long, organised list of topics filed away somewhere, even if only on a serviette, like the composers of old.
Often as I write I’ll run fact checking missions via phone calls to relevant people. I find their stories fascinating but sometimes I don’t manage to include all or much of what they tell me, as the ramble rambles off in another direction. Or it simple becomes too long if I include all of the information.
I hereby admit to there being a little “poetic licence” here and there, but the overall sentiment and content are true. And you will not find a trace of Artificial Intelligence anywhere in my posts. I figure I’m intelligent enough, although apparently not intelligent enough to figure out how to use Artificial Intelligence!
The photographs are always drawn from the free stock images available on Squarespace. I’m too much of a scrooge to pay for any others and I can’t work out how to transport photos from my phone to my laptop, so I’m unable to use my own. But the overall reason I don’t use my own photos is that I value my privacy and that of other people mentioned in my posts. Having said that, there is a post or two in the near future that warrants a more personal photo. Stay tuned!
In terms of the location of my writing; usually you’ll find me sitting on my couch sometime in the evening, with my computer perched on my lap and my eyes fighting the weariness of a full day of work. Once I completed a ramble at the local library. On another occasion I ensconced myself at my desk. I will say that the latter locations spurred me to be more productive and made me feel like a real writer! One day I might try sitting in a coffee shop. After all, aren’t all online businesses run from a laptop in one of those noisiest of public places? Not to mention the many meet-cutes that apparently occur in such venues. Or have I been watching too many Hallmark movies?
Since Miss Ramblings is intended to only be a light hearted, short escape from people’s days, I do often find it difficult to come up with topics - hence I seem to mainly be delving into my past. I did have a wonderful childhood and I’m now of an age when many of the delights of that time are no more, due to the “progress” of society. I think it is important to keep a record of such times, if only for our own children. So I do hope you’ll forgive me if I continue from time to time to prattle on about my early years.
One day I would like to write about more serious topics. I have actually considered having a section on the site entitled “Rants”. I’ve been known to execute a few of those over the years! However, as my “about” page states, I am an aficionado of nothing but my own thoughts. My opinions are not overly educated ones, but they do come from the heart, and I believe that to be, on the whole, more important.
I am open to any ideas that anyone would like to suggest. Just send me an email on missrambling@gmail.com (note the missing “s”). I’m unable to promise that I’ll come up with anything from those ideas but I’d certainly value your suggestions.
Thank-you for your ongoing support. I appreciate your feedback, and my heart rejoices when I hear that my posts have achieved their end by bringing some light relief to your days.
Nikki
