Writing Process Blog Tour

A few weeks ago, one of my readers, Margie Ann Stanko, invited me to take part in the Writing Process Blog Tour.  I was thrilled to receive her invitation as it was a way for me to learn more about other bloggers and writers, what inspires them to write, and how they go about coming up with new material.  Margie is an interfaith minister based out of New York.  She’s certified in Creative Arts Therapy and helps to support the homeless, the chronically ill, and the elderly.  If you’d like to learn more about her, please check out her site, Funds for Reverence.  Many thanks to Margie for this unique opportunity!

As part of the Writing Process Blog Tour, I’ve been asked to answer a few questions on my writing process…here goes!

1.)  What am I working on?

Right now I’m working on finishing several of my Hawaii-inspired posts.  Hawaii is such a colorful and flavorful place.  I returned from the islands with so many new recipes and topics to cover that I can hardly keep up!  After this, I’ll be getting back to some dim sum posts, which my readers always seem to love.  I’ll also be covering the World Tea Expo in Long Beach next week, where I’ll be meeting up with friends and tea experts, and discovering the latest trends in the fascinating world of tea.

2.)  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

When I mention that I have a tea blog, many people think I’m talking about English afternoon tea–the kind with scones, crustless bread, and cucumber sandwiches.  While I also love the tradition of English tea and do post on some of those classics, my blog specifically covers Asian tea treats, both traditional and modern.  I don’t consider myself a tea expert.  It takes years of dedication, experience, and knowledge to become a bona fide tea educator.  What I do have is an avid interest in tea and a passion for cooking foods with an Asian twist.  I use recipes and food as a way to introduce readers to new ways of enjoying tea.

3.)  Why do I write what I do?

Being Chinese, tea is something that is always around you, all the time.  Almost everyone Chinese is a tea drinker.  This blog was a way for me to bring my passion for tea, cooking, culture, and health into one creative space.  I like to think of tea drinking as an art that joins the East with the West, the ancient with the modern, and the healthy with the decadent.  My friend and author, Bruce Richardson, often refers to tea as the “communal cup.”  It’s so true, tea has the ability to bring people together from all different cultures and backgrounds, which is what I love about it.

4.)  How does your writing process work?

Margie mentioned that a cup of coffee gets things rolling for her in her writing process.  Not surprisingly, for me, a frothy cup of matcha does the same.  As avid tea drinkers around the world know, tea gives you clarity and centeredness–exactly what you need if you are trying to write!  If I have writer’s block, I step away for a while, perhaps to brew another cup of tea or just to get outside into nature to clear my mind.  Another idea I’ve found to be true is that you should always try to write about what you are passionate about.  There is no amount of coffee or matcha tea that can make up for the lack of it.

And now it’s my great pleasure to present two other bloggers (and tea lovers!) that I follow, Beatrice from Shooting Vienna and Brittany from San’in Monogatari:

* Beatrice is the writer behind Shooting Vienna.  She started the blog a year ago because she wanted to push herself to keep moving ahead with her photography.  Her first blog was about food and restaurants in Vienna, but she didn’t want to restrict herself to these themes, and decided to create a new space for more ideas.  Beatrice loves her home city of Vienna and thought that through this blog, she could give readers insight into this lovely city with some random personal posts and a lot of food posts.  Beatrice is a serious foodie…through her beautiful photos, I can eat my way though Vienna’s trendiest bakeries and restaurants!

* In Japan, Brittany is usually called Buri-chan.  Brittany is a CIR in Matsue as part of the JET Program, and has studied Japanese language and culture in earnest since 2005, as well as writing comics for fun.  Her current area of study is now Japan’s San’in region, the often overlooked shadows of ancient Japan. About 1/3 of the Shinto legends recorded in the Kojiki took place in this region, so she has been writing comics about them which make up one component of her blog, San’in Monogatari.  Her comics are incredibly clever and artistic…I often check them out when I am having a bad case of writer’s block!

Please check in with these blogs next week, on May 26th!  On that Monday, Beatrice and Brittany will be answering the same 4 questions about their writing processes.  They’ll also be introducing a few of the blogs that they enjoy following as the Writing Process Blog Tour continues…

Leave a Reply to shootingvienna Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

shootingvienna

It is always nice to learn more about other bloggers and how they write about their interests. Since I love tea as well I am glad that I found your blog with your lovely pictures and great recipes (I still have to try one out!). Thanks again for letting me be a part of this writing process 🙂

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thank you for being a part of it Beatrice! For me, your blog is like a window into everyday life in Vienna, very refreshing when I find myself getting restless and bored in California. Always looking forward to your future posts–keep up the great work! 🙂

Reply
shootingvienna

Thanks so much that’s exactly what my goal was with my blog! I’ll give my best but I can’t imagine you getting bored since you are so creative 🙂

Reply
Buri-chan

“…tea has the ability to bring people together from all different cultures and backgrounds, which is what I love about it.”

Me, too! I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you again for including me in this, and have a great time at the World Tea Expo–that sounds awesome!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thank you so much for participating Buri-chan! I love that I always learn something new about Japanese culture when I read your blog. Japanese tea and wagashi pairings are always a popular topic at the conference…I’ll definitely be thinking of all your gorgeous tea ceremony photos when I come across those at the conference!

Reply
<< PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST >>