The Sunday Roast

Thumbelina Invites You Into Her Secret Worlds

This week's interview is with Thumbelina,
who writes the blog Secret Worlds .

Thank you, Thumbelina

Here's the first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

I come from a long line of thumb sized blog attempts. Some were not very good at this blogging lark and Tom Thumb ended up being an expert blagger instead. For a definition of blagging look here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/blag
He started off small and would just blag his way into things but eventually he moved onto the other definitions of blagging. *sigh*
I try my best to not think about it.
So, blogging helps to block the memory out. I have gone from writing a huge number of posts a month to one or even.... none! But on the whole, I have managed (with the help of a large pointed umbrella being poked up my behind) to churn a post or too out here and there.

Have I answered the question yet? I'm not sure. Why do I blog? Well, I guess the main reason is because I like it. Unlike a lot of certain social networking sites (which I won't mention) I am comfortable with blogging. (I was never comfortable with blagging although I could do it. Definition #1 that is.) I am in control of my blog, and, (if I want to be) I am in control of who comments or visits my blog. So I feel safe-ish on the blogosphere where I can get viewpoints on my writing, my photos and generally care about what is going on for a heap of people I have never met but love dearly. They seem to care about me too!

What's the story behind the blog name?

I used to have a tiny tiny thumb-sized blog but nobody could see it. So I decided I had to get to the big sized blogs.
Then I used to have a much more transparent blog and name. People on the outside knew who I was on the inside. One day though, some one I thought was nice turned out to be not nice and would come and lurk and take information about me from my blog and use it on the outside to hurt my boy. So I moved and she moved. And I moved again and eventually, to cut a long story short, I found a secret hideaway which I call my Secret Worlds. It is my world inside the blogosphere and most of you know who I am, but the one on the outside doesn't and that suits me fine. So Secret Worlds it is and I am happy here. I can be as crazy as I like in here and it's all right because you know me.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

The friends. Thumb sized ones and ordinary sized ones. No doubt about it - it's the people you 'meet'. Yes it gives creative outlets but without the feedback it means nothing. There are some of you out there that have followed me through 3 blogs (one private) to this fourth blog. That's friendship. Thank you thank you thank you. Outside people don't always get it but blog friendships are some of the best and most sincere friendships - perhaps because we have to make the effort and actually visit and reciprocate etc.... I dunno. I am not sure how it works - in theory it shouldn't - but it does. And blogging is about people. The people are the best thing ever about being a blogger. And none of them are thumb sized. Some are thumbnails, but not thumb sized.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Don't try a thumb sized blog. No one will see it. And also....
This has been said before but I agree with it 95% : Be yourself.
I say 95% because you need to keep 5% back. Don't tell everything unless you want it on the news headlines. It is the world wide web after all. Also, when you start out, until you have found your feet and got comfortable with your blog persona and style, don't tell "friends" on the outside. Wait. You don't know yet what you want to blog. Learn from my mistake! Wait. That's the 5%. Give yourself the freedom to write what you want how you want. You can't do that if you know the neighbour is reading it.... But once you're sure (or it is a lifelong solid friend) then by all means... it's up to you who knows about your blog.

Also, in your own home, if you have a significant other, involve them even if they are not bloggers. My hubby knew from the start what I was writing - the post was always available for him - and who I was communicating with. I would tell him about these bloggers who commented and it has been the best thing I did as I have good friendships with many of them. There is no "blog jealousy" in our house. If I hadn't explained some of the comments or shared some of my blog friends' posts with him, it could have led to some jealousies and problems. (He is not the jealous type either.) So be 100% open about what you write and who you communicate with online in your home. My hubby knows Maggie, Daryl, Suldog, Hilary and Frank, David and all those others (yes and you Eddie!) almost as much as I do. That would happen with "real" friendships (he knows my friends but not as well as I know them) and that is what I made sure I had happen with these friendships. There is never a problem then visiting blogs or emailing . . .

What's the most significant blog post you've ever read?

Oh my goodness. I really cannot answer this one. There are so many blogposts that are significant for different reasons. I wouldn't want to single any out and couldn't either. What I will do is direct you to Hilary's blog where she has started linking to Posts of the Week following on from David's Post of the Day feature. If you visit that each Wednesday (ish) then you will definitely find significant posts. I promise you.

What's the most significant blog post you've ever written?

Probably this one and it isn't even on my blog!! Typical!

Okay - seriously, it is hard to chose because really it is YOU the reader who should decide that. But there are some that have meant a lot to me and have got my heart and soul in them. They show ME, warts and all, raw, vulnerable I guess, but also they show the people I admire. I have picked three and some of you out there will remember them -
one to my mum, one for my dad, and one about losing the most precious thing I could - myself. Apart from those three, I have numerous photo ones I am particularly proud of but these ones inparticular I like - The Portuguese Skywatch, and an earlier Skywatch, (that's yet another sunset) and The Box - a hilarious look at how a fat cat sits in a small box. Hilarious to me anyway. :0/ Finally (you see? I can't pick just one! There are so many that mean so much for so many different reasons!) If you want to read some fiction, I wrote two short stories. One is "The Last Day" and the other is called "Inseparable". Hope you enjoy those.

If you were going to pick two blogs for roasting, which two would you pick and why?

Again, it is hard to just keep it at two blogs and also trying to remember who has already been roasted! So I am going to say Frank at Baron It All. Frank posts every week or so, maybe more often, and is a keen fisherman. I am not a keen fisherman but he takes me (us) on quiet serene walks and has a wonderful sense of humour and irony. He also has a great dog called Benny and it has always been a real pleasure to visit this gentle man.

The second blog I would nominate is Laughing Wolf at Loopy Lair (Paws and Reflect). Laughing Wolf's blog is an absolute treasure chest of information and fun. He often copies stuff into his blog but it is nicely chosen and edited and inbetween these bits he has his own writings and thoughts. He always, (like Frank) always answers a comment in his comments and is another gentle man. I love sitting on this blog and learning stuff.

 

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Today's Sunday Roast with Thumbelina is the 90th in a weekly
series of interviews with bloggers from around the world. __________________________________________________

This interview will feature in The Roll of Honour
for all published Roasts. To view press HERE
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