Interview with Sarah Malik

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? your blog , and your aspirations and your hobbies !!

I happen to be a very positive person trying to accompalish things I have planned for myself and living on my own principles.

My blog 'embodying emotions' as the subtitle says encompasses delusions and disillusions of everyday life.

My life and happenings that surround my part of world.

2. How you first got involved in with blogging , are you an imaginative person?

Initially, I was under the impression that blogging was meant only for budding writers and literature students.

It was when a friend who happens to be a writer asked me to read his blog that I understood the art of blogging was open ti each and everyone.

I created a blog as a web-diary of soughts and few months later I was completely hooked on to this world of writing and sharing.

and yes, I am imaginative. Sometimes my imaginations run extremely wild :P

3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?

Expressing myself in a precise and lucid way.

4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?

well, a lot of people. Blogosphere is a wonderful place to be in.

Most of them have been a motivating factor and helped my improve my writing skills.

5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?

Someone would obviously know better. I personally like Paulo Coelho's writing style very much and a few posts of mine did remind people of his style, that was one of the best compliments ever.

6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

Hundreds and thousands of other things! Life lies in action so the list is tooooo long.

7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?

I have my university exams coming up in 3 months followed by practicals and vivas. So in the next few months blogging will take a back seat.But I will come back with new zeal and ideas! 5 years down I would definitely be blogging in a more mature manner.Improving my writing and expressing skills and devoting a lot more time to it.

8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?

I believe that if you write in a way that people connect to it they will come, no matter what.

Also social netwrking sites, connecting with people of a similar blogging genre and blogging web sites help a lot.

9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.

 My blog for me is a web-diary. I don't pre decide what and how to write. whenever there is something I feel strongly about or when emotions need to be vented my blog comes to the rescue.

I am not one of those who churn 20 posts a month, for me it could be just 2 posts. So struggling for content never becomes a hurdle.

10. Whats your strategy with your blog in general?

Strategy is that there is no specific strategy. I just write, post and share!

11. Any specific tips you have for newbee bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Write for yourself and not to gather comments or compliments. I have seen many people complaining that they don't get enough readers even though they write well. But thats how things happen in blogosphere, you connect and people connect back but once you stop they too will automatically stop reverting back.

12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?

content comes first, then readers, SEO and traffic come later.

13. Whats the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?

If your write-ups can motivate, bring smile on a dejected face or a thought which seeps deep down into someone's mind then you have achieved the purpose.

14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?

I have little clue on this. Blogging for money isn't my idea .reading and writing are passions and exchanging them for money would be the last thing on my mind.

15. What motivates you most in life?

A simple fact that - life will come to an end.

16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?

I don't believe in strategies as I said before. When I had started blogging I never knew I could come this long, get to know so many people and make a presence here.

17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?

Never faced any major challenges. And little hurdles come in the way of all task one does.

18. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?

For a creator each one of his creation is special. Whatever I write embodies a part of me.

Still this untitled poem http://www.sarah-malik.in/2010/11/untitled.html written during the initial months of blogging happens to be my favorite.

19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?

Firstly It was the writer friend who blog motivated me to create my own space.Then a lot of indian bloggers I read during my initial days and learned how to manage and present my posts etc.off late am unable to read blogs, blame my exhaustive schedule but whenever I visit a blog I make sure I extract good things from there and use it in my own style and way.

20. What is the story behind the name of the blog.

I decided the blog's name at an impulse. I considered it as a place for sharing and venting my emotions and so 'embodying emotions' came to my mind.

21. your connection with Indiblogger and the experience ?

I connected with indiblogger during my initial days of blogging itself and it was one of the reasons I got in touch and privilege of reading many indian bloggers.I have been participating in indiblogger contests too. Its is a great hub of and for bloggers.

22.Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?

I guess fiction. Although I have experimented least with this genre but I have observed that long stories written in series don't grab much readers.

23.Which one plugin would you suggest all bloggers to have?

The followers and the popular post widget.

24.Five adjectives that describe you.

I prefer using oxymoron’s to describe myself..the blacks and whites together :P

25.What book would you say has made the biggest impact  good or bad on you?

A lot of them. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho developed the love for reading in me.Many other books by Paulo Coelho and Orhan Pamuk have left great impression as well.

26.Do you get easily provoked by positive/negative comments ??

Not at all. Although it may sound too modest but I never give too much importance to comments.

27.Do you plan to write a book , as every bloggers dream it is ?

No, writing a book has never been my dream or plan. I believe in keeping passion and profession separate.

28.Are you a judgmental person , Do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral ?

yes, A typical aries am I :p Diplomacy isnt my cup of tea!

29. Your collaboration with other bloggers , are you much into social networking , tell us everything about it ?

Since it been only an year or two I make sure I learn from veterans. The busy schedule involving college and assignments doesn't leave much time for social networking but I still try and reply to comments and visit back the bloggers who took out time to read my write-ups. apart from this I welcome special blogging activities and initiatives by blogging individuals or groups.

30.What genre attracts you the most and which genre you avoid ?

I want to try my hand at all genres .Poetry is definitely most attractive. But writing fiction comes as a daunting task.

31.Your Views on Contests and increasing plagiarism ?

Well contests are a great way to know fellow bloggers and connect plus if you win it definitely boosts up your confidence.

Plagiarism is equivalent to theft. I really don't understand why does one need to maintain a blog if you can't come up with original ideas and write-ups.

32.Words for me and my blog?

To be honest I have read just a post or two on your blog but love your blog's title. I will be exploring it more once my exams get over.

Thank you for making me a part of your blog :)

Interview with "Direct Dil Se" Akanksha Dureja

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? your blog , and your aspirations and your hobbies !!
Answer :Well, I am a girl-next door; a software engineer by profession but my passion lies in literature. Like every blogger, I aspire to write a bestseller someday. My hobbies include sketching, experimenting in the kitchen and of course writing and reading.


2. How you first got involved in with blogging , are you an imaginative person?
Answer : It all started one hot summer night when I was super irritated. I was young, and disoriented. Writing had always been something I loved but I never took seriously. The software giant Infosys Ltd plays a vital role in the making of my blog. It is because they delayed my date of joining and irritated the hell out of me, I started Direct Dil Se, as a means to vent out. I did not even know whether I would ever come back and write a second post! My readers are the right people to ask if I am imaginative or not. But, I guess I am 

3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?
Answer :I believe life throws challenges to us, only because the one up above knows we can handle them!  I don’t have a particular genre to write about. To be precise, I write whatever excites me or irritates me. And when it is either of the two driving forces behind me, the challenges just give me a way through them.


4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?
Answer :It has been 5 and half years of existence in the blogsvillie. I have come to know so many wonderful people through blogging. It is an entirely exhilarating experience to meet faces behind the blogs and I must say I have never been disappointed. I can’t name a few people, as I have a whole circle of blogger friends, maybe coz I have spent a considerable time here.

5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?
Answer :Let’s find out who ‘someone’ is and force him to answer that question!

Rahul : Miglani : lol !! 

6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
Answer :When I am not working on the blog, I am sulking at a software development full time job!

7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
Answer :Blogging would always remain special to me. I might be busy, but my blog is a very special part of my life, which I can’t live without.  I write for some magazines as well, and it gets hectic at times, with a full time job. Blogging, article writing, books, full time writing job or whatever might be the form, but I know I would never give up writing. Never ever.

8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?
Answer :Blogging is not a business for me. It is a way of expression. I usually post my blog updates on Facebook. Reading other blogs and leaving comments is also a form of networking, maybe the old school way!

9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
Answer :As I said I write about everything that excites me or irritates me! And trust me, there is no scarcity of things/people which do!

10. Whats your strategy with your blog in general?
Answer :I don’t have a strategy. I haven’t ever thought about it really. I survived for more than 5 years without one, so I guess it is not really required.

11. Any specific tips you have for newbee bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?
Answer :Tips, well I have many!
i)Sms language is a big NO. Not even if you’re into mobile-blogging. It shows you’re not serious about the language and irritates a hell out of many people.
ii) Networking is important, but content is the most important thing. Never compromise on content.
iii) Leaving a comment without reading a post isn’t being smart. Its stupid and a blogger can make out when you do so.
I can go on and on, on this one, but I should better mind my own business: P

12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Answer :1-Content 2- Readers  3- Traffic 4-SEO

13. Whats the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?
Answer :Content is the only thing, which will bring back readers. So a blogger should give his/her readers quality content. A personal touch and a reply to every comment also matters. A real connection with the readers can make all the difference!

14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
Answer :I am completely against putting up ads on my blog. For me, it disrupts the natural flow and distracts the readers. I don’t make any money out of my blog and I don’t intend to. So, I don’t really have the answer to that question.

15. What motivates you most in life?
Answer :The knowledge that there is going to be a tomorrow, which is still in my hands, to resolve or ruin things!

16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
Answer :As I said earlier, I have never followed any strategy. I go with the flow, and most of the times, everything happens for good 

17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
Answer :There are times when work doesn’t allow me to be regular on the blog.  Not being able to manage time is a challenge in itself.

18. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
Answer :How can I play favoritism with my babies!

19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?
Answer :Naming a few would be really difficult. No, I am not trying to be politically correct here. There is a lot of inspiration I get from each and every blog I follow.

20. What is the story behind the name of the blog.
Answer :There is no story behind the name. There is a story behind the url ;-)

Rahul : Miglani : So you want another interview for getting us this answer !

21. your connection with Indiblogger and the experience ?
Answer :I have been on Indiblogger since the time it came into existence. But, for a long time I was not sure how and why should I use it. Today, I am hooked to them! I love their spirit and the meets they organize. Plus, who doesn’t like a few freebies: p

22.Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?
Answer :Fiction, I guess.

23.Which one plugin would you suggest all bloggers to have?
Answer :Follow Blog plugin.

24.Five adjectives that describe you.
Answer :Let me ask that to my readers. It would be fun to read what they answer : D

25.What book would you say has made the biggest impact  good or bad on you?
Answer :The Alchemist.

26.Do you get easily provoked by positive/negative comments ??
Answer :I have learnt it the hard way. Five years is a long time and now positive/negative comments don’t provoke me at all.

27.Do you plan to write a book , as every bloggers dream it is ?
Answer :Yes. Someday. Maybe soon, you never know ;-)

28.Are you a judgmental person , Do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral ?
Answer :If I believe in something, with all my heart I’ll always try to defend it.

29. Your collaboration with other bloggers , are you much into social networking , tell us everything about it ?
Answer :It is limited to Facebook, impromptu plans of meeting up for fun and Blogger meets.

30.What genre attracts you the most and which genre you avoid ?
Satire attracts me the most! I tend to avoid Tech Blogging.

31.Your Views on Contests and increasing plagiarism ?
Answer :Contests are okay, but should not be taken very seriously. I’ve started taking part recently only. Contests limit bloggers to a particular topic or genre, which might be both good and bad. Plus, I have seen that the posts, which promote the product/company sponsoring the contest, get special attention.  So, I don’t take them too seriously, although I participate sometimes.I hate plagiarism, truly madly deeply. If only we had a way to stop it.

32.Words for me and my blog .?
Answer :I stumbled upon Desire Vs Destiny recently, and I am glad I did! You’re doing things, the right way  I loved this concept of interviews you’re doing. It is something different and interesting. Blogging is a journey and I am sure you’ve got a long road ahead! Good Luck 

Rahul : Miglani : Thanks a lot for the wonderful answers !Guys like last season this interview is just the starting , I am roping in some surprising entries !!

Akanksha Dureja

blogs from New Delhi

The Fool's Interview

Ladies and Gentlemen , I present to you "The Fool"

The Fool

blogs from Bangalore

Lucifer House Inc

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? your blog , and your aspirations and your hobbies !!

    My blog is a potpourri of sorts – no specific niche or theme. I write almost anything there – fiction, poetry, satire, analysis of current events, philosophy, personal experiences, reviews of books, movies and blogs. Aspiration is to become a bestselling author of course. Other blogging, I try to read whenever I can pull out time. The concept of spare time does not exist in my life.

2. How you first got involved in with blogging , are you an imaginative person?

Seeing my voracious reading, lot of my friends kept suggesting I write as well. So finally one fine day I started a blog. The idea was to do analysis of nation and politics. But the blog had other ideas of its own and it is currently anything but that. Whether I am an imaginative person, reader has to read my post and tell.

3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?

Well the challenge comes when you are writing on a specific pre decided topic. But I first get ideas and then put them on bits and bytes. If I don’t have ideas, I don’t write. Simple! When I was writing on limited topics in the initial days, I was hardly having any ideas to write. But now with my expanded scope, I have no issues.

4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?

I have met lot of people in these 4 years. It will be extremely difficult to list all of them. If I randomly mention a few, I fear I might leave out a few. Don’t know if people see these things. But I do check if people are mentioning my name and don’t feel too good about being left out. And it would be dishonest to mention only the names of folks who I know will be reading your blog.

5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?

If you want to know how someone would describe my blogging style, you have to ask someone.

6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

Work, what else? Wish I could say I go adventuring on the Everest or travel the country side on a motorbike. But truth is work is what takes up a large part of our lifetime. Even finding time to blog is a luxury.

7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?

I look to be doing more guest posts on niche blogs. With the wide scope of topics I cover and limited time I have for promotions, I don’t see the blog growing great guns. So I need to gain visibility on other blogs. 5 years – hope I keep at it. 10 -15 years if you ask, I want to be bestselling author with the blog becoming a publicity vehicle to communicate with my fans.

8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?
Most of my initial traffic came from a site called pagalguy.com where I give advice to MBA aspirants. Then I made some blogger friends through Blog-a-Ton and Café Ginger Chai. Recently I have made more friends on Indi – mostly through chat and a little bit through Indivine. 

9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.

I think I answered this in the challenge question. I just randomly write whatever comes to my mind. I don’t write for the sake of writing. Ideas get formed and get themselves written through me. Maybe contest topic or prompts serve as catalyst at times.

10. Whats your strategy with your blog in general?
I mean the point is strategies never work. You need to keep changing tactics on the run. I started as a political commentator. Then I thought of focusing on humor in day to day life.  Then move to reviews, then fiction, then poetry and now thinking of travel blogging. So it is a kind of journey where you don’t know where you are heading.

11. Any specific tips you have for newbee bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

Write. Write. Write. Don’t care about anything. Write about anything and everything. Give yourself a free reign and experiment. Take a journey of self-discovery to find out where your passion lies and what you write best. All other things come later.

12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?

Obviously it is Content->Readers->TrafficàSEO. That is the only way it has to be. 

13. Whats the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?

A few moments of forgetfulness from the rigors of life and possibly a few fresh crumbs for thought.

14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?

I don’t know and never bothered to find out. For me it is just a passion. I just do it for the love of it. But yeah, one day I hope I can make a living as a writer so that I can devote more time to it.

15. What motivates you most in life?

The lure of greatness.

16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?

Visibility on Indiblogger, FB fan page, twitter synch, blogadda synch, writeup café, blogjunta

17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
NOT ANSWERED !

18. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
Favorite post is the poem ‘The Fool’ and of course the singer series (Most of them are down now as I am converting them into a novel). Least favorite ‘The Mayan series’ (They just refused to take off as I expected)

19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?

My first inspiration was a blog called ‘The compulsive confessor’. I came across her blog through an interview on rediff and somehow reading her blog inspired me to write my famous bride hunt series. Then reading 2 bloggers Karthik and Vibuthi inspired me to take up fiction writing. Leo and SIS are 2 bloggers whose enthusiasm inspired me to do prompts and keep writing more frequently.

20. What is the story behind the name of the blog.

It is a long story. There is a post on this in my blog. Here is the link.

21. your connection with Indi and the experience ?

I have been with Indi 3.5 years. But I started putting posts on Indivine only from last one year. I started contests 6 months back and I already have done a record 13 contests and 31 entries. I have started feeling more connected to Indi last 3-4 months after I became active on forums and Indi chat and making friends.

 
22.Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?

Proper fiction. I am still not sure if blog is the right platform for fiction. People don’t show a blog post the patience they show towards novels.

23.Which one plugin would you suggest all bloggers to have?

Random post widget.

24.Five adjectives that describe you.

I do not like to use adjectives for myself. I believe one should have an objective view of oneself and adjectives are very subjective.

25.What book would you say has made the biggest impact  good or bad on you?

My check book – both positive and negative depending on the bank balance at that time.

26.Do you get easily provoked by positive/negative comments ??

Very much dependent on my mood at the point I am receiving the comment.

27.Your views on erotic writers ?
Actually I do not have a view on them. Sometimes it is best not to have views on every topic in the world. Makes life much easier that way.

28.Are you a judgmental person , Do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral ?

Not really. I try not to judge people. And usually I prefer neutrality. However in my interaction with you, I may have given you reasons to believe otherwise.

29. Your collaboration with Captain for SIP , tell us everything about it ?

Well, his blog is supposed to be one place for readers to find free stories to read. We hope to rope in more writers as we go. My participation depends a lot on my work schedule and my mood swings.

30.What genre attracts you the most and which genre you avoid ?

Fiction attracts me most and tech blogging, product reviews and preachy posts are something I like to avoid.

31.Your Views on Contests and increasing plagiarism ?

Contests kind of help you hone your creativity by restricting you severely and forcing you to find ideas where there are none. Results can be a bit erratic and can be really demoralizing at times. But then everything has its pluses and minuses. Which is the case with the next issue as well – plagiarism. Copying an entire piece verbatim is bad. But copying ideas – I am not sure. Whole human civilization was built on building upon another’s ideas. If we build walls and patents and start fiercely guarding ideas, innovation will come to a standstill. That is what multinational corporates are trying to do.

32.Words for me and my blog .?

I like your enthusiasm. This interview idea was very innovative. This will bring lot of people to your blog. I liked couple of your other posts. Just follow your heart and you will go places. Specific things depend too much on taste of individuals. So I advise you not to take too much advice on that. Your heart will tell you the right things. Just see what other people do on their blogs. Bring whatever appeals to you over to your blog.

Wow , What an awesome interview , perfect finish for this season of interviews , Thanks TF for such a candid interview , it has been really great interviewing you  :) .So guys this marks the end of the interviews I have done this season , so next set of interviews may be next season.

Kinara's Interview

Hello ladies and gentlemen Today we have got a very naughty , lively girl on the Interview section , Let’s hear is what she has to say.

Kshahzworld:)

http://kshahzworld.blogspot.com/

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? your blog , and your aspirations and your hobbies !!

I am this 18 year old, lazy and totally crazy girl you'd love to know :P ,My blog : kshahzworld, talks of every random thing in our lives which we tend to neglect. Life is a short trip and my main focus is to share thoughts and feelings which make this trip beautiful or rather thoughtful, I would say. I 

am studying IT engineering right now, my hobbies mainly include sleeping (:P), reading novels, blogs and online 

business sabbaticals,listening music....I love keeping myself updated with new fanciful gadgets! (oh, do I really 

need to mention blogging in this list? It's one of my favourite hobbies :D). 

2. How you first got involved in with blogging?

Well, it was entirely by chance! After completing my board exams last year, I started blogging at a very small 

level to share what's all on my mind and honestly,due to boredom. But today, it has one of the greatest impacts in

my life. 

3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topics?

Blogging is just communicating, for me. Whenever I get that insatiable urge to communicate,to share something : I 

just type and post! My works cannot be categorized into some genre, neither do I stick to some specific genre. So  

nothing like a challenge but it's just me, rambling continously for people who care to listen :) 

I find haiku very challenging though, they are new for me and I love writing them! 

4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?

Ah I have been lucky enough to meet some really sweet people :  CD, Abhyudaya, Gopan, Ronaldo, Kirti, Deepak 

and the list goes on.. (Haha, of course you too :P ) 

5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?

Oh it's quite mysterious to find this one out ! But according to me, its something most of us can easily connect 

to.Totally random with my own tinge, is what I would prefer. 

6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?

I have classes to attend and submissions snatch most of my time. Else, when free, I watch tv, surf facebook and 

I read every blog present on my dashboard list. (Honestly, you will mostly find me lying on bed with earphones ! :D 

This is the best way to understand life, I feel. )

7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?

I see myself blogging the same way like I do now :) Just with much more focus and in a more improvised way! 

8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?

I am afraid I don't really engage myself in this field. Indiblogger is the only place where I share my posts. I am very careless when it comes to publicizing my blog. 

9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.

When I have something to say, something to communicate, I do it and I only try to find ways to do it in a more interesting way! At times, I just speak because I want to and feel blog-sick when I don't come back often. I don't think people struggle in coming up with new ideas, its just that they might be confused on giving their thoughts a proper form. If you love writing and you have a connection with words, you never get short of ideas:) 

10. Whats your strategy with your blog in general, do you plan to blog , or maybe you have some samples ?

Planning is a distant dream for me! I believe in the power of surprises (at least when it comes to blogging) And that adds beauty to it! 

11. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?

Content, content and content! Readers or page-views is just a number, which keeps fluctuating. But the satisfaction you get when you complete a long worked-upon post, its sublime. No amount of readers or comments, however high, can give you that feeling! Focus on the content and readers will follow. Needless to say, they'd keep helping you to improve with their comments. 

12. Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?

""Love what you do and do what you love"". Relish the beauty of words and do it more often. Have a reason, cherish it with passion and the rest will be history :) 

13. Whats the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?

According to me : Inspiration. 

14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people 

interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?

I am sorry, but I have no idea about this one. 

15. What book would you say has made the biggest impact good or bad on you?

Charles Dickens : Great Expectations. I remember reading this book during my eighth grade and it had a great impact on me, don't know how and why! I find Robert Jordan's "The cycle of Time" very influential too. It gave me an insight of how powerful abstract writing can be. 

16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?

Ought to be kidding me! No seriously, I am not a professional blogger. My purpose for blogging is totally different. 

17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?

None yet. I am waiting for such a milestone, that helps me improve more and more.

18. Five adjectives that describe you.

passionate,crazy,ethical, lazy, sensitive. (Looks like they contradict ! :P But, then, that's me! :) ) 

19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?

I need inspiration to keep me going. The fool, Nishant, Chintan Gupta, Leo are the few ones I keep adoring. They somehow send me positive vibes :) 

20. Ever been to another country or state that you liked better then where you currently live?

I love Mumbai ! I have spent almost my every summer vacation there and I feel, this city has its own charm which keeps attracting me! But at the end of day, it’s my hometown, Ahmadabad where I would find peace. 

21. your connection with Indi and the experience ?

It's been wonderful. I met some really nice people, learnt a lot and over all, indiblogger manages to increase the readers at a good rate. Also, the contests and forums keep up the momentum ! 

The secret to all the page-views track back to indi, thanks to indiblogger. 

22. Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?

I think humor and political analysis get that deal very often. 

23.Which one plug-in would you suggest all bloggers to have?

The rss feed and the followers widget. 

24. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why.

Lol, how do you ask a mother who's her favorite or least liked child ? :P 

25. What motivates you most in life ?

Books, music and technology. My parents and a few friends are always there to keep me going when I'm doomed. 

26.Words for me/my blog .?

I like the title of your blog VERY MUCH. It has a meaningful message and its remarkable. You get innovative ideas and I like the way you put them through. It's always fun reading your posts, though I might seldom comment. I loved your "My Daddy Strongest" post, the most ! My hearty wishes to you, keep blogging..God Bless you :) 

[ P.S : I also think you are a little funny because interviewing a weird girl like me is the last thing a blogger would do :P ] No honestly, Thanks a lot for giving me this opportunity and for this kind of exposure on your blog.  

Kinara

blogs from Ahmedabad

Tales of a Wandering Mind..The Interview

Well This Time I caught up with another blogger who Even I don’t know much about But have been following her blog since the day I discovered it couple of months back, Lets know a more about Ashwini 

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Your blog , and your aspirations and your hobbies !!
--- Well, there is not much exciting about me. After spending 10 years in IT industry now I've turned a home maker and trying to make the most out of the spare time I have got now :) My blog is a cozy corner for me where I scribe about my experiences related to travel, music and anything that touches me either positively or negatively. I'm a music fanatic. Can't live without it a single day. I also like reading, traveling, photography and for a change baking!!

She Blogs Here  and Here 

2. How you first got involved in with blogging?
--- It started as a means to share my travel experiences in USA with family back home. Later on it expanded to cover other topics.

3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topics?
--- Most of my posts are based on tourism, music and social issues. I always try to give something new and lesser known to my readers. So a little bit of research is required for each post. Authenticity of the available information needs to be checked. I think that's a challenging part. But it's fun and I'm enjoying every bit of it!!

4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?
--- I think I was very fortunate to meet some awesome people right at the beginning. These include bloggers from Indi. I learned a lot by visiting and reading their lovely blogs. Special thanks to Arti from My Yatra Diary. She was the first to give me an honest and extremely valuable feedback.

5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?
--- I like to keep it simple. I write what I feel. You can say, straight from the heart. I personally like conversational style of writing where the reader feels to be a part of writer's experience. I try to implement it in my writing.

6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
--- Apart from household work I spend my time in making travel plans, watching classic movies, reading, catching up with friends and well, thinking about the next topic to blog on!!

7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
--- Frankly speaking, I haven't seen that far. But yes, there will certainly be some more interesting stuff for my readers and some more followers for me ;) 

8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?
--- See, blogging is not a business for me... at least not now. It's more of a stress buster, a hobby. Instead of calling it networking, I would like to call it sharing. The feeling of someone reading your opinion is itself gratifying. Then there are so many exceptional bloggers. Reading their posts is not just entertaining but a learning experience too.

9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
--- Thankfully I never experienced a drought of topics as of now. So much keeps happening around us. You cannot tell what will inspire you. It can be news, a song, nature around us and even a scene on the street..... Anything can be an inspiration.

10. What’s your strategy with your blog in general , do you plan to blog , or maybe you have some samples ?
--- I don't have any specific strategy neither I plan to blog. I just pour out my thoughts as and when they come up. 

11. Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?
--- I don't think I'm mature enough as a blogger to give tips to someone!! As a friendly advice I would like to tell them to be consistent. Write honestly. Your readers are not going to "feel" the heat unless you "feel" it yourself. 

12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
--- Content are most important. Without quality content a blog is like a plain sheet of paper. My readers are a great source of encouragement and improvement. As far as SEO is concerned it is not my cup. I don't believe in deliberately using certain words to attract the search engines. I might be wrong but I find it artificial. 

13. What’s the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?
--- The quality contents. Readers are there for the contents. If you are successful in provoking a thought in your readers or inspiring them then nothing like that. 

14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
--- Sorry, but you are asking this to a wrong person. By the way, if you get the tips don't forget to pass it on to me. Who doesn't like making money: P

15. What book would you say has made the biggest impact on you?
--- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I understood how to make the most out of what you have at the moment from this book. Then there is biography of Swami Vivekanand by Swami Nikhilanand. It is a must-read book for every youngster. 

16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
--- There is no strategy as such. I occasionally share my posts in Indivine and Blogadda. 

17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
--- As I mentioned earlier, researching and verifying the authenticity of information is the challenging moment.

18. Five adjectives that describe you.
--- Individualistic, practical, sensitive, creative and stubborn. 

19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?
--- Gosh, there are so many talented bloggers. There is something to learn from everybody. If I start listing that, you will have to make another post for it :-)

20. Ever been to another country or state that you liked better then where you currently live?
--- Currently I'm in USA. But I love India with all its crowd, pollution, inflation etc. No matter how it is, it is "my" country and I'm proud of it.

21. your connection with Indi and the experience ?
--- Superb!! Indi is the best thing I have discovered. It is such a vibrant community. 

22. Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?
--- Nothing specific. People have variable interests. 

23. Which one plugin would you suggest all bloggers to have?
--- Well, I'm still figuring out the usefulness of plugins. Better you suggest me some :)

24. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why
--- It is like asking a mother which child is your favorite? My posts are like my babies and I love them all.

25. What motivates you most in life ?
--- Stories of people who made their way out of difficult situations. People who swim against currents.

26.Words for me/my blog .?
--- Well, I'm following your blog since the day I discovered it a couple of months back. It conveys what I think about it. It's really awesome. The variety in your posts, the title and the blurb around it is just cool!!! I mean it, no diplomacy involved!!!

Wow , This has been a candid Interview , You have been an awesome blogger , I wish you all the best in all your future endeavors.