Reality on Bravo

Reality on Bravo is proud to present Inside the Blogger’s Studio–a spin on Inside the Actor’s Studio, specifically for bloggers. Here, we’ll talk about the journey each blogger has taken to get where they are today, hopefully to inspire others to blog their hearts out.

Today’s guest teaches food history and other historical topics. She’s a PhD and a published author. Her blog, www.foodpast.com, has inspired foodies around the world. Welcome, Gillian Polack.

RoB: How did you get into blogging in the beginning?

Gillian: People kept dropping hints that they wanted to see more of my writing. I started my livejournal blog in response, and discovered I enjoy blogging and blogpeople.

What other blogging experiences have you had?

I’ve done occasional posts for other people. But mostly my other blogging experience is my other blog (my personal/writing/teaching blog - http://gillpolack.livejournal.com)

Have you had any negative experiences blogging? How has that helped you grow?

I’ve seen blogwars and trolls. Not so far on my blogs (touch wood) but there’s an always a chance that something you say will spark a furore. I’ve learned to take a deep breath and read what people mean to say and not take much notice of the insults and bad language.

What projects do you have planned for blog in the future?

I plan to blog the Conflux (Canberra Science Fiction Convention) Banquet, which will be just chockers with historical food. I’m thinking of interviewing key industry figures. Also, recently I discovered that some SCAers keep an eye on my blog, so I plan to have a few more Medieval things
in it for them. This latter is the easiest of the three, since I am primarily a Medievalist, though my blog helps me grow and branch out.

What are some of your favorite posts from the past?

The ones where I lose my temper and get all emotional. Death
and food poisoning and women and wine , for instance. Or the ones where I get to tell anecdotes and bring history to life eg my Jewish butcher story.

And now, here are the 10 questions compiled by Bernard Pivot, made famous by James Lipton, and modified for the blogging world

1. What is your favorite word?

Right now, it’s “colonial.” It changes every other second. Since I typed that first sentence it changed to “substrait.”

2. What is your least favorite word?

I honestly don’t think I have one. Unless it’s me thinking “stupid” at myself?

3. What kinds of readers turn you on?

Enthusiastic readers. Thinking readers with stories and ideas of own.

4. What kinds of readers turn you off?

People who just want a forum to express hate and distrust.

5. What is your favorite curse word?

‘Drabbit’. This is because I can be as offensive as I need to be in my mind, while causing five year olds to laugh. I stole it from Joan Aiken’s books.

6. What blogging responsibility do you love?

Writing.

7. What blogging responsibility do you hate?

Writing when I’m completely drained.

9. What blog subject other than your own would you like to write about?

“Other than my own” means other than history, women, fiction, food, life, cultures. I’m not sure there’s much left. I rather suspect I like writing about most things: I especially like writing about writing.

9. What blog subject would you not like to write about?

Anything that makes people angry - I have a low tolerance of anger.

10. If the leader in your field was to read your blog, what would like to hear him/her say?

“I enjoyed that and it made me think.” (TO be honest, I would *love* it if someone said “You are a genius,” but I’m realistic in my dreams.)

What advice would you give to someone interested in blogging?

Make sure you have a rich enough life (can be inner life or can be outer life or can be life based on google alerts - any sort of life will do, as long as it’s rich) so you have enough material to blog about for at least two years. If you don’t, then when things go wrong in your daily existence and you can’t spend the time on your blog, your readers will be disappointed.

Thanks, Gillian!