My Writing Process has got all to do with photos

I was invited to join the My Writing Process tour by Linda at 2browndawgs.com

If you’ve not visited 2browndawgs before, I will say go visit.

If you’re interested to learn more about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, the brown dogs’ lives as working hunt dogs and the training they have to keep to, then you’ll find this blog rewarding.

There’s actually three of them – Storm, Thunder and Freighter – despite the URL XD. There’s lots of outdoorsy photos to inspire you to get out and have some fun. My particular favourites are always those of the brown dogs splashing into ponds and their grumpy faces when they have to have their photos taken. Hah!

Then again, you probably know of them already :D since Linda has been blogging longer than I have! And if you’re here from the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop that she hosts, than she’s certainly no stranger. You can read more about the writing process behind the 2browndawgs blog over here.

To be a part of the tour, we just need to answer three questions on our blog, so here goes:

1. What am I working on?

Most of the time I’m either working on this blog or my @weliveinaflat feed on Instagram.

The Instagram dog community
I also contribute to the @dogsofinstasg feed since I am one of the admins for the Dogs of Instagram Singapore facebook group.

We have an ongoing photo challenge that we are running to encourage members to share photos and interact. Pictured right is the latest photo theme we are running.

Work with the group does take up quite a fair amount of time since we’ve also been going to group outings. And we’ve just started planning for group meetups and parties for the upcoming months for Halloween and Christmas.

Looking for Sponsorship
I’ve had some luck finding prize sponsors for the Dogs of Instagram SG photo challenge. I should start to look for my own blog sponsors too. That has been on the backburner for a while. So if you’re reading this, and you represent a specific pet business or brand, PLEASE consider reaching out to me to discuss Blog Sponsorship! Haha! XD

Sponsors: Click here! :P

2. Why do I write what I do

The blog itself focuses on topics surrounding having a mongrel dog as a pet.

When I first started, nobody else that I know of is writing about a mongrel living in a flat
It is unclear to me how many households living in flats have adopted mongrels under the radar. Mongrels do not fall into the list of approved breeds the Housing Development Board allows.

Theoretically speaking, mongrels weighing not more than 15kg can now be adopted as apartment dogs under Project Adore. Dog rescues and shelters have of course been vocal on this topic.

I do not spend my time in animal rescue work. But perhaps blogging how we live with a Singapore Special mongrel in a flat will help build the awareness of how adaptable these types of mongrel dogs can be in small space, high density living.

There is a lack of awareness of what exactly is Positive Training among people I speak with
An adopted dog can come with it’s own set of problems. Specific to Donna’s case, she can be rather sensitive and quick to withdraw in fear. Positive training has helped a lot to build her confidence.

I hope writing on training topics will help the awareness in this area.

It is too easy to rely on dog management techniques from reality TV which may not be the best way to approach a fearful dog.

Sharing good times
The blog and Instagram has also helped us make a lot of new friends.

I used to worry about Donna not having any friends but that is no longer a problem.

I like to diary our outings with Donna’s new friends so that anyone can click back and relive the fun times we had looking at the photos.

3. How does my writing process work?

Live life. Observe. Record.
Research and learn when I have questions.
Repeat all over again.

Pictures illustrate the story more vividly than words
But when it comes to actually sitting down and writing. Having pictures helps a lot to break the monotony and drive the visual narrative.  I’ll edit the pictures, sort and organise them in the order I want them to appear for the post and then fill in the text to tell the full story. A good example will be the recent post about the Green Corridor.

Writing in greater depth to achieve better understanding of the topic
But that’s for photo posts. For something more informational like Dental scaling under general anaesthesia, oh no!, it starts with asking questions. What do I not know about dental scaling that I should know in order to make an informed choice? What are the concerns other people have about dental scaling? What are the avenues for dental scaling work? What are the different points of view from pet parents, from vets?

I’m sure dog newbies will have the same questions I had. It just takes time to do the research and have credible information that I feel comfortable with sharing to help whoever wants it to have a reference. I try to, and hope that I did provide a balanced view. And that people get what I’m trying to say because I’ve taken the time to break the content into digestible sections. I proofread over and over again, make sentences short when I can so it is easy to read and understand.

My writing process is not perfect.

I do have the awful habit of trying to scramble at the last minute, and so sometimes, I miss out a post for days that I’m supposed to post. But I do post it eventually :P

The one thing that I truly am sadly lacking in in my writing is humour. I hope I find my funny bone one day. ;)

Now I shall hand you over to the next writer on the blog tour :

Mango the Sheltie
Mango has been sharing a blog with his human, Janicia, for some time and now finally has a blog of his own! Haha! This four-year-old Shetland Sheepdog is a little shy because he has not been well-socialised in his first home. Like Donna, he is adopted the second time as an adult dog. He now lives in a flat not only with humans but also three scary cats! Expect to see lots of yummy photos on his blog! Donna cameos there now and then, lol.