I met my friend Mel Jones for a coffee and pastry in the fantastic Portugese bakehouse, Casa Amiga, Leith Walk. While catching up, we got talking about her very sweet blog, Everything I Wished For but also got very wrapped up in sausage pastry delight and deliciously chubby coffee! |
Mel is a blogger from Australia. She came to Scotland because she always wanted to be British. She was lucky enough to find the love of her life amongst the chilly cheeks of Edinburgh. Her adoration of Scotland shines through her romantic blog. There are plenty of personal touches to draw the reader in and her first piece completely tugged at my heartstrings and set the tone of the blog perfectly! It's refreshing the positive the way she looks at life and love and location.
Mel was the person who spurred me on and inspired me to start this very blog. Whenever I have any questions about being in the blogosphere she is the first person I ask! She has her eye on Edinburgh and what's happening, so follow her blog to see what's going on in this town we call home.
Mel was the person who spurred me on and inspired me to start this very blog. Whenever I have any questions about being in the blogosphere she is the first person I ask! She has her eye on Edinburgh and what's happening, so follow her blog to see what's going on in this town we call home.
1. It's lovely to see Scotland through the eyes of someone new. With that in mind, where are your favourite places in Scotland?
I love Edinburgh the most as it feels more like home then anywhere else I've travelled to. Everything about the city fascinates me and I love passing Edinburgh Castle everyday- I can't believe you have an ancient castle set on top of an extinct volcano and yet many locals just pass it every day and never give it a second thought!
I love Edinburgh the most as it feels more like home then anywhere else I've travelled to. Everything about the city fascinates me and I love passing Edinburgh Castle everyday- I can't believe you have an ancient castle set on top of an extinct volcano and yet many locals just pass it every day and never give it a second thought!
2. Fav spots in Edinburgh? I love walking up Calton Hill. There used to be a cat that lived on the hill and was really friendly, now there's a fox which is pretty cool. I love walking up there on a clear day and looking out over to the water and then going to the other side of the hill and seeing Arthur's Seat. There's a walk way on the hill where you can only see the mountains which I love because it feels like I'm in the Highlands. |
3. Blogging seems like a very natural fit for you. How did you get into blogging? What is it that appeals to you most?
I'd been thinking about blogging for a while but never really knew how to get started. I've always loved writing and wanted to be an author but I don't have the attention span to complete a novel so blogging seemed like a good idea. I started by reading lots of blogs and finding out what I liked to read and what I didn't. Lots of bloggers put tips up on their websites for people wanting to get in to blogging, so that was a great help.
4. I know you love reading and especially romantic, Victorian novels. What inspires you? Favourite books?
I love anything set in Victorian times- for some reason it is just a period that intrigues me. I love The Revenant of Thraxton Hall by Vaughn Entwistle, and Sherlock Holmes stories. If I hear that a book is set in Victorian times, I'm pretty much guaranteed to put in on my reading list.
That being said I also love Agatha Christie and novels set around World War Two.
I'd been thinking about blogging for a while but never really knew how to get started. I've always loved writing and wanted to be an author but I don't have the attention span to complete a novel so blogging seemed like a good idea. I started by reading lots of blogs and finding out what I liked to read and what I didn't. Lots of bloggers put tips up on their websites for people wanting to get in to blogging, so that was a great help.
4. I know you love reading and especially romantic, Victorian novels. What inspires you? Favourite books?
I love anything set in Victorian times- for some reason it is just a period that intrigues me. I love The Revenant of Thraxton Hall by Vaughn Entwistle, and Sherlock Holmes stories. If I hear that a book is set in Victorian times, I'm pretty much guaranteed to put in on my reading list.
That being said I also love Agatha Christie and novels set around World War Two.
5. If you could be any character, who would you be?
I love the character of Lucy Eyelesbarrow in Agatha Christie's novel 4.50 from Paddington. I think mostly because it was the first Agatha Christie novel I ever read and it got me hooked. Lucy was a real heroine in the novel, but she was also really capable and independent woman which I love. She was a sort of role model for me when I was younger because I thought 'here's a beautiful young woman who can do anything she puts her mind to, has men falling at her feet, but she's still got her own independence and sense of purpose'.
6. Are you working on any other writing projects?
I had a dream the other night that I think would make a good chick-lit novel. It started with a girl dressed in a bumble bee fancy dress costume sitting at a bus stop crying.... I think I might work on that.
I love the character of Lucy Eyelesbarrow in Agatha Christie's novel 4.50 from Paddington. I think mostly because it was the first Agatha Christie novel I ever read and it got me hooked. Lucy was a real heroine in the novel, but she was also really capable and independent woman which I love. She was a sort of role model for me when I was younger because I thought 'here's a beautiful young woman who can do anything she puts her mind to, has men falling at her feet, but she's still got her own independence and sense of purpose'.
6. Are you working on any other writing projects?
I had a dream the other night that I think would make a good chick-lit novel. It started with a girl dressed in a bumble bee fancy dress costume sitting at a bus stop crying.... I think I might work on that.
7. Ever fancied writing your own romance novel? I think you'd do a fab job!
I would love to write a romance novel- or any novel for that matter! I've got 2 novels half written that have been sitting in the dreaded bottom drawer for a few years, and ideas for about 3 other novels. Hopefully I'll get to finish one of them one day and see it published!
8. How did you find your Prince charming?
In the gym! He offered to do my gym program as I was a complete gym newbie- he saw me at my worst, struggling to lift tiny weights and yet he still found me attractive- I think he is a keeper!
I would love to write a romance novel- or any novel for that matter! I've got 2 novels half written that have been sitting in the dreaded bottom drawer for a few years, and ideas for about 3 other novels. Hopefully I'll get to finish one of them one day and see it published!
8. How did you find your Prince charming?
In the gym! He offered to do my gym program as I was a complete gym newbie- he saw me at my worst, struggling to lift tiny weights and yet he still found me attractive- I think he is a keeper!
9. Your family in Australia must miss you terribly but how do they like seeing Scotland through your eyes? They love Scotland! they come to visit every year and spend a few weeks travelling Scotland. They've actually been to more places in Scotland then I have in the 4 years I been here! They've sampled pretty much every sort of whisky Scotland has to offer too! 10. Aye, everyone loves a wee dram...What do you miss about Australia? If you'd asked me this 2 years ago I would have said nothing! But this year I've really missed the beaches and my family. I also miss Boost juice! |
11. Blogs are quite a big phenomenon in a digital age of instant bursts of information and gratification. Do you have a blog plan?
I do plan my blog. Usually on a Saturday night I'll sit down and write my posts for the week and then schedule them to go up on certain days. I try to put posts up Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. It was difficult the first few weeks but once I got this plan together it’s been a lot easier!
12. How do you plan a piece?
Mostly I look at any cool events happening in Edinburgh that I could go to and then write about, or any new restaurants that I've discovered. I try to include lots of images in my posts as they are what grab a reader's attention the most. Sometimes the images aren't great, but they are as good as they can be with my cheap phone!
I do plan my blog. Usually on a Saturday night I'll sit down and write my posts for the week and then schedule them to go up on certain days. I try to put posts up Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. It was difficult the first few weeks but once I got this plan together it’s been a lot easier!
12. How do you plan a piece?
Mostly I look at any cool events happening in Edinburgh that I could go to and then write about, or any new restaurants that I've discovered. I try to include lots of images in my posts as they are what grab a reader's attention the most. Sometimes the images aren't great, but they are as good as they can be with my cheap phone!
13. Do you find yourself thinking about what you can blog everywhere you go now? And taking pictures of the most random things? Yes! everything is a potential blog post! but I think its worked well as I pay more attention to things now as its good to know what's happening in Edinburgh. I take heaps of pictures around town now and see beauty or an interest in things that before I would have just passed by. |
14. I think everything could be digital in future. Downloaded straight to the brain! Any idea how you think Blogs will evolve over the years? I'm still learning things about blogging every day. I think for most new bloggers its a trial by error business. I think that in the future people will rely on bloggers a lot more for up to date information on subjects rather then waiting for a bit corporation of traditional media to tell them what they should think. |
15. Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
Hopefully being a full time author/ blogger. When I first moved to Edinburgh I read a quote somewhere that said every second person in Edinburgh wants to be a writer- so its going to be tough competition! But it's what I've always been passionate about and interested in so I don't think I could forgive myself if I didn't give it a go at some point.
Hopefully being a full time author/ blogger. When I first moved to Edinburgh I read a quote somewhere that said every second person in Edinburgh wants to be a writer- so its going to be tough competition! But it's what I've always been passionate about and interested in so I don't think I could forgive myself if I didn't give it a go at some point.
16. Any tips for budding bloggers?
I know it sounds pretty obvious, but read blogs! I learnt a lot about style and content just from seeing what I liked or didn't like about other blogs. I also discovered a lot of blogging networks that I could join for advice or blogging opportunities through reading other blogs.
I know it sounds pretty obvious, but read blogs! I learnt a lot about style and content just from seeing what I liked or didn't like about other blogs. I also discovered a lot of blogging networks that I could join for advice or blogging opportunities through reading other blogs.
17. And finally - favourite cup of chubby bean coffee?
I've developed a coffee addiction since moving to Edinburgh! My favourite is my usual Sunday morning coffee (flat white) at Southern Cross cafe with my boyfriend.
Check out the beautifully made cup of chubby bean coffee, from Southern Cross. It looks almost too good to drink. Almost....
I've developed a coffee addiction since moving to Edinburgh! My favourite is my usual Sunday morning coffee (flat white) at Southern Cross cafe with my boyfriend.
Check out the beautifully made cup of chubby bean coffee, from Southern Cross. It looks almost too good to drink. Almost....
Catch up with what Mel is up to in her fantastic blog, Everything I Wished For or on Twitter. |