I’ve been invited to take part in the Karmen Lizzul Blog Tour by the lovely Sarah Keetley from Mischievious Mum. Sarah lives on the Sunshine Coast with her hubby and four children, who feature occasionally in her blog. She’s delightful and approachable and is a hub for the Sunshine Coast bloggers, encouraging interaction and the exchanging of ideas, like the best spots to all catch up over coffee.

The meat of this blog tour is basically where we bloggers answer four simple questions then pass the torch to three bloggers we’d like to introduce everyone to.

Q1. What am I working on?

Staying out of trouble. Specifically with my wife.

I’ve noticed everyone who writes a blog seems to have a book or two they’re working on. I’m no different. Mine are young adult fiction, including one called Great Scott about a couple of kids in a country town full of oddballs and freaks who want to use their bizarre talents (one has the ability to die at will and the other boy has women’s intuition) to be comic-book-like heroes. Writing wise, I play with my stories occasionally, but mainly I just write on my blog every day or so. I imagine I’ll self publish one day, but I’m in no hurry.

And as far as my blog is concerned it’s about as simple as you can get. I don’t get to plan ahead, I just wait for stuff to happen and then write it up. 

Q2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I think the ratio of mummy to daddy bloggers puts me in the minority. Most family bloggers are women. I also think I probably air a bit more dirty laundry than some other bloggers, in that I’m not out to portray us as a perfect example of raising kids. Sometimes my wife, Tracey, says she’d really like me to try this other approach occasionally.

But I don’t think the world needs more examples of perfect parents raising perfect kids because to be quite frank they just make me feel inadequate. I like to think what people get from my writing is a giggle and a sense that if they love their kids and raise them with the best of intentions then they’re doing just fine.

Parenting is wonderful, sure, but it’s also tiring, frustrating, unrewarding and generally crap. Sometimes literally.

In my own life I like to find the fun in things, even when they’re not going well. That’s what I tend to write about. And with my great, big, wonderful family I get a lot to write about.

I suppose I could be less self deprecating in my posts and tell everyone all the good stuff I do – but who’s going to want to read about that? So I’m playing chicken with the useless dag husband stereotype. I say if the shoe fits…

Q3. Why do I write what I do?

I’m forty-seven years old and I have seven children. I can barely remember their names, let alone who did what.  I write my blog as a way to keep track of all the funny shit they do. But also because it gives me a great excuse for sitting on my laptop and drinking beer. And by ‘also’ I mean ‘mainly’.

But the main reason I started writing was because life was getting me down. I work in a bank and while the people are nice, it’s boring as a rice sandwich, so I do this to amuse myself. I started with some stories for my own enjoyment and when a friend suggested I blog I jumped at the chance.

 Q4. How does my writing process work?

Panic is the major driving force behind my writing. Everything I do actually. Typically, I’ll sit down at my laptop with a beer and, after catching up on Facebook, think the following:

I should post! I have nothing! I won’t post! But I should! Shit! Shit! Shit! 

Then I call out to my wife, “Tracey! Did anything funny happen today? Please tell me something funny happened.”

She usually tells me to stop yelling, because she’s only two meters away on her own computer, before making some sort of recommendation.

This is basically my creative process at work. I’m amazed how often Tracey and I can see the same thing and yet she’s the one who says, “There’s your blog.”

And now here are my three recommended reads. 

Two Point Five Kids

A personal blog with often humorous stories about the trials and tribulations of marriage to a domestically challenged albeit gorgeous country copper and raising two darling and cheeky kidlets in rural Western Australia. Lisa rocks!

Evil Genius Mum

Queen of the Geeks. Empress of whoever is left. Her plan is to conquer the world with dry wit and nerdy curiousity, and then hand it down to her spawnlings…after she’s finished playing with it.

Dad Down Under

“Who is this guy who thinks he can talk brazenly about his feelings, men don’t do that. Furthermore he expects us to share our feelings, very unmanly if you ask me. My name is Matt and I’m a stay at home dad. I live in Melbourne with Mrs Under and The Boy.” If that doesn’t get you in I don’t know what will.

Also, a bonus fourth and fifth blog recommendation at no extra charge.

The Uneducated Opinion

This guy is hilarious. I laugh out loud in every post I read. Steven cracks me up so much I save him for days I’m in need of a pick me up. He doesn’t even know I’ve recommended him yet because I have no idea how to contact him, but I couldn’t leave him out.

Awesomely Unprepared

I love everything about Kez’s blog, not least the title, which I’ve coveted ever since I first saw it. In her own words, “I am eternally “awesomely unprepared” for what life throws at me and this blog is all about that stuff. I figure if I’m always going to feel unprepared, I may as well be awesome at it.” I’m also still waiting for Kez to tell me she wants in on this blog tour thing, otherwise she’d have been above the line for sure.

🙂 if you enjoyed this post please share, like or comment 🙂

“Raising a family on little more than laughs.”