Summertime Publishing
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Authors
    • Publish with Us
    • Contact Us
  • Services and Fees
    • Publishing Programmes
    • Selected Services
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Our Bookshelf
    • Summertime Direct
    • Summertime Shop
    • Springtime Shop
  • For Writers
    • Jo Parfitt, Mentor
    • author2author
    • Paddy Hartnett, Proofreader
    • Writing Retreats
    • Free Resources for Writers
    • From Pipedream to Proposal
    • e-Learning
  • Blog

Summertime
​News

Seasoned Expat Writer MaDonna blogs with a purpose

22/1/2014

Comments

 
MaDonna Maurer is an American, married to a German and living in Asia. She blogs with purpose and runs several, each with a specific focus. She has recently joined our reviewing team and her review of Apple Gidley’s Expat Life Slice by Slice can be found on her RaisingTCKs blog as can Paula Lucas’ Harvesting Stones. Here she shares what motivated her to start and run quite so many. Be inspired.
Picture
I believe it is safe to say that my writing has evolved. I can remember my first journal in elementary school, the ones with the gold plated heart-shaped lock that came with a tiny key.What in the world does a third graders need to keep a secret? From that early time I figured out that writing helped me process. Journaling was how I coped with high school and college. Then in my early twenties, I moved to China. Of course, I took a journal – actually I think I took a few in fear there would be no paper. Oh, how little did I know back then. Those first journal entries were full of excitement, some culture shock, and even my fears. During my years there, I realized I had a passion for writing – but I wasn’t sure what I should do with it. That was about the time I first heard the word “blog”.

In my mind a blog was an online newsletter, a place to keep up with friends and family. I tried it, but I just wasn’t comfortable with the format and the lack of privacy. I felt torn with what I could/should share with the World Wide Web.  It wasn’t until a couple of years later, while taking an online writing course that I began to understand what a blog could be used for. At first I just read blogs from other writers in hopes to gain more advice on the craft of writing. Then I re-opened my blog-site and renamed it, Random Writings. I started blogging about my own writing journey, homeschooling my daughter with special needs, and whatever other “random” idea I had. All of this was okay, but it just seemed aimless to me. I felt I needed a focus.

About two years ago the “light” came on. Two pieces of advice that I seemed to always run across was 1) write what you know and 2)sit down and write. I know about raising kids overseas; I know about raising kids with special needs overseas; and I know about raising adopted kidsoverseas. Thus, raisingTCKs.com was birthed – so to speak. I wanted to help and encourage other families that were thinking about moving overseas with their children. I wanted to connect with and learn from others who are in the midst of raising their own kids overseas.

I still don’t have it all figured out – parenting or writing – but I’ve learned it’s a process. I do believe that whatever I write – whether blog posts, book reviews, articles, or books – that I’ll bring some sort of expat angle to the project. It’s what I know. It’s what I’ve come to love. I guess I’m taking that writing advice to heart – now to practice that other piece of advice to “sit down and write.”

Comments
    Picture
    All the latest news from the team at Summertime Publishing
    Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay or your consumer rights.

    Archives

    December 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    July 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    September 2008
    May 2008

Summertime Publishing

Picture
Website by author2author | © Summertime Publishing 2025. All Rights Reserved
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Authors
    • Publish with Us
    • Contact Us
  • Services and Fees
    • Publishing Programmes
    • Selected Services
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Our Bookshelf
    • Summertime Direct
    • Summertime Shop
    • Springtime Shop
  • For Writers
    • Jo Parfitt, Mentor
    • author2author
    • Paddy Hartnett, Proofreader
    • Writing Retreats
    • Free Resources for Writers
    • From Pipedream to Proposal
    • e-Learning
  • Blog