5 Minutes with Megan and Charade

When I was in school, there were two people I could count on for advice – my mother and my best friend. It was not that I couldn’t count on other people but these two people knew how best to advise me whether it was on a Geography assignment or a major fashion crisis. All these remind me of Charade, the blog of a creative writer named Megan. Charade would be THE friend you can count on whether you’re in high school, college or about to join the working world. Charade covers just about everything from food and health advice to travel tips. Let’s have a 5 minute break with Megan from Charade.

Tell us a bit about yourself and Charade

Well, I’m a creative writing student living in Bristol in the UK. I’ve always written ever since I can remember. It started with simple lyrics and stories; then went through a stage of angst-ridden poetry, and has settled into a pattern of online journalism and part-time novel writing. Charade is my blog, where I attempt to enthuse and inspire mostly female audience of stylish yet budget conscious students with tales of surviving successfully.

Is your love for writing that made you start Charade?

Yes, writing’s no fun if you are your only audience. I wanted a way to ‘get my writing out there’ and blogging seemed the quickest and most instantly satisfying option. It’s such a confidence boost to have even a very small following supporting you.

What things influence you to write?

On Charade, I’m influenced mainly by my own needs as a reader. I like to think of  the blog as something I’d love to come across if I were surfing the web, and make it an aim to answer questions that have always nagged me through research. In terms of my fiction, I’m also inspired mainly by my own life and experience. I think building on what you know and being as authentic as possible is the key to great writing.

What is your favorite thing you’ve written?

That’s a tough one but I’d have to say The Dream Style Series just because it got so much positive feedback and attracted so many new readers, whilst being enormously inspiring to me as a subject.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?

I honestly don’t know! I just started blogging one day and never stopped. I have slow months but I just enjoy doing it so much and am so thrilled by all the little intricacies and opportunities I’ve come across that I never get bored. You have to love writing or whatever you’re doing, and then motivation takes care of itself.

Do you think being a student of creative writing helps a lot with having your own website?

Definitely, if I look back on some of my early articles, I can see a clear difference against the standard of my current writing. The study of creative writing is something people are often dubious about, and people regularly ask me how you can be taught something creative. I think writing is a craft and a skill as much as any other, and there really is so much I know now that didn’t even cross my mind before I started my studies.

Lastly, what is your future plan for Charade?

I’m actually just about to release an Annual (a real-life book!) of the best of my articles from the first year of the blog. It’s a really exciting venture and I’ve already seen a lot of positive feedback just from the initial announcement. Beyond that I just hope to stay on the path I’ve already forged and keep learning!