Please sit, there will be questions

The thing about being Mr Dunnit's apprentice is that I get to do a lot of repetitive work.  And that suits me fine - because I feel I'm being very noble and freeing up his skill set for something more worth while.  (I know, ego, huh!).  But really, the other thing is that the repetitive stuff gives one plenty of thinking time.  And over the last week or so I've made some lists in my head, one of which I went to the trouble of creating a page for in my phone notebook. It's entitled 'blog ideas'.  And is just that.  Ideas for Blog posts.  I thought it would be amazing to write a view posts on this topic, that topic, this idea, that project.  Perhaps even schedule a few for when time is at a knicker busting premium.

Turns out it doesn't work like that for me.  Today I have spent an hour or so in front of the PC with that list.  I can't do it.  It's not spontaneous enough.  I like this one sided chat we have, and when I'm writing in advance it seems pretty contrived.  I shall practice, and probably get over it.  But meanwhile, if you read one of mine, know that it's fresh post, and therefore probably not very considered.  Sorry and all.  

How do you write yours?  Are you a discusser and a scheduler?  Do you have posts ready? If I have something I'd like to discuss, it pops into my head.  I may walk around it for a couple of days before sitting at the keyboard, but then it's all out in a splurge and I have to edit frantically.  Spelling, tenses, repetition, rubbish - oh yes, it all gets put in and largely, taken out!  

Is yours a hobby only blog?  Do you try to only blog when you have a project or technique to show and share?  I did intend Stamping Ground to be that sort of blog, but when you're a heart-on-your-sleeve-bragger, it's hard not to make it a 'life' blog.  Although there's a lot I don't blog about, of course.  Real life..we all have one, and reading about mine isn't going to improve yours. 

Having spent a teeny amount of my advanced years in a print and publish workplace, I'm aware that breaking a post up with photos doesn't hurt.  Do you keep this as a rule for your blog?  Are you not bothered?  Do you only publish photos of your own stuff/people or do you use web based stuff to 'decorate' a post?  I used to try to only use pictures relevant to the post.  Because I thought it would always be about my prolific crafting.  Turns out I was utterly wrong on all counts there!  
Do you have rules about revealing too much - using photos, showing pics of your house....?I have managed to maintain the rule that the family made about their real identities in terms of names...Dunnit is not my real name, and those that know that are generous enough not to blab, for example.  In fact, Dunnit is a seriously good nom de plume.  I used to sell my cards. I used to stamp the back with a 'Handmade by' stamp and write my name - Julia Dunnit.  Because I did do it.  And it's just about good enough to pass as a real name and my gorgeous postman thinks it's great that I have a double identity..I told him I'm a ghost writer.  He didn't believe me, he assumes I can't let go of my maiden name.  He assumes a lot about me actually.  He assumes I'm a nutter.  I can tell that from the way he laughs at my jokes.

Do you schedule any of your posts...and why? Do you have that writing in advance skill...and if you do, do you do a week's posts at a time or just the odd one? At this time of year I schedule our WOYWW posts. I write them at about 11pm on the Tuesday night. I'm being generous and schedule the post for about 2.30 in the morning; it shakes the list up a bit for our transatlantic and southern hemisphere dwelling friends.  As Spring arrives and the mornings aren't freezing and dark, I shall stop scheduling them.  It's like hibernation! 

What else do you do that I don't?  What do I do that you don't like?  Do you like to post regularly or intermittently?  Do you worry if you haven't posted for a few days?  And how do you arrive here, for example?  Do you have this blog in your reader?  Do you just pop by to see if there's a new post...do you wish bloggers generally had a routine and stuck to it for posting?  It's fascinating to me. 
Here's the biggie - take your top five favourite blogs and tell me why you visit them.  Information?  Breathtaking photography/design?  Escape?  

I excel at random photos though....

And then..what about 'celebrity' blogs...do you read some, many, none? I tend to hook into the 'names' blogs and then after about 8 months, decide I've had enough of reading about their lives, their art, their upcycling, their etsy, their whatever. Share, please, I may be missing someone really important!  
And then lastly..are you a reader or a participant?  If you can comment, do you?  Or do you just look. Not here - I'm hoping you're OK to leave any comment you like here, especially as I'm being nosey with all these questions! I mean at the famous blogs...

And for homework and due consideration: Why do you blog?  
I can't give you my definitive answer.  But 'validation' comes up a lot.  See, and there we are back at the beginning....argh, the ego!