Your Name: Jessica Lynn
Blog Name: Jessica Lynn Writes
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Family? Pets? Hobbies? Etc.
I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I couldn’t wait to spread my wings and explore the rest of the world. That chance came when I married an airman in the Air Force. We’ve lived in Georgia and Italy, and now we’re stationed in gorgeous San Diego, so we are definitely getting a taste for the world.
We have three kids under five years old (each child was born in one of the places we’ve lived), and the sweetest dog on Earth, and we travel as often as possible. When we’re not going on a road trip somewhere, we’re checking out local places to eat and things to do. I also keep busy as a Pampered Chef consultant. So not only do I love to cook, but I love helping other people cook and bring mealtime back to the family table.
Basically, we’re pretty busy, and I’m sometimes a solo-parent, but life is pretty fun, so I like to write about all of it!
Tell us about your blog. How did you start your blog and why?
Thirteen years ago I was studying abroad in England and I needed an outlet, so I started a blog. Only back then it was more like online journaling, something I had been doing on paper since I learned to write. One thing led to another and I just kept writing about anything and everything. Low and behold, more people (besides my mom) started reading it, and it started taking off.
When I married my husband I found a military spouse niche and actually made quite a few friends in real life because of my blog. People could relate to the things I was sharing, and since I have a background in journalism, sharing stories and experience is part of my nature.
Has it been a smooth road? Have you encountered struggles that you could share?
When I was pregnant with my second baby, a friend (more like an acquaintance) told me that I wouldn’t be able to keep up blogging once I had her. That irritated me, so I proved her wrong, and kept my blog up, running and thriving with two kids. Now, with three children literally under my belt, things are slower on my blog, but I still write consistently and post there as often as I can.
This job/hobby is like anything else: I love it, so I make time for it. It’s a priority, and something I enjoy doing, so I make it happen, and I know when to take breaks or slow down if I need to.
What do enjoy the most about what you write? What do you enjoy the least?
I love sharing an experience with people. Whether I’m talking about the latest octopus taco I ate, the fun adventures from our latest trip, or even about grieving and death, I know I can reach someone, somewhere. I love connecting with people through my words, and giving them a taste of real life or a place they may not be able to experience for themselves at the moment.
The great thing about being a blogger is that you can write about whatever you want. When I choose to take on a sponsored post I make certain that it’s a product/company I already know and love, or it’s something I would use and like. My readers know I’m not just going to sell out to make some money, so it’s important that I choose things that actually mean something to me.
The hardest part of blogging is all the extra stuff: adding photos to posts, blasting it on social media, etc. I have so many posts sitting as a draft just because I need to add photos to it, and I know my numbers/readership could be higher if I had more time to share my posts more, but this is all I can do for now.
Who is your target audience?
I write with the 30-something woman in mind. She’s either on the brink of having kids, or has tiny humans running around under her feet all day. She may be a stay-at-home mom or she might go to work every day, but either way she wants to hear from someone who’s in her same shoes. I like to share real-life tips and things that we actually use around our house and in our lives. I also write for the military spouse, which I’ve discovered over the years is more like a sisterhood uniting us from base to base.
What inspires you?
Everything! My life, my kids, our trips, our day-to-day mundane adventures inspire me.
What is your farewell piece of advice for someone interested in starting a blog?
Just start writing; write like you’re talking to your best friend, and write as though nobody is reading it. I think a lot of people want to have thousands of views and hundreds of followers right away, but that takes time. When you consistently write you’ll discover your voice, and your voice—your tone and writing style—is what people will draw people back to your blog.
What is your favorite Candy Bar?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the best ever!
What is your favorite Childhood Memory?
I was in middle school and on Friday both of my parents picked my brother and I up from school. They were in a rental car, which was strange, but they said their car was in the shop. We started driving the opposite direction of our house—also weird, but since it was a Friday it didn’t really phase us. Then we really started going in the wrong direction. They said we were actually going to visit our aunt who lived about two hours away. We got so excited…until they passed her exit and just kept driving. There was this buzz of excitement in the car as we tried to figure out where the heck we were going.
It turned out that we went to Colorado for the weekend to see Peter, Paul, and Mary (yeah, the folk-group trio) perform at Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver, Colorado. It’s my favorite memory not because of who we saw there, but the spontaneity of it all, and the aspect of travel. My parents didn’t stop doing the things they liked just because they had kids. They embraced us, and brought us along with them, and that’s something I’m trying to do with my own family now. There are a few other trips with a story just like this one, and each one holds a special place in my heart.
You are a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be?
Unicorn…a wild mix of all the colors. Not because I’m wild and crazy, but because I like to say that my writing is a smorgasbord collection of all the things we experience in our life.
Photos courtesy of Chrissy Walther
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