Moms Who Blog : Featuring Janani Viswanathan
Hello and welcome to Mom Blogger October on the Times of Amma. As regular readers know, the Times Of Amma community is all about inspiring Moms and building them up as they work on being themselves and Mothers. And so, this month is dedicated to featuring Moms who are working on being themselves and mothers, while expressing themselves through their blogs. Today we feature Janani Viswanathan who blogs on twins in the womb, twins in NICU and Parenting Twins. Janani graduated as an Electrical Engineer and worked as a Software Professional with Cognizant Technology Solutions for 8 years. After marrying the love of her life and welcoming their twin boys, she was totally engrossed in Parenting and nurturing her family. So she happily gave up her software career and took over home management as a SAHM. She is currently exploring the new dimension of her life as a blogger at Twins and Me.
What was it that prompted you to become a blogger?
To be genuine, I never thought I would be a blogger at any point of my life. The idea has never crossed me. My world was always around Java, projects, deadlines and delivery. The writer in me has at times popped out as a hobby writing poems , writing daily diary, writing long emails to friends and writing detailed business documents at work. But none of these were meant to be serious writing.
The zeal for writing and love for words was somewhere hidden deep in my soul. Being a Software Professional and later a Stay at Home Mom of twins, I never had the luxury of time to think about my passion. But one fine day when I was surfing through the internet to find some information related to my twins, the idea boomed. Why not start a blog to support the Twin Mom community in their journey of raising twins? And it worked with some serious effort and hard work. Now here I am exploring the blogging world as an amateur and registering my budding thoughts at Twins and Me.
Which has been your most memorable post to date and why?
Being new to the blogging world, so far I have written only very few posts. So each post holds a special place in my heart and has its own back story. But the one which I feel to be extra special is Survival guide for a NICU Parent.
My twins were in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for nearly a month and I know how much mental trauma it can cause to the parents. But during our time, we didn't have the prior knowledge about NICU and how our life will be there. So I wanted to write something which will aid the parents in coping with the NICU journey and it came out well, as I wanted it to be. Though I am not sure whether it reached the right set and good number of audience, but still I got some memorable appreciations for sharing the knowledge about NICU Parent life in detail.
What has the most memorable comment on your blog been so far?
Again I have only a small handful of comments in my blog in this 4 months time. So the most memorable comment will be the First comment in my blog for which I was eagerly waiting for quite some time!
Have you ever been trolled? How did you handle it?
I have not reached the big audience yet. So I have not been trolled much. But I received a feedback in social media where the person was against few of my points in a post. I was seriously embarrassed and was not sure how to respond. Should I be justifying my points or should I be accepting their view? Later I just ended the chat with a 'Thanks for the comment' note. This side of blogging is still a night mare to me and I am learning to keep my composure and respond with empathy in future.
Have you ever started to write a post and then abandoned it? Why?
Yes, sometimes during my initial few days. It was simply because I was not sure whether I was choosing the right topic or I didn't find much detail to convey on that topic. But now I have slowly crossed that stage and feeling pretty clear about what and how should I write.
Do you stick to a regular posting schedule or do you post whenever inspiration strikes? Do you have a writing routine?
That is something I am struggling to cope with. I don't have a writing routine yet. Inspiration strikes me often but getting it down to work has many hurdles as I have twin toddlers at home. My writing routine always depends on my twins routine.
The Mommy in me often overrules the Writer in me. Hope I will be able to define a writing schedule soon by balancing my blogging life with Mom life.
Do you find it hard to get your voice heard in the crowded blogosphere?
Definitely! I almost see myself drown in the ocean of blogosphere. But I believe it's totally temporary as my blog has just started. I think by adapting the right techniques and continuously delivering good content, I can hold a place for me in this blogging world.
Many say that blogging is dead thanks to other micro-blogging avenues like Twitter, Snapchat and others. As the owner of a traditional blog, how would you respond to that?
I don't think blogging is dead. Micro blogging sites might seem to be fascinating. But still there are people who like to read good, valuable content in detail. And this inspires and generates many new bloggers everyday like me.
Do you see your blog as a stepping stone to something else? Do you see yourself wearing the tag of 'blogger' five years down the line?
Sure. I find my career as a blogger to be very promising. I think my blog could open new spheres in my life as a Mompreneur.
What tips do you have for other Indian Mom bloggers?
I am still a student in the blogging world. I am learning new things everyday. So I don't have much tips. But with my 4 month experience I can say the following.
Spot what you love and master in, Spin your mind wheel, Pen down your cognisance, Publish, Share, Interact & Learn more.
Through blogging you can learn something new everyday. You can follow Janani's blog here:
If you are an Indian Mom who blogs, get in touch with us here or via the Times Of Amma Facebook page, to be listed on the Times Of Amma Indian Mom Blogger Database - 2016.
You can also follow us on Instagram.
