BRASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

This week’s Five at Five Intro features Writer Ruth. Ruth says in her About Page of Walking Away Blog

There are already too many picture perfect people with aspirational lives, scaling impossible peaks in perfect fitness. But not here, oh no.

Five at Five Questions – Writers

• When and how did you start on your blogging journey?

I started writing as I began walking the Pilgrims’ Way, a long distance path from Winchester to Canterbury in the UK. I thought I would probably just write about the 12 stages of that walk, but I enjoyed the writing and began to blog about other walks I was doing. I am fortunate to be able to travel all over the UK and visit some very beautiful places.

• What subject do you like writing the most? (food, travel, sci-fi, poetry, short stories, mixture of topics, etc).

The structure of my posts is always the walks, but it’s usually more interesting to talk about the nature, wildlife, architecture and culture I come across, or often don’t find despite looking. I usually don’t get far and frequently get lost or distracted. I often get lost on the path or take detours to interesting places. As an example, despite blogging for almost a year, with around 70 posts, I’ve yet to finish the Pilgrims’ Way.

• Have you been influenced by other writers, if so by whom and why? If not, who is your favourite author?

I read voraciously, across a wide range. Of course I enjoy books about outdoors, writers such as Roger Deakin, Neil Ansell and John Lewis-Stempel but you’ll also find me nose deep in novels, books about neolithic cave art and horror classics. I can be influenced by anything and everything.

• How and when do you plan on writing your blog posts and what keeps you motivated (making notes, spur of the moment, etc). And do you photograph your own images for your blog posts?

I make voice notes on a phone app as I walk, a brilliant app written by my son which conserves my phone battery, and then I write up the post that evening, usually finishing in the next couple of days. I’ve also written memorable walks from memory, but I always include plenty of photographs to give a strong visual sense of the day and my mood. The photos are all my own, with very rare exceptions when I have been unable to photograph something, usually a macro shot or a bird I missed, then I’ll use a creative commons image, crediting the author. I often don’t know where I will walk the next day, sometimes working around weather or train disruption. Many decisions are taken the night before. 

• What is your favourite form of reading, fiction or non-fiction?

My favourite form of reading is non-fiction, journeys which can be external or internal, and memoirs, and of course other bloggers and writers on WordPress. You never know where the next piece of inspiration will come from, there are too many places to go.

Posts

• Lindisfarne: The Pilgrims’ Way to Holy Island
• The Ridgeway: Ivinghoe Beacon
• Orford Ness: The Butley Ferry
• Northumberland, Low Newton to Craster
• A Christmas Carol, Looking for Ebenezer Scrooge

Links

Blog:    https://walkingaway.uk
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/@walkingaway___
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@WalkingAwayUK

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Thank you, Ruth, for participating in the Five at Five Introduction Series.