Fellow Blogger – Vic Briggs from Shards of Silence

Tonight, I am chatting with the gorgeous Vic Briggs from Shards of Silence. Vic is an artist of the written word and writes both poetry and fiction using her past entwined with her imagination as her inspiration. I first met Vic when she was guesting on OM’s blog mid last year and I have followed her beautiful words since then. Recently Vic has been writing a series on do’s and dont’s of writing with her latest entitled Out of Character? She currently writes posts subtitled “Let’s Talk Opinion” in which she offers her opinion on a variety of topic including blogging – Danger Blogging. Vic’s blog is a feast of well crafted words in whatever genre she chooses to write. I have chosen Moments of You as an example of her mesmerising poetry to share with you all.

Hi Vic. I’m so very pleased to have you here this evening. Please tell me how you came to begin blogging?

Believe it or not, I started blogging by accident. Having come across a blog I wanted to follow, I pressed a few buttons and a few minutes later discovered that – instead of signing up to receive email updates – I had in fact created a blog of my own. This is why after posting Confession on the 31^st of July 2013, no new post appeared on ShardsOfSilence for another two weeks. I remember listening to The Beatles’ “Back in the USSR” – it was late in the night and suddenly I had this need to speak up. The song had always irked me for glamorising a place that had been dominated by political un-freedom and oppression for decades, so I took to my blog to give my two cents’ worth. Once it was done, I caught the blogging bug and that was that. I became a blogger.

And the blogging landscape forever changed for having your voice with in it! 🙂 So how long have you been blogging now?

It’s been a little over five months: an adventure. Although it can be very time consuming, I’m enjoying being here with all of you, reading your thoughts on everything from relationship troubles to world events and sharing my own.

An adventure is certainly one way in which to describe blogging that’s for sure 😉 When you began your blog, did you do so with any particular theme in mind?

This is a difficult question to answer; I am after all a writer adrift. In October I dedicated several weeks to the topic of relationships. I started this project, titled Project R: Relationship Interrupted, to help a friend in need. After being abandoned by the person they believed to be the love of their life, they were struggling to cope. Guest bloggers were invited to share their insights on the topic and it was due to their generosity and frankness that my friend was able to recover and move on.

I write both fiction and poetry. Both tend to be rather dark, with one exception: all articles that feature BBC Sherlock’s lead Benedict Cumberbatch have a humorous edge. If you are in need of a good laugh, that’s the category for you. “I don’t fancy Benedict Cumberbatch: Pants on Fire” has been topping the charts for quite a while.

For fellow writers, the “Writing Tips” category may be of interest. I do my best to share everything I have learnt so far in the hope that others will avoid the beginner traps into which I had fallen when I first embarked on this journey.

My on-going Let’s Talk Opinion series engages with other bloggers on issues close to their heart. If I come across a blog post that compels me to write a detailed reply, I tend to write a full article and include it in the series.

I’ve also written pieces on politics and humour, racism and religion, as well as feminism and depression.

I certainly enjoy whatever you write and the fact that you write factually is a bonus. Many bloggers have challenges and they use blogging as a way to help them through this. Do you find this to be the case for you?

Yes, certainly. I was in a dark place for a long while, still finding my way out. Writing is my lifeline.

Another candidate for my “Writing is the Cheapest Form of Therapy” group! 😉 So how often do you get the opportunity to blog?

I post every day. It’s a good way to keep my writing muscles flexed. In the past I used to wait for the muse. Nowadays I like to think that when he grants me a visit I’d rather he found me hard at work.

I like the line about being hard at work when the muse visits. Very, very cool indeed! Where do you find the inspiration for your writing comes from?

From the things that I observe when out in the world, from other bloggers when on WordPress, from books I read or plays I see, from current events and from the deep well of my imagination. This world is an incredible place and if only we take a moment to take a look, it cannot fail to inspire.

The world indeed is an incredible place. I concur most wholeheartedly. Now to my favourite part of the interview – do you have a quote or mantra that you believe fits your life?

Carpe Diem: seize the moment would rather fit the bill. As for a favourite quote: “Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

I like Carpe Diem. It is a very fitting quote for many.
I know you are out and about in the blogosphere. Tell me, what draws you to other blogs?

Honesty. It resonates with me. Although I have to admit that I am very eclectic in my choices. I will read anything if it managed to hook me in with a good title or a catchy first line.

When it comes to writing my own posts as well to reading those of others I keep an open mind about… pretty much everything.  There is a line however: I don’t tolerate sexism, racism or homophobia. While I cherish everyone’s right to an opinion, I also reserve the right to stand up for the norms and values that I treasure most.

I guess that makes sense. You don’t need to lose the essence of yourself. Thanks so much for joining me this evening Vic. It’s been great to learn more about you. Is there anything else that you might like to share?

Be yourself. Whatever you choose to write about, it is always better to be an imperfect version of yourself than a good copy of someone else. Those who visit your blog want to find out what you have to say. Be yourself, care, and your readers will care too.

Amen to that sentiment. Thank you so much 🙂