I want to thank everyone for all the positive feedback on the last interview and for supporting the blogger I interviewed that truly means a lot. I have also gotten so many interview requests which is so awesome but it is a little time consuming so if you have emailed me about an interview and I haven’t gotten back to you yet please give me a few days and you should receive a reply soon.
I hope you enjoy this interview with Ian– it was a great experience interviewing him since his blog is one of my favourite blogs to read!
1. Thanks so much for agreeing to be a part of this interview! Please tell us a little about your blog, what it’s about and why you decided to start blogging.
I was living in a basement, working a backbreaking blue-collar job and not doing anything creative whatsoever. One evening I was like, “I’m gonna do something.” so I wrote an absolutely ridiculous recipe for Mayonnaise Cookies and posted it on my blog. I got a few likes on that post, so I decided to keep going and write more ridiculous stuff. I’ve always been a creative person, but what’s really held me back is the fact that I haven’t always been disciplined about my creativity. Through blogging I have created a structure of discipline for myself. I think of myself as having two separate jobs, one job is being the creative mind that comes up with content, the other is serving as the publisher that publishes that content. I post every day, currently at 8:30 PM Central Standard Time, the creative side of me doesn’t always want to have something ready at that point in time, but the publisher is like “we’ve got a deadline, buddy. Get off your ass and write me something!”
2. Your blog name “Dumbestblogger” is very interesting and definitely unique- what made you decide to pick that name?
Back when I first started my blog I didn’t know very much about blogging. I knew a couple people who had blogs, but they were mostly really terrible and written by people who took themselves way too seriously. I didn’t want to take myself too seriously, so I chose an unserious name. I like the fact that by using that name I set the bar really low for myself. I get comments all the time that are like “this actually isn’t the dumbest thing I’ve ever read,” and I’m like “cool.” I love surpassing expectations.
3. When did you create your blog and in what ways has it changed since you created it if it has changed?
I wrote my first post on January 8th, 2014. I’ve dinked around with it on and off ever since, but I’ve only been disciplined about it in the last year. In 2018 I didn’t publish anything, and had a grand total of three views for the entire year. It turns out that if you don’t write anything very few people will read it. Now that I post regularly I have a pretty steady group of committed readers, and that’s something that’s really satisfying.
4. The short stories you post on your blog are very amusing and witty but I’m sure it can be difficult to come up with such stories on a regular basis. Do you ever experience writers block and what are some of the ways you use to fight writer’s block?
One of the most popular posts I wrote last year was about my writer’s block. It measures approximately 8″x4″x5½”. It is uncured red oak which was milled with a band saw blade. But no, in all seriousness I never worry about writer’s block. I think this is another advantage of setting the bar low. There’s always something to write about, even if it isn’t particularly good.
5. What inspires you to write?
I’m not sure what the line is between inspiration and perspiration, but I know that I’m a very public writer compared to some. It’s hard for me to write something that no one else is going to see, I crave the adulation of the masses.
6. Which is your favourite post on your blog so far?
There are several that I like for personal reasons, or that were really fun to write, but the one that I think is objectively the best is a short story called “Shooter And The Kid.” It’s based on an Ancient Greek Play.
7. Who are some of your favourite authors who have influenced your writing and writing style?
Probably the most influential in terms of my blog has been Bruce Goodman, who wrote over 2000 flash fiction stories on his blog. When I found his stories it struck me that he was doing something similar to what I wanted to be doing with my blog, so I paid a lot of attention to what he was doing, and was certainly influenced by it. I’m a big fan of Rod Serling, Harold Pinter, G.K. Chesterton, Louis L’Amour and The Onion. Recently I’ve been getting into Agatha Christie, and I also learned that Mindy Kaling wrote the monologue from “The Office” about Michael Scott getting his foot caught in a George Foreman grill, so she’s definitely in the top ten. Homer is really good, and knows how to tell a great story. What you should take away from this list is that I have no sense of taste whatsoever.
8. What is your favourite movie and why?
If I had to pick only one movie to watch for the rest of my life it would probably be “Raising Arizona.” It’s funny, but also serious, and the ending is so weird. I love it. But I would be really bummed out about not being able to watch “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Good Burger,” and “No Country For Old Men.”
9. What is your favourite food?
A medium rare rib-eye with mashed potatoes.
10. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
Cats are cute, but to me they always seem like they’re operating in their own little world. I feel like I understand dogs, and that they understand me. I like dogs.
11. If you could do anything you wanted for a day with no consequences what would you do?
Probably take a spaceship and fly as far out into space as I could.
12. Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?
Fly.
13. Who is your favourite superhero?
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Batman!
14. If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive who would it be?
I’d like to meet Harry Truman. I think we would have had a lot in common as midwestern farm boys who believe in hard work, honesty and responsibility. I’ve always felt a bit of a connection with him. I think he would also like steak and mashed potatoes.
If you enjoyed this interview and be sure to stop by and check out Ian’s blog by clicking here.
If you would like to be interviewed please send me your name (optional), the name of your blog and a link to your blog via email to insomniacwithanaccent@gmail.com
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