Join the blog parade: Why I write what I write, and what I didn’t see coming

Deutsche Version? Hier lang.

My first paid writing job was a report about sedimentation in the North Sea. The trips to Sylt were great, of course. But the writing? I was sweating bullets, just like during my high school exams. It was both terrible and incredible at the same time. That’s when I knew I wanted to write professionally. But please, not about sedimentation.

Since then, writing has been part of my career. It started sporadically, often as a side gig, sometimes even unpaid. Today, I’m a UX Writer and make German digital products easy to use.

My questions for you are: How did you get into writing? What type of writing do you specialise in – and why?

The blog challenge #TextDaRoundup is an open invitation to you to share your story. Maybe you’re a…

🧡 Translator
🧡 Author of (non-fiction) books
🧡 Blogger for your business
🧡 Speechwriter
🧡 Songwriter
🧡 Poet
🧡 Storyteller
🧡 Copywriter
🧡 Localization expert
🧡 UX Writer

…or you write in an entirely different setting? 

Let’s share ideas and experiences. Not just from a strategic or competitive perspective, but also to get to know each other better as colleagues and provide insight into our fields of expertise. As a source of ideas for others and for those who might be looking for a new direction and want to explore the diversity of the profession.

Are you in?

What’s a blog parade?

A blog parade is a collaborative writing roundup. The host provides a topic and a timeframe, and anyone can write about it on their blog.

At the end, there’s a neat collection of diverse perspectives on a common topic. What may sound trivial can actually give your blog a real boost: You’ll draw attention and can attract new readers who’ll learn more about you and the services you provide.

I’m inviting you to join my blog parade. The topic is: “Why I write what I write, and what I didn’t see coming”.

How to join

I started this initiative a few days ago on my German UX blog, which is also where I’ll be gathering and linking all the contributions (both German and English). From what I hear, several folks have already started writing. Here’s how to go about joining in.

✅ Write
Write a blog post about the topic. Share your personal experiences, insights, or anecdotes. You’re welcome to use the guiding questions (see next section). Name the blog post as you wish, just make sure the content aligns with the topic in some way.

✅ Link
In your introduction, link back to the German announcement post, not this one (here’s the link: https://ingebateman.de/blogparade-schreiben/).

✅ Comment
Then, comment under my German post with a few words and the link to your blog post. This way, we can collect all the articles in one place. To avoid confusion, I’ve deactivated comments here.

✅ (German!) Hashtag #WasWarumSchreiben
Use the hashtag #WasWarumSchreiben for social media posts, this is the main one. I’ll also be using #BlogParade.

✅ Network
If you share your post on LinkedIn, feel free to tag me and mention the blog parade. I’d love to connect!

The blog parade ends on Sunday, June 22, 2025. If you’d like to join, write your post and drop the link in the comments section of my German post.

You don‘t have a blog? You’re welcome to write a contribution and share it directly in the comments section.

A few writing prompts

There’s no right or wrong way to write your blog post. You decide how much you want to share, or not. Here are some questions you can ponder. They’re optional, just ideas to get started. Please don’t hesitate to expand on them as you write.

• Have you always enjoyed writing, or was that different in the past?
• What was your first paid writing job? How did you get started as a professional writer?
• Were there any aha moments or obstacles along the way?
• What type of writing do you do today? And why? Has your focus shifted over time?
• What kind of writing do you avoid?
• Do you use AI? If so, where is it helpful, and where not?
• Do you write for yourself? If so, what do you write, and with which pen?

Bonus:
You’re more than welcome to share a funny anecdote from your writing day or a quirky experience – a project that went off the rails, a bizarre misunderstanding, or a text that landed differently than expected.

Whether it’s a story, a list, a short anecdote, or even a little poem – everything is welcome in the #WasWarumSchreiben blog parade. I look forward to hearing your story!

Share your link in the comments section at the bottom of the German blog post.
It’s called “Kommentare”.
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