Interview with Author/Blogger Barbara Hansen

This interview is with Barbara Hansen. We first met in 2008 on an International Food Wine & Travel Writers media trip. I’ve followed her writing and blogging since and enjoy her style and ability to see the stories behind the story.

Before she posts a recipe, she makes it herself. You can just about taste it yourself from you description.

Maralyn: Barbara, can you provide some background information on how you got started writing?

Barbara: I’ve wanted to write since before I could read. I do remember thinking about this at the age of 4. Growing up in Los Angeles has given me a wonderful multicultural background. I live surrounded by Thai Town, Koreatown, Little Bangladesh, Little Armenia, and big Latino neighborhoods.

Maralyn: What genre of writing do you focus?

Barbara: I focus on food, wine and travel.

Maralyn: Do you have any tips for writers?

Barbara: My main suggestions are that writers polish their grammar, research carefully, tighten their writing and edit themselves mercilessly.

Maralyn: When did you start writing professionally?

Barbara: I have written professionally since getting a master’s degree in journalism. I spent many years as a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, assigned to the food section. In addition, I have written occasional magazine articles, five books, publish my own blog and blog regularly for Squid Ink, which is the food blog of LA Weekly.

Maralyn: How did you decide on food?

Barbara: My mother was a fabulous cook, so talk of food was always in the house, but I didn’t get seriously interested until well after college. Then that was all I wanted to do.

Maralyn: Barbara, can you tell us about your activity blogging?

Barbara: At the beginning, I blogged three times a week. Now I have reduced that to two, because I also write for Squid Ink. Also, I need time for attending events, going to restaurants, cooking and photography. When I write a blog post, it is time-consuming, because the craft of writing is demanding. I have to log in and size all the photos, check facts, re-edit, and handle all the other tasks connected with writing and editing.  Some posts write themselves in a few minutes. Others take hours, even days.

Maralyn: Do you work on anything in particular to build readership with your blog?

Barbara: I enjoy writing, if people like to read my blog, great, but I don’t spend hours worrying about this. I heard a writer say she spent two hours a day on the Internet to publicize her work. That seems excessive.  One of my posts went viral and was picked up around the world. The downside was that other writers stole my photo and story and sent it out under their own names. As a result, I had to contact major media to ask for corrections. This unethical activity is rampant on the web.

Maralyn: Barbara, do you query before you write an article or write on speculation?

Barbara: I would always query first. I did this recently, and the query was accepted. However, I have not pursued outside work. Perhaps I should.

Maralyn: Do you attend any writers or bloggers conferences?

Barbara: No. I don’t go to any conferences. I’m sure they’re interesting, though.

Maralyn: What gives you the most satisfaction?

Barbara: The satisfaction of getting an idea and producing it.

Maralyn: What aspect do you find the most difficult?

Barbara: Nothing is difficult. It just takes a lot of time, if you try to do it right. Mostly I have too many ideas and can’t get to all of them, which is frustrating.

Maralyn: How do you go about your research?

Barbara: Check, check and check again. Still, it’s always possible to miss something.

Maralyn: Do you have any tips for other writers?

Barbara: No inside tips, just do what is honestly you, rather than copying any other idea, and work hard on your writing skills.

Maralyn: How do you promote your blog posts?

Barbara: I announce each blog post on Twitter, and then it feeds into Facebook.

Maralyn: Have you written any books and if so, what are their titles?

Barbara: I have written five books, and that is probably enough. The titles are “Cooking California Style,” “Good Bread,” “Mexican Cookery,” “Barbara Hansen’s Taste of Southeast Asia” and “Southeast Asian Cooking.”

Maralyn: Have you had any ah-ha moments?

Barbara: No ah-ha moments, just satisfaction when something that seemed elusive or complicated gets done.

Maralyn: How can our readers learn more about you?

Barbara: I’m on Facebook and Twitter (foodandwinegal), but my main calling card is my blog,http://www.tableconversation.com. I’m including a link to the latest entry, which shows how I combine food and travel.

http://www.tableconversation.com/2010/09/gaeng-hung-lay.html

I hope you all enjoyed this interview with Barbara as much as I did. She has seen the changes in the industry and survived and thrived. Barbara Hansen is a true professional. In addition to her own activities, she also serves on a couple of our IFWTWA committees.

If you would like an interview, please send me an e-mail at mdhill@noralyn.com.