I'm blogging every day. Here's a short series on the why, how, and what's of it.
- Why Blog Every Day
- How to Blog Every Day (this post)
- What to Blog Every Day
I'm blogging every day. Or trying to, anyway.
Blogging—writing, really—on a regular schedule isn't easy. There are always outside influences throwing a wrench into the best laid plans. In order to minimize these disruptions from impacting my blogging schedule I'm not only planning out my posts at least a week in advance but also writing them that far in advance as well.
Here's how I've been organizing this:
1. Add post topics to a calendar
By having my posts listed out on a calendar I have a clear picture of what gets posted when, and I know how much content I need to produce in order to stay ahead of the posting schedule. I use Yahoo Calendar because I'm still a My Yahoo user and the calendar is right there. I like that I can easily see my entries on my phone or tablet, also.
2. Use Windows Live Writer in conjunction with Dropbox
The ability to save drafts in Windows Live Writer is great. I've found that by changing the default drafts location to point to a folder I created in Dropbox that I can then have my drafts synchronized amongst multiple computers. Because I have separate laptops for personal (writing) and business (day job) use, whenever I can carve out a little time it doesn't matter which computer I have in front of me since the drafts are always there in their latest form and I can get right to work.
So how do I plan to keep this going for the long term?
That's a good question and one which I'm not entirely sure how to answer right now. Taking inspiration from those who have come before me, though, I have these tips:
1. Stay focused
Writing isn't easy. But if you treat it like a job it will get done.
2. Keep ideas flowing
Places like Alltop are a great way to see what's buzzing. Find inspiration from what others are writing about. Take notes. Save links. Keep an ongoing journal of possible topics. Whatever works.
3. Allow for some breaks
I'm taking Sundays off without question. Holidays are another time to reset and recharge. I know some writers write every day. I don't. I need some time to do other things and let my mind rest. I think with guest posts I'll let them stay front and center for more than a single day as a courtesy.
4. Maintain realistic expectations
No one's going to die if I miss a day of blogging. Neither am I going to lose any followers. Fact is, most people won't even notice given the sheer noise out there in the blogging and social media world. My goals will therefore remain realistic. Other things come up, so missing 1 or 2 days out of 365 isn't the end of the world or the end of this experiment.
5. Don't get discouraged
If I do miss a day I'm going to do my best to get back on the saddle and make it right the next day.
Next post in the series I'll talk about what I intend to blog about moving forward.
More Reading
Join my reader's group and get The Hall of Riddles (An Alchemancer Prequel) and The Assassin's Dilemma (An Assassin Without a Name Prequel) as a welcome gift.