Blog Method
I know I hinted that I'd be liveblogging round two of our orgampage this weekend. Sorry to disappoint. Boo hooing will not be tolerated.
For this second Saturday of GoBloMeMoFo NaBloPoMo, I'd like to talk about how you blog.
I'm posting about posting.
I'm curious about your method for coming up with a post topic, writing a post, posting a post, editing a post, deleting a post, and coming up with a post title. Post, post, post. There.
In the beginning of my illustrious blogging career, I used to dream about topics. Then I'd wake up and think about topics all day long. Now I just come up with a topic whenever the mood strikes. Usually it's based on something funny or interesting (to me) that happened, I do think about situations in terms of their blogability factor. (This highly irritates Tate.)
I usually write my posts the day before I plan to publish. Occasionally, I'll write a post as soon as I get up, but I prefer not to do that since I'll obsess all night long about what I'm going to write. I've found that if I don't publish a post right away, I'll start over-editing it, questioning everything I've written and then I'll just eventually delete the post. Currently I have about five or six post ideas in draft, ready for next week.
I have no method for coming up with my titles. I just think of a title. That's it.
Since I thrive on order and schedules, I like to post in the morning and typically only once per day. Sometimes I'll post twice if I just can't help myself. It's like a compulsion, but I feel like I must post every Monday through Friday. After NaBloPoMo, I may *gasp* skip a few days of blogging, though. I may need to go on a blog diet in December after overposting in November.
So tell me about your blogging methods. Commenters, take your mark. Get set. Go.
42 People are even more brilliant:
I have only two posts that I drafted any length of time before posting - they were my very first one, and the Letter to Heather. Both were complicated and I wanted them to come across right.
All my other posts are rambled off as I think of them - mostly first thing in the morning. I've found that being up before my kids, cup of coffee at the computer is when I can enjoy peace and quiet.
My posts tend to be pretty conversational, and I'm not after any great writing accolades or anything - but it works for me.
Method? There's supposed to be a method?
I post the day of, usually...Unless I have a plan to say something in particular...which is usually never...
I can't think that far ahead.
Wow, you make me feel like such a slacker. I come to blogging from online journaling, and while I try to keep my blog posts a little more editorial and a little less - journaley, I have maintained quite a few habits.
For one thing, I think of something to post and I do it, for the most part. I edit as I go along, and publish when I'm finished. Then I read through it a time or two, usually editing as I go. I'm horrible with titles, always have been.
I wanted to write this blog more like a column, but since I also use it as a method of update & communication with family, it's a bit of a hybrid. I'm just not cut out for this hardcore blogger shit. :)
I just blog whatever and whenever the mood strikes. If I had to follow a certain protocall, it would totally take all the fun out of it for me.
I love your blog...you're a cool & interesting mama!!
I use my blog as an online diary of sorts. I record my day, my life, my feelings... things I'm thinking about, things that piss me off.. my job, my husband, my child...
I never draft because I never know what's going to happen one day to the next and I often just wing it.
And titles are the worst!!! I can never think of one that's appropriate at least until the end of writing the blog, because more often than not, I have no idea where the blog is going.
method? there's a method? how come no one told me?
is there a rule book? omigod. i'm obsessing now. i may have to think about this ... like FOREVER. oh nooooooo. somebody stop me!
I'm all over the place...sometimes I know what I'm going to write, sometimes I sit down and stare at the screen for a while.
I do have a list of things that I want to blog about...but they are they types of things that require thought! Ugh! Thinking!
Titles...should I be giving them more thought?
Usually my posts are pretty much off the top of my head with something that went on that day or related to that day that made me think of something thought worthy. Sometimes I think of a few topics for the week and if all else fails there's a Meme or Carnival to do.
My title I try (emphasis on try) to make it catchy, usually words from a song-thats how I think on a regular basis a certain word will trigger words from a song. I'm just weird that way.
Great topic!
I'm more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants blogger. Just write it and publish and away I go. But that being said, I also have several posts in draft form, waiting to be finished or edited or just for the right day to publish. And of course some posts take longer than others...
I think what I'm saying is, I don't actually have a method. :)
I have no method either. Sometimes I have several ideas at once so that makes me happy that I can hoard draft posts to bring out when I am in a drought later. This does not happen very often. Sometimes I have ideas but no time to write them down so by the time I have a free moment, the idea is long gone. I try not to pressure myself to have to write daily. I don't want to write just to write and I don't want to bore the socks off of everyone, not that I think all my posts are oh-so stimulating. Coming up with titles always kick my ass, though.
It's funny, but I'm in the midst of mentally composing a post about WHY and HOW I write about what I do. What compells me to share my inner most thoughts with the internet.
I was checking my bloglines subs first and here you are talking about something very similar.
I usually don't think much about posting, except now it's NaBloPoMo, so I can't *stop* thinking about the pressure to write something!
I usually come up with a title after I've written my post, though.
I usually write my posts while my toddler is napping, edit a little, then post in the late afternoon. Sometimes, when an idea strikes me or I don't want to forget a conversation that just took place, I'll draft a quick post, then come back to it later. I usually end up republishing at least once after I've seen the post online because I always miss some garish typo or other. My titles pretty much suck.
I buy my bl*g entries on the internet, along with Beta Dad's V!agr@.
Seriously, there's no rhyme or reason for me yet. I started because I wanted to have a place to get into the practice of writing on a regular basis. I start longer entries a couple of times a week, struggle over them, and then usually post some short item about things that I come up with on the spur of the moment.
You have 5-6 post ideas ready for NEXT WEEK?? I'm just worried about what I've got for tomorrow. No wonder so many people read you. You don't fly by the seat of your pants the way the rest of us do!
It depends on the blog. For my main blog (Redefining Perfect), I generally go with the flow. I post (at least) once a day either based on the events of the day, or it's a (very)semi-preplanned post. Length doens't matter to me, and I usually only post more than once if it's been an eventful day.
For my writing blog I would LOVE to have some semblance of order, but it doesn't always happen. That post is usually done at the end of the day in desperation, unless something major has happened (Like today's RIP post).
So really, I'm a go with the flow gal. I'm not an OCD blogger (I'm not...really...*shifty eyes*)...I NEVER obsess over what I'll blog that day *hides crossed fingers*...
Yeah.....
My blog started as a breastfeeding journal, but considering it's going on 14 months now there is just so much I can talk about my boobies. My blogs now consist of stuff about the kids, the pets, crazy sheeot I have done (like vaccuming a pizza), or sex. Oh, and occasionally I mention the husband too.
No rhyme or reason, just when words come to my head they must go somewhere. :D And I always try to include my --The Milk Maid says... ending.
I recently started blogging. It was my way of doing something to help with the loneliness of being inside from Sept-April with the baby.
Im still not quite sure what to write and it often ends up being mostly pictures of the kids and fun things they've done.. but Im goint to try to be better at writing interesting things.
Here's my secret: I never edit my posts. I blog as I think and as I would speak. That's it. I can write very well, as many of my professors and former employers have said, but my blog is my space to be me and have fun.
I really don't edit my thinking or speech, hence the free words in my sandbox.
Sometimes the words come in a tumble and force me to write them. Other days, I sit down with no ideas at all and just start typing.
I always keep a notebook with me (an old reporter habit I can't shake) and I write down snippets of ideas or sentences that come to me during the day.
I always write my post the night before, which is one reason I switched to a self-hosted wordpress blog. I can auto-publish. I love that function!
Ack! Can you do me a favor and either fix or delete my link from my comment? I've been doing a bunch of work on my blog today and accidentally pasted the feed link instead of the URL. I am such a twit, this will teach me to multi-task!
I use my blog as a journal mostly. And it's mostly about my kids because...well, that's all I do all day, everyday. There's no method really but I have become a bit obsessive about posting daily. As far as titles, I usually figure it out by the end of my post.
I usually blog daily during the week just about stupid day to day stuff. i started the blog solely for the purpose of Husband to keep up with the kids while he is gone. If anyone else sees it, that is all gravy.
I rarely keep things in draft. I blog at night once the babies are in bed. If I keep anything in draft it is because I don't have a pic for it. I have a personal blog rule that I don't post without pics.
I always (ok, almost always) post first thing in the morning. A lot of times I start a draft of the post the night before and then finish it up and post it in the morning. I will edit occassionally, but not very often.
Sometimes when I am feeling really ambitious I will start several drafts so that I can have something for when I don't have any good ideas, but usually I end up deciding not to use them and they get deleted.
I'm fairly new to this land of insanity that is blogging and I'm loving every second of it! I enjoy reading everyone's 'methods'.
I started out doing this just to have a place to store some family writings I had done in an effort to allow my father, in Australia, and family around the country to view it. Then, I became addicted and now I'm really having fun and wanting to share and do more! I love reading other people's because I feel that's how I'm growing.
Now, back on topic ;-). Sometimes it just pops in my head and I run to my laptop, or the kid will say something funny and I'll ruminate on it for a day... I have also been known to pull things from previously written stuff (by me) and I've also been inspired by others I have read.
Thanks for asking! LOL!!!
I started my blog as a sort of diary, for my son and I to read at the end of his first year of home schooling. Our family and friends in the US being able to keep up on our life has been a HUGE plus. My blog has taken on a life of it's own. I don't think much about what I will post. Living in a 3 ring circus, and still being new to the blog world, I have not yet run out of material. My "Lady in a Mink coat" post I did think a lot about. I have thought about her off and on today. The ones where I rant are just my real life ranting's in word. What I did not expect was to find myself addicted to reading other peoples blogs. Soon there will be a 12 step program for blog readers.. I'll lead off the daily prayer.
We sound fairly similar in our methods (well besides the posting every day - I don't have the talent you do, girl). I usually write something and let it simmer. I also usually post-date it. I'm guilty of over-editing, too.
I only write when I am ready to commit to publishing. Sometimes, I am too tired to write about something that happened so it become a two week later post. I write about things in my life generally. Titles usually come to me and sometimes they don't-sometimes my titles suck.
My posts are either reflected by my mood for the day or the events that have transpired that day or the previous day.
Often times, my posts capture funny conversations between the kids that I don't want to forget.
I would love to think that some of the craziness in my life might make others laugh.
Method writing is for sissies.
I'm not sissy.
I have no method.
There is no method to the madness I call my blog. Sometimes an idea will pop in my head. Most times I forget it before I get to write it down. So I just write whatever whenever I feel like it. Boring, ehh?
Oh this freaks me out. Method? Editing? I can't remember to run spell check on my posts. I'm a totally on-the-fly type of girl. I'm not a writer. I just post stuff.
Perhaps I should spend more time, put some thought into it...maybe I'm inspired now.
If there was an 8th day of the week, I'd spend half of it composing and editing blog posts.
Until then I'll use what I guess is my current "method" - throw in some cuss words and references to sex to keep my 3 readers distracted.
There is no method to my madness. I think of posts all the time, but these days I ignore half of them. I used to post everyday (back then, I did dream of posts or think of them in the shower).....back when I had a job, but now I just post when I want too. I don't get a lot of hit and I doubt I'll ever get tons of comments, so I'm basically in the posting for myself kind of a deal, as I can't say I'm posting for an audiance that I really don't have.
something funny happens. i write it out. hit post. go back and edit. done. but i'm obsessed. every convo is a potential blog post and it drives my hubs crazy.
I have no method. I write whenever I can find the time, and about whatever I'm thinking of at the moment.
Sometimes I get topic ideas from things other people are writing about. Like I've been considering writing about how I met my husband, after reading your story and Casey's story. Not sure yet if it's fit to post, though.
And I rarely go back and edit. I've never been one to do that. It all comes out as I think it, and then I hit publish.
I'm old school. I keep a notebook. With topic ideas. And I draft everything out on paper before I type it in Blogger. And I keep a list of when my reviews are due for PBN.
I'm a complete and total dork.
BUT. The good news is that when I go back to work in Boston and have an hour+ commute, I will just take my trusty notebook along (sadly, I don't have a laptop) and will be able to write down my blog fodder. I'm sure there will be many anecdotes from my daily commute on the train.
I have such a hard time coming up with things. More often than not I just put up something for heck of it. A lot of times it's things I'd like to say about people or a situation and just feel like I can't.
I wrote a post about friendship a few weeks ago and I would have loved to use harsher words and say it directly to the people I was talking about but I'm too chicken shit and I have to live next door to them! ;)
I try and think of things before hand but 9 times out of 10, most of what comes out is usually spur of the moment. I wish I was more creative LOL.
i just write posts about what goes on here...i really have no imagination! :) i try to post in the morning, but most of the time the monkeys prevent that...so the only time i have to write is during naptime and after they've gone to bed.
i over-edit! bigtime! it's something i've been working on, and have gotten better with. it started mostly because i was trying to type so fast to get my post done before the boys woke up...i'd go back to fix my spelling mistakes, and then start messing with the wording, etc. but it's getting better.
i think NaBloPoMo has actually helped me a bit. since i'm trying to post everyday, i'm a bit more free with my writing...it just flows. plus the boys give me plenty of fodder!
i have so many posts in draft...i started them months ago, but would hit a wall. i think mostly due to the ppd, and the time limits with the whole renovating-and-selling-the-house and the purchase of the new house. i'm slowly going through them to see what i can salvage.
i too rate situations by blogability. i'll say "i am SO blogging that", and hubby just rolls his eyes!
There is no method to my personal madness!
Sometimes I have a draft waiting for days before the computer allows it to be seen. I try to write, edit and post the same day. If I don't it tends to be somewhat outdated. Since I write about my day.
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