Archive for the 'Blogging' Category

People ask me how I am enjoying retirement from teaching. My response is usually to complain that I’m busier than ever before. I usually add that I have no idea how I fitted in going to work. Many other retirees claim to suffer from the same dilemma. This strange malady, however, is not restricted to retirees. I find, as I talk to people, that it seems to be right across the broad spectrum of society.

Moira Allen, of Writing-World.com has written about this 21st Century problem in her latest email newsletter (Writing World 6:06):

I think we all have increasingly begun to suffer from
the plague of the 21st century: TOO MUCH TO DO. I have yet to
talk to anyone who feels that they have fewer demands on their
time than they did five years ago.

The Plague of the 21st century

She has dubbed it a plague. It seems like a illness that almost everyone has caught, but no-one seems to know what to do to fix it. Consider some of its symptoms as it relates to writers:

• An overwhelming desire to write 10, 12 or more hours daily to get in front of the pack
• A need to read countless emails or newsletters about writing to find those opportunities that will give one a much needed break one’s chosen field
• An urge to constantly research on the internet trying to find information that will make your writing shine, or rise above the common, ordinary work of others
• An urge to write pieces that exhibit perfection, constantly revising and polishing
• For bloggers, having a guilt trip if one hasn’t posted anything today – or even in the last hour or so.

I could go on and on.

But enough of my grumbling.

What can we do about it?

I’m pleased you asked. Here are a few of my humble suggestions on overcoming the plague of the 21st Century. Note: these suggestions are aimed at writers and bloggers in particular. They may not work for everyone, but they are at least worth a try.

1. Switch off the computer. (Ooooh – that’s a tough one to conquer)
2. Go for a walk.
3. Do some stretching exercises
4. Read a book
5. Attend to your hobby (you do have a hobby?)
6. Start a new hobby.
7. Do a crossword.
8. Smell the roses.
9. Watch a bird.
10. Weed the garden.

Then come back to your writing refreshed and invigorated.

It will show in your writing.

Stop. Revive. Survive.

This is the slogan used in many driver safety campaigns. Drivers are encouraged to stop driving, especially on long journeys in the country, take time out to revive and in so doing to survive. Good advice.

Writers and bloggers are vulnerable to writer’s fatigue. Setting a cracking pace can ultimately have a negative effect. The pressure of posting daily or an upcoming publisher’s deadline can have a crippling effect on one’s effectiveness as a writer.

Shai Coggins has taken up this point in her posting called “Stop. Revive. Survive.”

…blogging is like a journey. When you start to blog, you open up a whole new world online. And, like with any kind of journey, it is always exciting to begin.

But, excitement fades at times and exhaustion creeps in eventually. When this happens, it’s time to stop and revive. Otherwise, bloggers who try to continue past this stage end up feeling burnt out – to the point of completely giving up.

She goes on to give some very sound advice in maintaining motivation as a writer or a blogger. I believe that creating a mental and physical freshness will result in far more effective writing. I know that a dull mind can easily create dull writing.

Some Suggestions:

Here are some of my suggestions for remaining fresh and motivated:

• Get up and do some stretching exercises.
• Go for a walk around the garden and literally smell the roses.
• Turn away from the computer screen and see how many different birds you can see out side (I’m a bird watcher so this can be VERY refreshing and VERY distracting)
• Read today’s newspaper – a change of pace and often a source of inspiration for writing.
• Take time out for thirty minutes and do the crossword in the paper; it’s an excellent mental stimulation and increases your word knowledge.
• Revisit your favourite book and dip into it anywhere (but don’t keep reading for hours (keep it for bed time).
• Ring a friend and chat for ten minutes about anything (but don’t talk for hours).
• Go to your favourite chair and day dream for twenty minutes (but don’t have a “grandpa nap” like I find myself doing, especially late in the afternoon).

These are some things that work for me.

Each person has a different way of reviving the flagging spirit and body.

What works for you? Leave your comments so that we can all benefit.

I continue to read through the various submissions to Darren Rowse’s group writing project “The Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers” on ProBlogger. Today I read the article on Bald Man Blogging.

One of the habits he highlights is to read, read, read.

Read, Read, Read

The mind requires stimulation. I have a collection of 50 or so feeds of personal interest. Plus a couple dozen that are specifically to feed [pun intended] sundry blogs. I also keep track of all the b5media blogs. I’ve got the usual friends and familiar voices in Bloglines, but I also try to include several from outside my box. You never know where an idea might come from. Diversity breeds insight. Conflict creates change. And change is an opportunity to grow. In addition to Bloglines, I have a few books and magazines laying around the house.

Yeah – I have no trouble with the concept. I am a voracious reader and usually have four or five books and up to a dozen magazines that I am currently reading. That all takes time. Time away from writing, time that could be spent blogging. Now I’ve started reading the bogs of others in a big way. The time online just disappears so quickly. Before I know it several hours have gone – and not word written.

Discipline. That’s what I need. A disciplined reading programme to balance my writing.

Anyone got any ideas on how to do this?

Desire M. Hendricks in her blog “A Conservatory of One: Exploring the Writing Craft and Llife” says it so beautifully:

There’s an immediate audience when blogging. Blogging also provides a sense of community via comments and linking. The solitary nature of writing is somewhat diffused by these qualities. Because of these things, I greatly enjoy blogging.

Two questions for my readers
Why do you write?

And if you also blog, why do you blog?

On his blog about writing and blogging, with the bizarre name of “Why My Blog Stinks” Steve Remington has submitted an excellent article in the group writing project “The Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers” run by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.

Many of the contributors listed habits that lead to effective blogging. Steve instead has concentrated on the characteristics of the blogger, as distinct from the habits. While aimed at bloggers, this posting also applies to all writers. I’d like to comment on just several that he wrote about.

Good Communicator
Effective bloggers need to be able to convey their message. If you can’t understand a thing from what a blogger wrote then you will probably give up on them. You need to communicate the best you can to your readers. Good communication also comes in the form of contacting other bloggers. You can learn to become a better communicator and this will help convey your messages and it will help you deal with other people around you.

Being a good communicator seems to be a given. It often amazes me, however, how many people who are in the area of communication, whether spoken or written, who seem to lack the fundamentals of good communication.

Keep things understandable.

If the reader cannot understand your blog, novel, short story, poem or whatever, you have lost that reader. This is particularly so in our modern “instant” world; the web generation wants instant information. They are not going to hang around reading 500 words of a garbled introduction. Poor spelling and grammar just adds to the hurry to depart from that mess. Click.

Like to Write
It is difficult to be an effective blogger if you simply don’t like writing. I like writing and if I didn’t, well, I probably wouldn’t be a blogger.

If you like what you do it will show. If you enjoy being a teacher, your students will know. If you love being a doctor, builder, saleswomen or whatever, your clients will know. It shows. It oozes from everything you say and do, your attitude, your speech and your mannerisms.

If you love being a writer, it will show. And you can’t be an effective blogger without loving to write, and love to write heaps. And every day. On all sorts of things.

Like Researching
This is the same as writing. If you don’t like it, then your blog will probably suffer. Part of blogging is researching things. You need to research not only for content, but also to scan your competitors. What are they up to? You also should be researching what your readers are doing. Where are they coming from? Learning the habits of both your competitors and your readers will help you decide what needs to be done to your blog. To determine what to do is actually part of your intuitive skills.

I love the research stage. It takes you on all kinds of interesting journeys. It’s part of the learning process. But a word to the weak: there are so many interesting distractions out there, especially on the internet, that can divert you from your intended path. Remember to get back to writing. Listen to someone who has often strayed from the True Path. Oh, the Perils of Broadband!