Sometimes the universe works in weird ways.  I planned to write about my blogging process, and the day is just throwing in some twists and turns to sort of oddly highlight how my blogging process works.  And if his doesn’t make sense, I will tell you that I have a nasty cough and head cold, so my powers of thought are a bit all over the place.

Let’s start at the beginning- the beginning of the day.  I usually write my blog early in the morning.  My daughter usually leaves for school at about 7:05, my husband leaves for work about 7:45.  Around this time, I am thinking about my blog post for the day.  The minute my Husband is out the door, I sit and I blog.  My normal blog takes me about 15-20 minutes to write, assuming my internet doesn’t go out.  Now, I admit my internet service is awesome: my computer is lousy at staying connected.  I love writing at this time in the morning: my mind is fresh, my thoughts are sharp, and it is a great warm up for when I begin to work on my novel.  I also have this compulsion to have my blog post out by 9am.  It’s one of my controlling things…

Now, a few weeks ago, I went to DC.  Before I left, I decided to schedule blogs because I knew that being away and keeping to a blogging schedule was just not going to work.  So, my “plan” was to write a day ahead from the week before I left.  If I included weekends, I would have blogs scheduled for the duration of my vacation.  Good plan.  I would still write in the morning, just not for that days post.

And as all plans go….

Here’s what actually happened.  I would sit down to write, and instead off finishing in my usual 20 minutes, I found myself overthinking my blogs.  In the back of my mind I kept thinking “this isn’t scheduled to go live till tomorrow at 8.  I have until then to work on it.”  This is where the problems began.  I started to tweak and play and rework my posts.  Now, one would think that these posts were outstanding, because I edited and reworked….Well, one would be wrong.  I hated these two weeks worth of posts.  I felt they were stilted and didn’t sound like me.

So what did I find out about myself?  I need to write my post fresh in the morning.  I need to just publish the drivel that I’ve put on the page.  I need to stop overthinking. When I write in the morning it’s fun.  I’m enjoying it.  When I start playing with posts, well, it’s not so fun for me anymore.  I second guess.  This is not a good position for an over thinker.

As I’ve already started talking to you about my blogging process, I might as well give you the rest of the dirty secrets.  You’ve all heard about my obsession with planners…well, as soon as I get a blog idea, I enter it into my planner.  For anyone interested, I know what I’m writing about through May 10.  Yes.  I have that many blog ideas.

Which brings us to: how do I get my blog ideas.  Ok- literally everywhere.  I get inspired by comments others have made on my blogs.  I find interesting things in other blogs I read.  My family.  My activities.  Etc.  Etc.  I get ideas from my life. My plain, old, boring life fills me with ideas.  I guess this is the upside of being an over thinker: every aspect of my life has the ability to become a blog post.  Every blog post has the ability to become a follow-up.  Are they all equally interesting or great? No.  But you never know what will interest people.  Topics I thought were a little boring have gone on to be favorites of the blog community, so here’s another one for what do I know.

Now, I also admit that I pre write my Gratitude Saturdays and Week in Review.  I begin \those the day after the old one posts, and I just add to them as the week progresses.  As these is no central idea, I have no problem with this method.  The only problem is that some weekends are WAY busier than others, so I don’t get to add any flourishes to the weekend reports.  That’s just life.  I’m trying to be chill about that.

But now lets talk about today.  I have a nasty cold.  I normally get up at 6 and start prepping for the day.  Today, 6am brought about a hideous coughing fit, and the decision to pull the covers up a little more.  I didn’t get out of bed until 8:30.  I went to boot up my computer, and noticed that a update had been installed.  Good times.  Who knew what time my computer would actually be ready for action.

Finally, install and restart completed.  It was after 9.  The crazy part of my brain was annoyed that I wouldn’t have my post completed before that.  Technically though, it was still morning and it was still going to be a fresh blog post.  And there was some sort of irony in knowing that I had planned a blog about blog process 3 weeks ago, and then today it all went to hell.

So, as I type out the last words, it’s 9:56.  I’m happy with this post.  And I’m going to try not to freak out that it’s “late”.

62 thoughts on “Oh No: A Blog About Blogging”

  1. I also prefer to just write for 15 minutes or so in the morning and post was spews out of me. I consider working on posts more throughout the day to post the following morning, but it never works out well. I just need to make sure I take the time to write in the mornings.

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    1. I really set aside this time. If there’s a reason I can’t write during my magic hour, I get up a little earlier to write. It’s just part of my routine now. Except this morning.

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      1. I tend to write between my wife leaving for work and me leaving for work. My problem comes from also trying to catch up on a TV show between my daughter leaving and my wife leaving and then not leaving enough time to get ready for work and write.

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    1. Thank you. I actually told my book club leader that I won’t be attending today. I never miss book club (but no…this is not the tea society book club with the awkward situation. This is my building book club)

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  3. I write consistently in the morning, too, but there are times when I’m hit with a sudden idea I simply have to sit and write it out. Sometimes this happens on mobile if I’m stuck at a rink or someplace else…

    This is why I have so many draft versions. Those are very handy when I have a day of writer’s block or blah. I can tweak such a draft and schedule it to post for the next day.

    It’s not perfect but it works, mostly.

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    1. Everyone has to find there method. If I get an idea I write it in the little notebook that I carry (if I’m out) or add it directly to my planner. Though I was out the other day without my notebook so I texted myself the idea…

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  4. I write my posts usually after work. I usually start it the day before and then it simmers in my head all day. I write notes the next day and when I come home i type and tweak it. Hopefully when we are settled at the new house I will be more effiecent.

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  6. Admittedly, I can be haphazard-ish in my methods. But I usually try to write something every day. If only for the meditative repose it gifts me. But I do try to abide by a blogging schedule of every couple days. It gives me something to look forward to since I never rightly know what the theme might be.

    And this post ain’t late! It’s right on time! 🙂

    Peace and better health

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  7. Great post! I write when I can and sometimes I write a bunch of posts when I’m on a roll and inspired. Then I tweak when I reread it in the morning before publishing. I sometimes schedule, but I find that when I wake up and have something scheduled, something more pertinent needs to be written and then I have to reschedule for another day. I guess I’m a fly by the seat of my pants type of blogger. You are way more organized than I am, but then you’ve been doing this a lot longer! So thanks for sharing some tips with us!!

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  8. I’m a morning writer too. First thing I do after getting my coffee. But I need to stop working things over so much because it can eat up a good chunk of my morning and make me late for things I need to do. Not everyone can or should post every day because sometimes you can tell when someone’s forcing something. I haven’t found that with your blog in nearly a year of reading it. That’s saying something. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

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    1. Thank you! Though I did feel like I had two weeks of forced posts, though the6 were topics I really wanted to write about. I just felt they were lacking “me” if that makes any sense

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      1. Sure, makes sense. We all like some posts more than others. I just don’t like writing or reading things that feel like I’m filling a quota. Perhaps it comes from years of having to file stories whether I thought they were interesting or not.

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  9. i overthink, I am the worlds worse planner, I have tried it just never works. I think it is because my sign is Pisces. conflicted, opposite directional fish.

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  10. Wow, blog posts planned out until May 10th! I’m starting to feel spontaneous. Lol. I almost always write my posts in the morning too. But I always send them out late afternoon. After 9 PM is always too late. I spend a lot of time editing and overthinking so things are ‘perfect’. I like it better that way. I sometimes think of things I want to add or take out by mulling it over all day. I think it would confuse my readers if I started posting at a different time of day. I ❤️ planning, structure, and organization. I wonder if the routine makes us more likely to stick it out in the long haul? I love how often you post and that you always reply with something thoughtful.

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  11. One of my rules is to never blog about blogging. But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying other bloggers who do write about it, nor apparently commenting on their/b> posts. 😉 Like you, I always write better in the morning. I seem to get less motivated (or more likely creative) as the day goes on, and I’ve noticed I also get lazy. I think it’s impressive that you write a post every day. – Marty

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  12. Wow … that would explain why your blogs are so indepth and grips us. My blogs are way shorter and im trying to write one or two a day late at night after work when dinner is sorted and i finally have a breather. Or in my lunch break 😊🤗

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  14. Ah I’m a massive planner too, so I really relate about having posts planned through May and definitely get my ideas from everywhere too (and tweaking scheduled posts is always a temptation- I kind of do a mix of posts, but when I do schedule posts, I have to make sure I resist the urge!) Anyway, I really relate to this post! Wish your cold better!

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  17. For me I’m usually writing about 2:30 in the morning I found that to be more pleasant for me simply because it’s quite and I can think about what I’m writing. If I don’t then I get distracted with other task.

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  18. I’m not nearly as organized blog-wise, nor do my words flow. I like to take my words out and play with them for a while, then, put them away and let them be. What I take them out again, they usually rearrange themselves a few times, then, once they settle down and are comfortable, I hit Publish.

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    1. You’re posts are always wonderful and a pleasure to read. I’m not surprised you’ve found a method that works. I know I need to just hit publish….I can agonize over word choice for eons. If I didn’t write then immediately hit publish I would have 300 drafts in my draft folder and a header that says “this author has not published anything yet. Check back soon.”

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  19. Im a morning writer as well, and an over thinker. My first posts took me days!! I had to make sure they came across the way I wanted them to. I’m getting faster……thankfully!

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  21. Very little in my life is planned and definitely includes my blog. I do sort of plan my A to Z Challenge posts. As to when I write, usually afternoon or night. I have never been a morning person and now that I am retired I don’t have to be so my days start late morning.😺

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  22. This is a great practice for when you begin writing your book because I think the problem most people have is being consistent and staying on a schedule. For me, I always schedule my posts ahead of time because of the same reason you don’t lol I have to have time to think and overthink, plus my days are filled with other things, so I don’t want to HAVE to write on x day when I might not have time.

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  23. It’s a great post. and if i’m honest, i’m impressed that spontaneity and planned posts work together. I usually write my post at night, blog them on the next day, why? because i have to read – not write – them with my mind fresh.

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  25. Wow. This post is rather mind-blowing to me in two ways.

    One, you plan your posts. In 620 posts I haven’t ever planned one! I think about stuff during my day, and then there comes a moment when I must write. Sometimes I’ll mull over the gist, perhaps a title, but mostly it just comes out when it needs to – and when my other work is done. But each one takes 2 – 3 hours. I write, then refine. Posting happens whenever.

    Two, folks respond to you! I like to think I’m a thoughtful writer, and yet few are the comments. How on earth do you generate so many? I have 2500+ readers, and rarely ever a comment. ? It might be discouraging but for the fact that I only write to keep sane. Facebook keeps me connected; that’s where I hear from folks.

    Interesting to peek into your world. Cheers and happy Spring!

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