5:41am, Pacific Standard Time, at my computer, in the apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Tuesday morning, May 3, 2022. Today marks the of beginning a new task; I will glean posts from the last year and a half and compile them for publication. This is a very exciting endeavor for me; it allows a more focused frame for my writing and provides the opportunity to develop a new creative outlet. Now all I need is the motivation to get started. Like any new habit, I will begin slow and gradually increase effort. After my morning walk and workout, but before coffee and reading, I will turn on my computer and select one post a day. That volume will indubitably increase but, for now, consistency is the key.
Tag: posts
3 Thoughts
5:42pm, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Wednesday evening, April 6, 2022. Three thoughts: 1. Since I started scheduling posts, (as opposed to ripping them off any time I felt like it), my writing habits have changed. In the past, an idea was worked anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour then published immediately. The results were spotty and often pretty shallow. Now, since a post is already lined up for publication in the morning, I no longer race to finish something just to get it out there. I start with a thought early in the day, flesh it out by afternoon, then put the final touches on it at night. It has only been a week but, it makes my writing more reflective. 2. I am going to change the tag line of the blog again. The “ongoing quest…” vibe isn’t working for me. I don’t want to go back to the Arizona/California angle. I am thinking international. Is it presumption to call it “The All-American Man”? That is declarative. I consider myself quiet and subdued, that is a different energy all together. I will change it and see how I feel next week. 3. Question: Should I stop publishing everyday? Maybe go to weekdays? Weekends? Two or three times a week? I am conflicted. On one hand I feel publishing everyday makes me a better writer. On the other hand, it seems a little much to put something out everyday. I have made a decision; I am going to stick with everyday for now. Let’s be honest, I don’t have a huge audience, most people don’t care either way, and this is more a personal writing exercise than a valuable piece of literature. I hope you get pleasure reading but, I will keep being self-indulgent if it is all the same to you.
The 3 (really 6) Levels of Beginner Blog Success
Congratulations , you started writing a blog, now you are probably wondering how to make it successful. According to techjury.net, 7.5 million blog posts are created every day, so you are not alone! Perhaps you write for fun or maybe you want to get serious, either way, if you want to know what the levels of beginner blog success look like, the following 3 (really 6) levels provide a road map to track your progress 1. Your first posts. You started your blog and have written a couple posts. Perhaps you did this to work through feelings or share your thoughts on a particular subject. This is a great first step. Creating a blog and putting your name on it is a success in itself and something to celebrate 2. Improving your style. For some people starting a blog and writing one or two posts is enough. They forget about it and move on. Others, like yourself, stick with it and begin to write regularly. After enough time you have a body of work. At that point you can look back and see what you liked and didn’t like about your writing. Maybe you want to try a different style, or adopt other formats. Either way, making the effort to improve your writing is a meaningful personal achievement and another sign of success 3. Validation. After you have written regularly and improved your style you want other people to read it. That is validation. There are four levels to validation; views, likes, follows and shares. Let’s break each of these down. 3a. Your first view. People probably see your posts before you realize it. You can check your WordPress Dashboard to find out how many views you have had. While this can be validating it can also be frustrating if you don’t get as many views as you’d like. Don’t get discouraged, keep writing. If you remain consistent a larger audience will find you naturally 3b. Your first like. There is nothing more exciting than the first time someone likes your post. You have worked hard and expended energy to write something good. Now a reader appreciates what you wrote and acknowledges it. This is important, you have reached a great success! Enjoy the feeling of pride from getting your first like 3c. Your first follow. Once you get one like they will start to come in bunches. Before long someone will start to follow your blog. That means they will be notified every time you post something new. While this can be intimidating it is also exhilarating. Someone likes your writing so much they want to know when you post! 3D. Your first share. This is the final step of beginner blog success and it is a big one. Even though it is still in the validation camp it is a level all its own. Someone likes your post so much they share it. You go through a transformation after your first share. People share a blog post because they see what you write as having value, something they don’t mind having their name associated with. To them you are a trusted authority and a good writer. And just like that, you have reached the pinnacle of beginner success! So there you have it, the 3 (really 6) levels of beginner blogging success. Start writing, keep improving, find your audience and be proud of what you do. Keep up the good work and enjoy the process of becoming a successful blogger.
The 5 Commandments of a good blog post
The 5 Commandments of a good blog post: 1. Don’t pander 2. Keep it short 3. Have a point 4. Develop context 5. Entertain yourself
Thoughts vs actions
6:46am my thoughts vs my actions. I want to read about my action and interactions. I barely skim over posts with deep thoughts.
On a roll
7:54am this last week WordPress informed me I have made 1,000 posts. They also keep track of how many days in a row I have posted. I am up to 173. while I was walking the dog this morning I thought about my audience. Which is me. I am the audience that reads these posts. What do I find interesting? What posts do I read? Which ones do I glance over? I usually read the ones about relationships. The WIL. My daughter. Coming to terms with my marriage.
Friday night
10:03pm I get mad at myself when I write lot of posts in one day. I don’t get upset for writing down my thoughts. I appreciate the continuity when I go back and read them. I get mad because so many posts in one day makes it tedious when I transcribe them to a word document. I like to get through a certain number of days when I transfer the posts over for publication. If a day has many posts it takes longer to accomplish the task.
Change
5:40am I don’t know how to change. How to be different. I don’t know what I would do if this blog were “discovered.” How would my world change if I received attention? I work in hospice. I have a public persona but the real me remains hidden. Writing these posts is a way to put myself out there to be discovered. But there is dissonance. The hospice director is a carefully crafted facade. It serves purpose. It is a image I use to make money and care for my family. The post writer is the inner me. He is the voice in my head. My best friend. what would I do if people at work saw these posts? What if prospective employers saw them? Family, friends. Strangers? I want more than anything to be known. I want more than anything to remain hidden.
Why?
9:17am do I write these posts to share what normally would stay hidden in my mind? Do I write them for others to possibly discover? Do I want family, friends, the WIL to discover it? Maybe after I die? Do I write them so I can see where I have been, what I was thinking? I just write them.