My 5 rules for posting regularly

The road to hell is paved with blogging about blogging but what the hell, I'll do it. I post a blog entry every other day (at least after January 1st, 2010), which is fairly constant and frequent. Here is how I do it.

1. Devote the best hours of a day to blogging

My brain works best right after I wake up in the morning. So that is when I face my laptop. I spend about two hours for researching and writing before I head to work. Sadly, many days the "research" part takes too much time because it is easier and writing is hard.

To recoup some of the lost opportunities, I try not to indulge in stuff that are not related to blogging (such as watching a re-run of Racing with the Moon with young Sean Penn and Nicholas Cage: I watched bits of it in no less than 4 times but still haven't gotten the whole story)

2. Do it every day

Many people say brain is like muscle: in order to be better, you need to use it every day. Making writing a habit is the best strategy. I find it also helpful for keeping me concentrated on my work during the day. If I do not spend writing time in the morning, I feel the urge to compensate for it during office hours. Needless to say, it's risky.

3. Take notes and put them in a single location

Jjot.com is my favorite online note-taking tool. When away from a computer, I send an email to myself, or if the idea is good enough to stand on its feet, tweet it. Twitter is a wonderful tool not only for broadcasting micro-messages and interacting with people but also for keeping online memo.

Having all memos in a single location matters, because the most interesting aspect of writing (or blogging) is forming a new combination/idea from old, seemingly unrelated materials. More about this topic can be read here.

4. Locate a large chunk of time once a week to write in bulk

On Sunday morning I allocate several hours to assembling all the drafts I wrote during the week (yes they do not have to be published immediately) for the upcoming week. During this stage, I complete unfinished drafts and correct goofy errors. Also, taking another look at the initial draft often generates another idea or leads to previously unnoticed mistakes.

Having more than a couple of hours is important because for some reason my brain needs idling time when it comes to writing, even when it is most active.... The two-hour writing hour during weekdays usually gets shortened to a one hour of concentration, which is not long enough for completing an entry.

5. Schedule posts beforehand

Typepad, my blog service, allows scheduling. I make sure there are always at least two stocks of unpublished posts. That way, there is no pressure in rushing and posting something I would later regret or starts the day with a bad mood. The workplace pressure is already giving us enough headaches. We should be spared from that at least while writing for the sake of writing.

Comments

[Mark McClure]

A regular writing schedule can help - little and often. I went from blogging 3 or 4 times a week, to random episodes, and now back in the saddle.

I've found that blogging can turn into just another j-o-b chore unless:

a) the blog has a specific purpose (i.e. the writing is for a business audience in market 'x')

or

b) it's a real labor of love and the writing is as much for the author as anyone else.

a) and b) together are possibly the proverbial mother lode of high quality and regular blogging content.

[Thursday Bram]

I actually do a lot of blogging for clients, and you've pretty much described exactly how I manage to put posts up on a half dozen different sites every week.

[Isao]

Mark, I agree that blogging too can turn into a chorus (even though initially it started as a way to break out of routine life). I am currently leaning toward (b) but would like to consider (a) more. Aimless is fun, but not for the whole journey.

[Isao]

That is encouraging to hear. No wonder your advices are insightful yet practical. I guess you have "been there."

[Kofla Olivieri]

I like this post. I also didn't knew Typepad allowed scheduling. I am so out of the loop :-(

[Isao]

I started using scheduling last December, so we aren't that different... I recommend http://everything.typepad.com/ for small tricks on Typepad.

[Ken]

re: #3

I find that taking notes in the actual blogging editor is best. It's right there along with a reminder that you started. I have a backlog of drafts (some with only a title and an idea) waiting to be developed.

[Isao]

I have stacks of drafts too. For me they are good for refining but not so for drafting. It works better for me to have a bird-view of all ideas, especially in the initial stages. Plus, Typepad has a long loading time (at this moment) so taking notes on the blogging editor is not always stress-free.

[manningroad]

I stick to a similar schedule and have my children often emailing me photos they have taken, even my daughter in Japan, that I can then use as inspiration. I am not particularly creative so that is where I fall short.

[Isao]

I use photos for inspiration too. Each photo contains a story, and tracing it usually induces more inspiration.

[Kofla Olivieri]

Thanks for the tip, "everything.typepad is already on my watched list. I also received today "Typepad for Dummies".

In the first five minutes browsing the book was able to figure out a few mistakes I've made setting up my blog. Excellent book! Thanks!

http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2010/02/all-about-the-book.html

[Isao]

I never knew Typepad had a Dummy book! Gwaar, I need to get one. Full disclosure - I kinda cheated by relying on a paid service called tune-up. http://www.typepad.com/one/tune-up-service.html

I would say although it takes time, it is totally worth it. I could never have figured out how to put my Tumblr posts as sidebar widget.

I will check the Dummy book too, thanks!

[Elizabeth]

Thanks - I found this post really useful. I am sporadic at best at blogging, but would like to post more often.

[Isao]

You're welcome. I'm happy if this post helps you blog in any way.

[Samantha]

Hi Isao,
That was an interesting post. Personally I find that my blogging habits lurch between very prolific (3-4 posts per day!) and quite barren (nothing for months). But it looks like you're a much more committed blogger than me! Hopefully some of your hints will be useful for me too. I'll be following your blog hoping for more.

Cheers,
Samantha

[Isao]

Thanks Samantha! I wish I could say that my blog is the finest resource of blogging advice, but rather it is (should be) about interesting trends that lurk behind our daily lives. That said hopefully I can amuse you in my upcoming posts. Good luck on your polishing your resume. Your thoughtful blog is also on my Google Reader list.