Archives for October 2012

I was told by Phil the other day that I think about blogging way more than any other topic. I’d like to think that it’s because I’m interested in content creation because of my job.

But I think it’s turned into a hobby. Maybe even some strange variant of OCD. An obsession that somehow creates the illusion of accomplishment out of constantly spinning wheels in the mud.

The problem is that this has become a tumblog. Something a bit like Daring Fireball, minus the consistency, interestingness or $500,000 per year income.

But it was WORKING! Posting was easy and ideas were free flowing from the pipes of the Internet. The only problem is that when I started to get the itch to actually start writing again, I didn’t have anywhere to do it. So the solution, obviously, was to create a second blog. All I needed was a name. That should be easy enough, right? The only reason that naming bands and products is next to impossible is because of the other people that have to buy into it. Right? Surely a week would be enough time to come up with something great.

Right?

Well it’s been over a month. I haven’t found anything that feels right. I can’t say for sure that I’ve figured anything out. All I am sure of is that I’m exhausted from trying so hard to make it work.

There was an old Kids in the Hall sketch about being a Doors fan that advised stealing a car, driving west until the 8-track of Morrison Hotel ends, and then getting into a fight.

I think my 8-track has just run out. So it’s time to get out, take a look at where we are, and see if there’s anyone out there to accuse of dubstep fandom.

Russell’s blog is probably the blog I’ve been reading the longest out of all the blogs in the world. It used to be about account planning, but now seems to be mostly about robots and noises and projects that he’s working on.

Here are his thoughts:

Oh God, I don’t know.

A typical blog post, for me, is a conjunction of: 

A. A thought that occurs to me and won’t fit anywhere else.
B. Time to write and something else I’m trying to avoid doing.
C. Something I can point to in the world so it’s not just about me.

Well, that’s one sort of typical blog post. There are also:

1. Links to stuff I like
2. Apologies I need to make
3. Records of talks I’ve done
4. Stupid jokes
5. Felicitous phrases I want to get down
6. Things I’d like to remember later
7. Pictures that are slightly better than average

I hope that helps. I know it doesn’t. Blogging isn’t something you do well, it’s something you just do.

I’ve spent probably way too much time in my life thinking about blogging and trying to make this blog into something interesting for myself and for people who read it. Even though I know that the answer is to post interesting content somewhat regularly, I’ve wasted countless hours thinking about it and sifting through all of the nonsense about blogging that’s posted online. I’ve realized a couple things about those online blogging tips:

1. None of it is as helpful as the author thinks it is.
2. No one that writes about blogging touches on how to write interesting content.
3. I like to make things difficult on myself.

Some have a process. Some don’t. But I thought it would be interesting to start posting their answers. I’ll post one every Friday. (if you want to participate, just shoot me a note…I’d love to have more…)

But before I share some blogging insights, one of the most important things to remember when writing for online is to have a website that you are proud of. We all search for things online nowadays, and therefore if you want people to read your content and find your blog amongst the crowd, then you need a website that looks professional and eye-catching.

Designing a website that works for you is not always an easy task however, so thankfully, there are a wide variety of web design companies out there that can help you to get a fanastic website online that reflects your unique vision and voice. Austin based firm, Big Gorilla Design, has a long list of happy web design, SEO, graphic design & marketing clients and were recommended by a friend of mine, so do take a look if you need help getting your website or blog up and running or if you are in need of a website refresh.

Furthermore, it might seem obvious, but in order to be a successful blogger, it is essential that you have a strong internet connection! In fact, a quality residential broadband package is probably one of the most important tools for someone who makes their living online. Consequently, if you are currently looking for a new internet service provider, you might want to do some research into Eatel. Just click to read more…

This week, I thought I’d start it off with a friend of mine who is surely the most widely read blogger I know. Her name is Alex, and she blogs at Lateenough.com.

How does your typical blog post come to life?

Luck and organization.

The luck is recognizing that I just experienced, read or watched a good blog post. If I don’t realize until the following day, the moment or the recollection can be lost.

The organization is how I document the experience. My iPhone is instrumental in my process. I take photos of the weird, wacky and beauty around me, which either serve as the foundation of a post or as a memory jog for when I can sit in front of my computer to write. I also use the voice memo app and recite the hilarious, interesting or pathetic conversation I just had with someone. I transcribe it days, weeks, months later to use as a blog post.

I also organize my writing time by first deciding what days I would post. Currently, I post Monday through Friday so I need to write Sunday through Thursday unless I’m having a writing bonanza day where I get multiple posts written for my blog.

This pretty much never happens because I also write 1-3 posts a week for other sites, I usually only have 1-4 hour time blocks to write, and I also can’t, by nature, write 8 posts in row. If I get 2 written in a single time block, I’m having a creatively awesome day. Otherwise, I write the day before the post is due on my blog and a few days before the post is due for other websites.

As I cut back on some work over the last year, I was able to schedule in flex times for writing, which has been huge. My stress level is lower and my writing quality higher because if I’m not feeling creative or have to shift around writing time to fit in my life, I can.

I rarely, if ever, have all my possible writing times open so each week or two, I sit down with my calendar and write out my work hours and what work need to be done so everything has a time and place.

The more I blog, write and organize, the more I see the world forming around stories. Thus, the luck of finding stories grows with practice. But I can’t always see my world in blog form because I miss out on living it.

I turn off my iPhone more today than ever. And I’m a better blogger for it.