Bloggers are always “on deadline.”
No matter what the posting schedule is like (daily, weekly, monthly), there is always another deadline looming. It can feel like one of those hamster wheels where you can’t get off.
With several years of blogging under my belt, I have accumulated some tricks that keep me from losing my mind.
Keep These Blogging Tricks Up Your Sleeve
Rainy Day Posts
The next time you’re feeling especially productive and the words are flowing easily, sock away an extra post that can be “evergreen.” Even better if you have 2-3 extras. Put them in a special folder or Evernote notebook. Break glass in case of emergency.
Writing “Stubs”
Many bloggers keep a running list of topic ideas, which is very useful. However, I like to take it a step further and flesh out the ideas as I have time. Whenever you have a spare moment, add to your “stubs,” without paying too much attention to grammar, structure, etc. Just jot down the bones of the post in a free-flowing way.
If you get bored with one of the “stubs,” move on to another one that’s more inspiring in that moment. No pressure to complete it, add URLs, etc., just get the ideas out of your brain and into the “stub” bucket.
Over time, you’ll have a fertile ground for picking up “stub” posts and completing them when you’re not feeling able to punch out an entire post from scratch. No more blank page staring at you.
Set up a Series
Establishing a series on your blog is one of the best ways to “have an ace in the hole.” If you establish a certain day of the week that is focused on a specific subject, then you aren’t grappling with that aspect of writing.
This also helps your guest bloggers. It’s much easier to find someone to write on a specific topic than to just say “write anything.”
The best part of running a series is that your audience will return to see the next post in the series too. It’s a great way to build audience attention over time, once they become invested in the subject.
What do you do to keep from losing your blogging mind?
Photo Credit: h.koppdelaney via Compfight cc