By Mary Davis | Leave A Comment
I recently read a post by Chris Brogan about developing a writing habit, and it really got me to thinking. I’m a blogger and am working to start my freelance writing career, but I’ve realized that I don’t truly have a regular writing habit. And, in fact, I’m not as committed to my blog as I’d like to be. After much contemplation, I’ve decided that I can change that simply by dedicating more of my time to writing in some capacity each and every day.
Don’t Wait for Your Muse To Strike
Sometimes after chasing the baby around all day and helping the kids with their homework and such, I just don’t feel like writing. I’m tired or just want to sit and relax. But since making a concerted effort to put aside time every day to write something, I’ve found my creativity has increased and the words really seem to flow once I get started.
Know Your Ideal Time
What time of the day are you most productive? Do you work best in the quiet of the morning? Set your alarm to wake up before the kids and use that time to contemplate with a cup of coffee. You’ll find you can get quite a bit done this way. I’ve resorted to staying up late to do some writing even though it’s not my ideal time because when I get up early to work, it never fails that the baby decides to get up early too. Trial and error will help you develop your writing habit.
It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect
I’ve been guilty of waiting until I have a great idea to get started on posts. Sometimes just writing will spark your ideas. All blogging platforms have some version of the “save draft” button. You can always come back to it later. If you just get a start, you’ll feel more accomplished, which will add to more productivity.
In order to make your blog a success, you’ll need to post regularly. While there are some popular bloggers who prefer infrequent posts, it’s likely they’ve developed their loyal readership over time. Give this strategy a try to see if it makes a difference in your blog.
Mary maintains two personal blogs, Everyday Baby Steps and Adventures in Freelancing, so she truly has to make a concerted effort to write regularly. But she’s enjoying the extra effort and knows it will pay off.
ABOUT Mary Davis
Mary lives in western Pennsylvania and is a freelance writer and mother of three, ages 9, 7, and 6 m{read more}
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Thank you! This was a great post. I have been jounalling for ten years and even taught school a couple of years and still managed to journal, even though I was writing lesson plans every day – go figure!
Since I have been blogging, I have to admit that I have not been as diligent. I even have two other writing projects that I have to finish up on. This is not good, but I am going to pay more attention to it. I notice I get moody if I haven’t written in awhile.
I have started setting a reminder on my Blackberry to tell me to blog so I can get into a better habit of it. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the kick in the pants. It was very gracious. Served as a reminder to me of how much I love and MUST write. It’s my coffee, when I’m out. Like right now. Thank you!
I’ve been posting pretty much every day in 2009. My comments have actually gone down, but my hits and page views have gone up. Maybe new visitors are coming in and just not commenting.