My big insecurity this month is about blogging. I have a confession. I am not super blogger. I will never be super blogger. I will never be able to visit "enough" blogs in one day, or even in a week. I wish I could. I've been through phases when I tried. So, what can I do?
I want to blog with more purpose. I want to visit and leave comments that matter, and not just "nice post" comments. I want to send a few e-mails to bloggers who make my day, or who make me think.
However, I don't know how to make all this fit into the time I have.
So . . . for now, my short term solution is that I'm going to post less, and visit on post days and days when I'm not posting. I'm going to chuck my regular schedule, and go for posting when I have something to say, when I have a guest, when there's a blog fest that I just can't resist. I'll always be here for IWSG, because I love the awesomeness. I'm also still into Write Club . . . and there are so many awesome things going on that I'm sure that I'll be posting at least weekly.
I really want to do less of me and more of you - the awesome blogger buddies who have supported and encouraged me so many times. Because I am addicted to that crazy place called facebook (my extended family posts there often, so what can I do?), I'll be highlighting more of my fellow bloggers and authors there. I also hope to to highlight fellow bloggers and authors M-F on twitter, and in google plus. So, send me an e-mail if you would like me to give you a shout out on twitter, facebook, google plus, or in an upcoming "1 Word" interview feature, which I hope will at least be bimonthly, starting in September.
Planned questions for the upcoming 1 Word interviews:
1. What's your current favorite word?
2. In one word, what inspires you?
3. What's one word that describes your writing habits?
4. What's one word that you wish you could get rid of in your writing?
5. What's one word that describes your writing desk?
6. Share the best writing advice/tool/quote that helps you. (please limit to one sentence)
7. What's your current project?
So, what's your insecurity this month? Are you a super blogger? And would you like to be featured for a 1 Word interview?
Please stop by Alex J. Cavanaugh's site and thank him for IWSG! Alex rocks!!!
And his co-hosts rock too! Please visit: M Pax, Karen Walker, and Melissa Maygrove!
Upcoming guest in August: Karen Lange.
34 comments:
I totally understand where you are coming from Tyrean. It's so hard to carve out the time to get around to all of the blogs that I love. Quite often, I feel like a hamster on its wheel, going around and around, but never really getting anywhere. I do the best I can to get around to everyone. My hope is that I visit and comment often enough that everyone on my blog list knows that I still care.
That's a wonderful offer, Tyrean!
And not even I can be a super blogger. That's why I'm down to two days a week because I can't visit everyone. I try though!
Tyrean, even I am not a super blogger. There are days where I can hardly get much writing done, forget about visiting blogs. I am trying to restrict my other activities to do justice to blogging.
Tyrean, I struggle with the same thing. At one point I had to step back and ask myself why I was even blogging. I just decided, like you, to only blog when I have something to say. And if my struggles with writing only help one person then that's enough for me. I think it's a great thing that you're offering to help other writers, too.
It seems I'm reading more and more posts on the difficulty of blogging and keeping up with blogs (what with life, writing, family- who can blame us?) I think finding a time allotment or method that works for you is the best way to do it.
I am definitely not a super blogger. I have the same problems as you; I can never seem to visit as many blogs as I think I should, and I certainly don't comment enough. I always try, but time is a big issue for me. At the end of the day, I try my hardest, and that's all that matters :)
We all do the best we can! You've got to do what works best for you.
I'm not a super blogger at all - I post about twice a week. I can't visit everyone all the time or comment on every single post but when I do, I hope it comes across that I'm enjoying the blogging world. :)
What a sweet idea. I would love to be featured. I think we'd discussed a guest post for your site but never set a date. My fault for not following up!
I think it's almost impossible to be a blogger of 'super' caliber, but I'd say you come pretty close! :) It's tough when you have real life nipping at your heels...job, family, friends, etc. There just aren't enough hours in the day, for sure.
Personally, though, I like hearing about -you- and your journey into writing/author-hood, but understand looking to switch things up due to time limits.
I'm looking forward to your interviews....they should be fun :)
I feel the same way. I want to be a "better" blogger but I really don't know how to go about it, it's something I'm working on. I think your 1 word feature is a fantastic idea and I'd be thrilled to be part of it!
jaybird - I know you care! :)
Alex - Thanks! and are you kidding? You are the original super blogger!
Rachna - it's hard to do justice to blogging. I think we each have tough choices to make to make it work well.
Quanie - your posts are definitely helpful!
Julie - yes, time allotment helps a lot. It seems like at every season change, there is a different nee dot assess the time I spend, but I know I can make it work somehow.
Madeline - I can tell you enjoy blogging!
Diane - I'll get an e-mail to you in a few minutes!
Mark - that is so sweet!!! Thanks! I'll still have some snippets from my journeys in writing land, but just a little less. I'm looking forward to the interviews too! :)
Julie - Great! I'll send you an e-mail soon!
I used to be able to get to all my blogging buddies posts in an hour or so in the morning. Not anymore. I get through about half the list and have to catch up with the rest after I get my morning work done.
I've been posting less -- once a week -- over the summer just to keep from being overwhelmed while I wrap up my novel. It's been working out pretty well. :)
I've deactivated my fb for the summer (it is a personal one) and feel like I have so much more time. Twitter takes mere minutes and scheduling posts has worked well for me. This has given me more time to visit the blogs I follow. Of course, something will get in the way and throw the system completely LOL!
Suzanne @ Suzannes-Tribe
I hear you. Your concerns remind me of an article I read in O Magazine by Martha Beck about the "fear of missing out"--we overextend ourselves on social media for fear of missing anything. I grapple with having goals and a plan for using social media so it is fun, encouraging and energizing rather than a mad-dash, time-suck, energy drain.
Super blogger I surely am not. I've even been toying with the idea of not blogging anymore, but there are too many people I've met who offer such great support, and sometimes blogs are the only place we meet up.
My favorite word is OVERWHELMED. And I know you understand what I mean. You've got a great idea and I'd love to be a part of it.
Insecurity is everything it's cracked up to be. :-)
LOL. I'm too disorganized to be a super blogger, but every day I'm getting better--faster, more outgoing, more invested.
I love that you're revamping to give more. See, that right there communicates that you are a super blogger. You get what it's about. I'm going to take you up on the 1 word interview, eventually. Keep up the awesome, eh?
I take one week at a time. There are weeks where I visit every blog I follow and try to comment on something, then there are weeks I barely touch my own. I schedule a lot of my posts early and don't get a chance to check out all the comments in the same week. You do what you can :)
Meredith’s Musings
It is hard, finding time to keep up on blogs and comments. It is something I'm trying to find a balance to as well. I hope your new plan works well for you!
I feel your pain. Earlier this year I decided that writing was more important thatn blogging, so if I need to miss a week occasionally, that was okay. I've also cut back on the number of blogs I read. I was tracking over a hundred and that just became too much of a time sink.
I'm not a super blogger, obviously, but I wouldn't mind being featured in a 1 Word Interview.
I know what you mean - keeping up with every blog and commenting seems like an impossible task! I always put my writing before blogging, even if it means posting less frequently.
I am certainly not a super blogger. I try to visit everyone who leaves comments on my blog, plus a few more, but that's about all I can manage--if I also want to get writing done!
I don't think anyone except maybe Alex is a super blogger. We all just do what we can. I do like the blogging to stay in touch with all the friends I've made. I've been really bad about Facebook because I've been reading so many blogs. I want to get on there more and join Twitter (and write more). It's hard to juggle it all.
It's wonderful that you want to focus on greater quality than quantity. I'm not a superblogger either, but I try.
Great IWSG post!
Kim Lajevardi
(This Writer's Growing)
I love your 1-word interview concept! Very cool :)
I've been thinking lately as well that the only way to be able to comment/visit more is to post on your own blog less. I have a sort of loose tradition of posting every 3 days at the most, though sometimes (very rarely) it's more than that, and other times it's less. But I never want to go more than a week between posts.
P.S. I'm not a super blogger either, and never will be. I do think I have a comfy little cave to call my own in my little part of the web, and I'm happy with that. But I'd definitely like to keep up with visiting blogs more!
I've had to face the fact that I'm not a super blogger either. I think blogging when you have something real to say if the way to go. also, nice idea with your one word interview questions:-)
I love your 1-word concept!
I think that most bloggers struggle with the blog posting/visiting/commenting process. At the end of the day, we can only try to do our best.
Writer In Transit
I am not a super blogger but I am a happy blogger. My blog has become my space to think about stuff. I read a few blogs every week and I am happy. I write my blog every week, but I can see a universe where I write a blog every month with friends guest blogging some times.
Tyrean, this proves that you truly are a great person. It's so good of you to think of others the way you are. Just don't take toooo much of the spotlight off of yourself. Make sure to take care of you, too :)
Tyrean, this proves that you truly are a great person. It's so good of you to think of others the way you are. Just don't take toooo much of the spotlight off of yourself. Make sure to take care of you, too :)
Alex is modest, his tries are successful.
I knowwhat you're talking about. I love blogging but it's time consuming and I want to be writing so I'm torn between the two of them. I like the idea of 1 word interview. sounds great.
I know what you mean. Sometimes, I just don't managed to get around to enough blogs.
Makes me feel guilty as hell.
It's hard to be a superblogger Tyrean, but just do your best and people will appreciate the effort.
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