Posting here twice per week and taking my turns at the A to Z Challenge Blog and on the IWSG blog, means I need to come up with ideas. Like most writers, I don't have a ready answer for where the ideas for my novels come from. But when I comes to my blog, I don't mind sharing a little bit.
Sometimes I find interesting stats to share. Quite often they come from one of the writers' groups I belong to or from their publications. For instance, RWA recently share the stat that though Kindle is the most common platform for ebooks, iBooks is gaining ground at 37%. Readers under thirty are the most likely to use iBooks. Probably something to do with all those iPhones out there.
Most people are usually on Twitter or Facebook or both. There are all kind of links and discussions going on there. You can link to those and perhaps add you opinion when you share it on your blog. I try to stay away from anything really controversial. I don't want to draw that kind of attention to my blog.
Sharing news about other writers or bloggers makes great content though I don't believe most readers want to read a long excerpt from a book. Blurbs, covers and those one-liners make for a good post.
Perhaps a topic comes up in your professional life. When I was still teaching, I often shared some interesting, funny or irritating events connected to the day job. Of course, now that my profession is being a
Fill a spot on your post with a quote or two. Something inspiring, amusing or that will generate discussion.
"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin.
Post about what you've been up to. My sister from Mississippi stayed with us Friday and Saturday. We're two sides of the same coin so we always have fun together. Long walks on a woodland trail, a farmer's market shopping trip, three hours in the bookstore, lots of coffee, and generally talking about everything for hours on end. We also celebrated my husband's birthday by going out to dinner and having all the children at the house. Good times.
Post about your goals or plans. I'm too far behind on these to admit.
Talk about a particularly wonderful movie you're seen, book you're read or the TV show you're looking forward to. Perhaps an event you attended.
Blogging can be work or fun. For me it's a little bit of both. Usually the work parts comes about when I'm unsure of what to post about. Plan ahead. Jot down notes when you encounter something you'd like to share with your readers.
How do you decide on content for your blog? Where so your ideas come from? Do you vary content on your blog or stick with one theme?
35 comments:
I agree about blogging being a mix of work and fun. Some days feel more like work than others, though!
Although I have a list of ideas that I add to now and then, most of the time I wing it and write about whatever is current. Since I only blog once a week, I don't run out of ideas. ...yet. :)
I always go to iTunes first for my books.
I never have problems coming up with topics. It's limiting those ideas that becomes the struggle.
Hi Susan - I seem to be full of ideas - and now coming back off a long break - even more so ... I'll try and post simpler posts ... for now!
Must have been lovely having the family over for the weekend and enjoying times at the Farmers' Market, walking along the trail ... happy times - cheers Hilary
I use a Kindle app on my iPad to read ebooks.
I enjoy blogging, but it is work trying to come up with good content. I jot down notes when something strikes me, then I think about if anyone else would find it interesting or funny or benefit from it in some way, etc.
Sounds like you had a nice weekend! :)
I have a regular schedule for my blog, so I have themes for each day which make it a little easier to know what I'll be blogging about. Yet sometimes just reading other blogs helps light a bulb in my head!
We have so many topics to choose from, it'll be months before we're out of ideas. Even so we just keep adding to the pile each week. It's not a complicated process. We brainstorm over a beer, and just think about what's made us laugh that week.
I never have issues, as one word can set me off and away I go. I'm doing the a to z now, I'm that far ahead lol
Glad you enjoyed the visit with your sister! I'm never sure what I'm going to blog about, I usually only do once a week or so; usually something pops up about the time I'm ready to write one.
betty
I agree with you there, Heather. Sometimes it is work.
Your blog is always interesting, Maria.
You always have a great variety and lots of things to make your visitors think about.
I can't wait to hear more about what you've been up to, Hilary.
I use the Kindle app on my iPhone to read when I'm waiting somewhere.
Yeah, I like what you do on Fridays, Christine.
And then you make the rest of us laugh about the most common things like those warning labels last week and dreams this week..
Geez, Pat, why do always have to be so far ahead of the rest of us. I'm trying to keep ahead of next week.
Lots of bloggers are doing once per week. I usually do two on this blog.
Using Twitter and Facebook to get blog post ideas is smart because those topics are current and people are obviously interested in them. I plan out my posts a whole year in advance. I recently wrote 11 posts for next year. But my posts have to do with writing in some way so it's easier to think up a list.
Using Twitter and Facebook to get blog post ideas is smart because those topics are current and people are obviously interested in them. I plan out my posts a whole year in advance. I recently wrote 11 posts for next year. But my posts have to do with writing in some way so it's easier to think up a list.
I struggle every single time I'm due to write a post. In the beginning I would blog every day. I'm so glad those days are over! Great post, young lady!
Sticking to themes helps me to take the guesswork out of planning posts. However, I need to mix things up from time to time to keep myself interested.
Makes sense about the under thirty, iBooks thing. Right now, I have a personal blog so it's all easy and whatever I want to write about.
But I am working on food blog, and I don't have any answers for that other than, I'm going to approach it the same way as my personal blog.
Just have fun with it. Be myself and have fun.
That's the advice Tim gave me when he made and named my blog for me, and it's been the best advice I ever heard about blogging.
Just have fun. Be myself and have fun.
I ask myself questions. If the answers are funny, cool or entertaining then I go for it but if the answers are complex, send me into a spasm or make me drool all over myself in shock then forget it, I move on to my next likely topic. Just sharing the fun is what its all about!
I've had to reduce my blogging to once a week. I simply had no time to all that I was doing and finish writing a book. I agree with a lot of what you posted, especially about long excerpts. I don't like to read those, either.
Ugh, ideas. They can be the worst. I don't know how others can keep their blogs going for so long. Sometimes I just come up with posts based on what I'm watching at the time!
I used to write about weird, funny science stories. I loved it. But when I decided to give the writing thing yet another try, I decided to change formats and focus on writing. I think I might bring some of the science stuff back, as I miss it.
I keep journals throughout the house. Write down ideas or something seen or memories. Then I can blog.
Writing about writing does not work with me.
Hi, Susan,
Blogging is certainly fun, but it is work... but there are many aspects of "WORK" we all love and blogging is one of them. As for me, I put up a post with I feel I have something to share. Like the LA conference, or about meeting blogger friends. For the past six months it was about finding the right future home and all the DRAMA that came with it.
I resolved to the fact I will stay in Chicago until the right property finds me. Sometimes we need to step back and put our fate in God's hands... I'll have more of that in a future post.
Thankfully we have the IWSG to keep us on tract and this week I will be posting for the WEP. If you haven't heard about it, drop by my blog when you have a moment...
I've got to spend a morning and plan my blog. It has been an unguided missile for too long.
I'm probably the wrong person to answer that question - my blogging has been woeful of late. I've being re-assessing my priorities, and realised that my blogging declined as the amount of time I spent on Facebook went up. While it is great to be able to follow what my friends are up to, and post regular updates on my writing, I'm beginning to see that is at the detriment of my blog and writing. Time for a re-think!
I'm probably the wrong person to answer that question - my blogging has been woeful of late. I've being re-assessing my priorities, and realised that my blogging declined as the amount of time I spent on Facebook went up. While it is great to be able to follow what my friends are up to, and post regular updates on my writing, I'm beginning to see that is at the detriment of my blog and writing. Time for a re-think!
I *used* to keep a huge file of silly little notes and THAT was my go-to for blog ideas... and then all of a sudden, I stopped taking notes.
Weird.
I've now started again (since I found a stash of notes I thought were lost :)
#Score :)
PS: So happy to hear you and your sister had a great time and you all had a grown-ups night out :)
I used to keep a long list of ideas I wanted to blog about, but when I get around to looking at them they seemed sort of outdated or already done to death. I need to figure out a way to make and keep a consistent blogging schedule . That's my biggest vice. I never have a problem coming up with ideas, it's getting them written and writing consistently that's killing my blog. I know I could blame it on work, school, kids, sports, family, family emergencies - we have our fair share and more, writing , revising , marriage etc. but I recognize we all have those obligations plus some and others manage to keep their blog updated with consistency.
Thanks for sharing your topics. I love your blog. I like the mix of personal, professional, instructional and promoting others. You've found a blend that works really well and keeps readers coming back. I admire you for that.
It was simple when I started. I had only planned on including book reviews, and occasionally some posts on other random events.
When AtoZ happened, I thought long and hard about what I really enjoyed writing, and that was pretty much a bit of everything. So I recently took a change of direction on my blog. Having done that, it has become more fun, and less work.
As far as ideas go, they just are everywhere. The challenge in my case is keeping a track of them and not procrastinating writing those posts.
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