blogging challenge Archives - The Creative Writer

Day 29: 30 Day Blogging Challenge – 30 Ways to find Blog Post Ideas

When I began this challenge, my biggest excuse for not keeping up my blog was that I didn’t know what to write about.

Blogging - what jolly fun by Mike Licht www.notionscapital.com — Blogging – what jolly fun by Mike Licht www.notionscapital.com

On beginning this 30 day blogging challenge, I wrote a quick list of ideas for blog posts so that I would have something to give me ideas when I needed something quickly. I have not often needed it, but it gave me confidence that it was there. As I come to the end of my challenge, I have decided to share this list as a reminder that ideas for blog posts are all around us and that we just have to look for them. Please add your blog post ideas in the comments at the bottom of the page.

News headlines – in the papers or on digital news websites
Facebook posts
Tweets
Pinterest topics
Headlines specific to your topic – Googling your topic and ‘news’ will give you websites that offer news in your subject area
A conversation, overheard or between you & your friends – just don’t get caught listening in!
Questions from blog readers
Solve a problem – either one of your own or one that you have heard about from someone else
Share an experience
Blog review – I love to share some of my favourite websites
Book review
Five best posts of the week/month/year
Discuss a blog post that really struck you – but do say where the post came from and let the author know that you have continued the conversation
Have a bath/shower – really good thinking space, also taking the kids to school
Follow some forums – there are always some really good questions on there on real-life problems
Answer a question on Linked In
Listen to music. What pictures does it conjure up? Or can you just write an album review?
See what other blogs are discussing – do you have your own take on it?
Write a long list post
Decide to do a really long list post and think outside the box for your ideas
Use a TV or film character to discuss your topic – there have been some great blog posts out there using this. My favourite was the Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words on Copyblogger
Find some famous person quotations to discuss or share
Share a story or poem that you have written
Run a competition
Interview someone in your field. It can be an email interview. People are very happy to be interviewed – particularly if they have a book or product coming out soon
Write about an unusual hobby or skill
Go for a walk and browse a newsagents – see what the magazines are writing about
Write a seasonal post
Write a post about a new start, a New Year or new beginning – what are you going to do differently?
Keep a list of possible blog posts, noting ideas down as they come to you, so that you always have something to work on

Day 25: 30 Day Blogging Challenge – 3 Quotes for Writers

There are some really great quotes from writers and here are 3 of my favourites.

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. Ernest Hemingway

Great quote that hints at the toughness of writing.

2. The secret of being a writer: not to expect others to value what you’ve done as you value it. Not to expect anyone else to perceive init the emotions you have invested in it. Once this is understood, all will be well. Joyce Carol Dates

Great advice for any writer.

3. You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing. Doris Lessing

So many people say that they want to be writers and yet they never write. Making time for writing can seem like a selfish thing but it’s the only way to become a writer. Write down your story ideas, interesting news headlines and real-life stories. Keep notes on your phone and always try and find time to write.

What is your favourite writer quote and what does it mean to you? Let me know in the comments.

Day 24: 30 Day Blog Writing Challenge – am I Mobile-Friendly?

Just a short blog today as the challenge was to check whether my blog would cope with being accessed through a mobile device.

HTC Desire Eye smartphone by Maurizio Pesce on Flickr CC

I was writing a series of articles for a web developer a few years ago, and this was one of the articles I had to research and write. The overwhelming consensus of opinion when I was researching was that it was important for a website to be mobile (or accessed through a mobile device) and so when I had written the article, I looked into making my own website mobile too.

I am pleased to say that my website is still able to be viewed through a mobile device and that I can leave comments too. Sometimes you can learn a great deal from writing for a client!

Day 16: 30 Day Blogging Challenge – Halfway

Wow, suddenly it’s day 16 and I‘ve been blogging consecutively for 15 days! I’m really glad that I took up this challenge and I’m learning a lot from it.

April 2012 Art Challenge Tulips by COLOURED PENCIL magazine Flickr CC

So far I’ve learned:

that finding topics can be fun and that it’s important to choose a topic that I feel I can offer some information on
that I need to think about keywords more
that prioritising time to blog pays off in terms of the pleasure of seeing this blog grow and improving it with new content

This challenge has reminded me how much I do like blogging about my own subject (as opposed to writing blogs for clients) and that it is really pleasing to see the number of blog posts increase substantially. I also love getting emails each day.

Could do better:

need to set up that editorial calendar – I can see the benefit of it, but unfortunately it’s been a bit of a frustrating week at work. No excuses, though, should’ve done it!
Keep improving SEO. I use All-in-One SEO and I am finding that I understand it better so I can use it more effectively. I may investigate some other options when I have time, though.
it would be nice not to be blogging so late at night sometimes, but when you’re running other jobs alongside, better to blog late than not at all.

All these things will help me to blog more effectively and enable my blog posts to be found more easily when the challenge is over. It will also help me to continue writing blog posts more regularly.

What next?

I’m in the middle of a series of blog posts on writing a short story and editing it. I intend to continue that
Take some of Sarah’s email challenges. This is something I have not been so good at – usually because I already have some content in place
Try and be more organised with my blog posts

It’s amazing how fast the first half of this blogging challenge has gone. As I said, it has not been easy: I have had issues at work to contend with and this week the family have been around because of half term. However I am doing my best to keep blogging and I am determined to finish the challenge.

If you are reading this, thinking, ‘Shall I?’ then I would encourage you to sign up for the 30 day blogging challenge. Your blog will thank you for it.