The task for this week's Weekly Geeks is to "Reassess Your Blog." This is the perfect topic for me to address right now as I've been increasingly frustrated with my blog. The stress doesn't come from writing, or comments, or technological glitches. Simply put, I'm having a difficult time finding time, space, and quiet to blog.
In order for me to blog I need to be focused and have quiet. I'm a slow writer and easily distracted. It isn't that I'm writing deep stuff on Ye Olde Blog Jar, it is simply that I feel a bit scattered when trying to write. Namely I'm scattered because I don't have 5 minutes to myself in a quiet place. I was doing fine a few months ago, so what happened?
We disconnected the internet at the house for the summer and my blog has suffered for it. Sam and I decided that we would take the money we've been paying for cable and internet and stick it into savings. We plan to reconnect the internet -- but not cable -- in November. Doing this would allow us to increase our savings by several hundred dollars. Not only that, but Hope spends a great deal of time at her grandma's in the summer and I thought I could us the wireless at the public library and coffee shop to blog. I had even decided to spend my lunch breaks at work blogging.
Wrong. Now when I try to blog at the coffee shop I'm surrounded by noise and people. Wonderful people, but all people who want to constantly talk. The public library has limited hours and my work has been too busy to warrant even lunch break blogging. I've tried telling folks "hey I'm trying to write, lets' talk later," but to no avail. I've even pulled out the headphones.
Sam thinks I'm odd because I need space away from everyone to write (even him) and I need to find a successful way to tell him that it is only because I CRAVE SOLITUDE. I love my friends, but blogging allows me -- introvert that I am -- to have time alone, to think, to organize my thoughts. I'm bonkers if I don't have this time.
So here's where you all come in. I need help. I need to figure out a way to carve out time to blog, write, read, dream, and reflect. Extroverts may not understand, but I'm a better mother, wife, and friend when I can have that solitude.
I've come up with a few ideas: 1). schedule a time to blog, 2). pay the $20 membership to the book store to blog (I have less social ties there), 3). hand outline my blog before hand, 4). install an electric fence around me when I blog.
Let me know your thoughts: does this happen to you? How should I carve out some blog time? Am I being unreasonable?
6 comments:
Could you write up your posts offline at home in privacy, and then just upload them in coffeehouse/library?
What Eva said. I'll occasionally handwrite my posts when I'm not around a computer and then just type them up later. You could designate time at home to write in a "blogging journal."
Most of the time, I have to do mine in the early morning when others in my house are asleep or at work on my lunch break in a quiet classroom. It's kind of nice being the only morning person the house; I get a lot done.
I might have to start writing them at home and then uploading them. I haven't done that because I have an odd blog ritual. I usually read other blogs first and then do some other reading on the interwebs. For some reason, that inspires me to blog.
I'll try what Eva suggested. I might also use my journal more for pre-writing my blog posts.
Thanks for the advice, y'all!
my thoughts were something along the lines of eva's. and while you know i am an extrovert, and don't need the quiet all that much, i do understand that need. :)
also, what about a different location for blogging? i don't know how many places in gainesville offer free wi-fi, but it seems like more restaurants are doing it, and maybe even the kroger on thompson bridge (the starbucks in there?)
just an idea. good luck!
I totally agree with Eva. Find your quiet place at home, write your blog, then go off to wherever to post it. Since other blogs inspire you just a keep list of ideas as you look at other blogs. Then the next time you have time at home you have your list for inspiration.
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