“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison
Back to Blogging Basics
Even before the holidays, it had been a hot second since I have written about all things, blogging, writing, photography, and even influencing. And with the New Year (oh hey, we survived the first week of 2022 peeps. Yay!) and people setting intentions or goals, I thought now was the perfect time to bring back this series. Especially since I had taken my own advice and actually started writing this post when I was in the throes of Blogmas.
I get so many questions about blogging and what I do and what it entails, which simply put, is a lot. If you are a blogger you are not just taking cute pictures and writing posts, but you have to actually articulate yourself, make sure you are using key words for SEO, create hashtags, know how to use code, create graphics, edit and re-edit, be a copywriter, and know how to cross promote to name a few things. You also have to be in the know about FTC rules, and if it is a brand have some understanding about contract law and the deliverables you agreed too.
Phew it is a lot. Don’t get me wrong. It is fun and I love the industry I work in, BUT you have to be able to juggle, pivot, and be incredibly well rounded in this industry. There is so much work that goes into a post before you hit publish. It isn’t just one skill set you need, but many of them. One thing is for certain it is an industry that is never boring, and allows me a healthy dose of creativity which I love, as well as incorporates something else I love, which is writing.
You Can’t Edit a Blank Page
While creating ANYTHING begins with an idea, you have to actually put the wheels into motion to execute it, especially when writing whether it is a novel or a blog post. As a mentor told me, “You can’t edit a blank page,” and she was write (pun intended). And when asked for advice, that is what I always say, “Start writing!” Even if it is just a sentence, or a half formed paragraph, you can always expand on those thoughts or heck even erase them all together and write something else, but you can not do anything with a blank page if you don’t begin.
I get it. A bank page can be daunting. It is actually one of the purposes of NaNoWriMo which is to get people to just write. It sounds crazy, because it is a blank page, but sometimes the most simple things are actually the most difficult and most overwhelming. It is why they say the first sentence is always the hardest. WHERE do I possibly begin? You just begin. Even if you go back and delete the sentence, it will get your creative juices flowing. It might take a hot second to get into it, but that is the beauty of writing, you can rewrite, and rewrite again.
Notes App
Obviously, just write isn’t as easy as it sounds which is why I am obsess with my Notes app on my phone. It is my biggest asset snd everyone has one. A bonus, is you can sync it to your laptop, and you can access it whenever you need too. It even has a voice to text option, so if you are busy, but don’t want to lose that thought, you can quickly get it out. I am always writing down ideas, thoughts, and half sentences in there, that I will then reference when I sit down to compose a post or work on my novel. Even the half composed paragraphs help to get me started, when I feel stuck.
Making notes is what helped me to get through Blogmas. Especially on the days I was overwhelmed or having a bit of a brain fog on what to post, (it does happen, especially near the end, ahem burn out) I would reference ideas that I had had early on or half composed sentences I had written and saved. Many of them were half finished, with multiple typos, and I would have to go back and finish them or more times then not edit the heck out of them! But it helped with the process and to get the creativity flowing and kept me from getting to stagnate with writer’s block.
It also helps inspire me, when I am unsure what to write, as well as already gives me a jumpstart for next (technically this?) year’s Blogmas. Yes, I already have ideas for Blogmas for NEXT year. In fact the last half of last year, before Blogmas, I was going through half written blog posts (I feel like half written is being generous) in my drafts folder and rewriting them. It was ideas I had wanted to write about, but other content had gotten in the way, or I was only half inspired at the time, but referencing them now, my thoughts had expanded. Writing isn’t easy. The mind can be incredibly fickle, but once you start, it can be an incredibly beautiful process. Yes it can be frustrating, but it can also take you on an adventure. SO while that blank page can be daunting, remember you can’t edit it. But you can edit a poorly written sentence, that will then turn into another sentence and next thing you know, you are on a journey. Happy writing friends!
What do you do when you are having writer’s or blogging block? Do you use your note’s app or another app to write thoughts and ideas down?
So true! I email myself ideas and paragraphs because it gets my attention quicker/more often than my notes app. Thanks for sharing!